Hello on Friday Morning

Dear Friends,

Thursday went okay. I fired up the snow blower at 8 AM even though some neighbors had theirs going at 5:30 AM. I do like to see what I am snow blowing.
I took a couple inches of snow off of the driveway and sidewalks before doing my paths to the bird feeders.
My birds were excited to see me. They almost landed on my head as I replenished the feeders. They will need me for sure because next week the temperatures will be in a deep freeze mode. Some days will not get out of the teens or single digits. We still love it.

I did locate my mother yesterday. I went to the hospital, but she wasn't there. My sister stayed with my mother from 10:30 PM on Wednesday until 5 AM on Thursday which is when she got shipped back to the nursing home. I owe my sister big time.
Mom had low levels of potassium, and was a little dehydrated. The chest pains had nothing to do with her strong heart (she does have a pacemaker). I visited her at the Laurel Lake Nursing Home / Rehabilitation Center.
My father was there too at the time. Mom had a session with the therapist while we were there. Mom walked a loop around the center (on the inside of the building) which was 400 feet long according to the therapist. She said that she hasn't felt that good since Christmas. Dad should have been at the rehab place too. His arthritic neck was killing him too.

While I was doing my thing , Linda was writing out bills, and sorting through the multitude of pictures which we took while we were in Kansas. These pictures are in our computer right now. She will need to spend hours at the Walmart Photo Center to select the prime pictures for her Photo album which all grandmothers carry with them.

Christmas -- Our house is still decorated for Christmas. Linda said that we will attack it next week. I am the bucket hauler, and the guy who dismantles the artificial tree.
We aren't the only one who still have Christmas Decorations up. I did shut off the outside lights. As we drive down the streets of Pittsfield, we can see people's Christmas trees still lit up. Linda lit ours up last night.

Politics -- Obama presented a trillion dollar package yesterday. We might even get a refund if it passes. Change is taking place even before he will be sworn in. Like I said in previous e-mails, give the guy and his cabinet a chance to create change. If no change occurs, then make your comments.

Linda switched from one of those book clubs that sends you books in the mail to another club. She made sure that at least three of the books are the one which I like. I started to read one yesterday. She told me to savor it. Yeah Right!

A family of three from our Irish Sister City, Ballina, arrived in Pittsfield last night. They are being hosted by a former Pittsfield Sister City Family. I am supposed to take them ice fishing this weekend, but it might be too cold for the Curley Lad. It is 14 degrees out right now, and the Arctic cold front hasn't even arrived yet.

I will be going to visit Mom at the rehab center in Lee this morning. I am tempted to set up some ice-fishing tip ups because Laurel Lake is across the street from the nursing home. I can visit and ice-fish at the same time. Also, I can sit in my car at the lake and watch the tip-ups because there is a nice parking lot right there.

The Kansas trip had the both of us confused on which day of the week that it was. Linda and I went off to do a few errands around 5 PM. Linda was mentally prepared for some clam chowder, and some seafood at the Shamrock in Dalton until I told her that it was not Friday. We went to the East Side Cafe for some pizza.
We arrived home just in time for the NCAA College Football National Championship game. People in 45 States voted for the winning team. I picked the winner also.

Well, I have to go, and read the local newspaper before leaving the house.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad