Day 1 April trip to St Paul MN

Elizabeth's Graduation from Metro State in April in Minnesota.  An April Graduation! Whoever came up with that idea was Crazy!  Winter this year did not want to let Spring in. Snowstorms were blowing thru the upper midwest into the eastern states rampantly just 2 weeks ago. With freezing ice and Temps in the teens. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrr. It was my youngest daughter graduating from college and I wanted to be there. What an accomplishment.

Ok so I started packing. 5 turtle neck tops, warm pullover sweaters, a couple of warm Sweatshirts. My jacket, boots, a warm robe, socks.  I thru in a few long-sleeved Light T's just in case it was warm enough.  I'm ready!  Took Bella to the groomer's to get her nails clipped, her coat shampooed and the hair around her face and eyes trimmed. I asked them not to cut her hair tho, she wasn't used to Minnesota weather and I did not want to have a frozen puppy-sicle on my hands if the weather was truly frosty. Lol.

We left early Friday  Morning on April 20th. My plan was to drive until 8pm or within a 7 - 8 hour ride left to St Paul.  Knowing that the sunset came about 8:30 pm. Since this was my 1st long drive since recovering from back surgery last August I wasn't sure if this was a viable goal - would I still be able to make it in 2 days or would I need a third?

I drove 500+ miles Friday. Stopping often for breaks, (like every 2 hrs or so), giving myself and Bella potty breaks and time to stretch our legs.  This was Bella's 1st long-long road trip. She had been with me to go to Nancy's house in GA but that was only a 4 1/2 hr ride with one break in between.  I stopped at 7pm for the night in Indian only 7 1/2 hr road time from St Paul.

Bella's did well her 1st night in a hotel. At first she wanted to bark at every noise she heard outside our door. With reminders to keep quite she settle down and got comfortable in our room.  It was a memorable 1st day.

I had intended to go straight Thru TN on I 40 then shoot up into Illinois to stop at my favorite hotel in Bloomington - Normal Illinois.  Instead I choose a route that was deemed shorter bt GOOGLE MAPS. (Stupid Choice) up thru Kentucky and Indiana and CHICAGO -  (a Costly Choice).  It cost me almost $20 in tolls after getting lost on the Chicago toll roads. It seems like all the roads surrounding Chicago are toll-roads. GRRRRRRRRRRRR.  "I know better"! Ha Ha !!!!!!!!!!! NOT!

A rainy day here in East Tennessee

This morning it is raining here in my little town of Newport.  It's in the 40's here and as I make my bed this am I am looking out in the backyard at a flock of robins and black cowbirds taking advantage of the rainy weather bringing worms up to the surface for them to snack on.  I am having some maudlin thoughts about birds today and remembering a day in 2013.  It was May - Springtime - or it should have been springtime.  this year we had a bad winter storm on May 2nd and 5th.  I remember the day before watching the birds flitting from tree to tree in the snow and seeking cover in the pine trees bordering my home in Hudson WI.  then overnight the temps plummeted and the snow prevailed.  The birds that had been happy the day before were flying from tree to tree to seek shelter from this storm and the ground was littered with dead birds that had not survived the night.  I was horrified by the scene but didn't realize how affected I was by this horror.  So here it is 5 years since that I awoke to that horrible scene and still remember clearly the sadness I felt for those birds.  It seems so abhorrent to me to mix the scene of the Robins and Cow Birds this am with that picture.  and that winter and the following one in 2014 is what led to my decision to move to a warmer climate.  Now I enjoy the birds knowing that they are happy and save and will not be frozen by severe weather, at least here in this warmer climate.  Yes, I am aware that God cares for each bird and sees every one that has fallen but the memory of that morning in May of 2013 stays with me.  Sorry for such a sad tale but I had to write it down and share.   

My Thoughts On ............... & Ect!

The Weather - Brrr it's cold here today.  In the mid 30's most of the Day.  It is Midnight and the driveway is wet, not with rain but snowflakes that haven't stuck but melted on contact.  I can already see snow that is sticking on my neighbor's roof, the edge of the my driveway and by the road. It is quite a change from yesterday were it was in the 50's in the afternoon. My Health I took Bella for a walk again today, walking all the way down to the end of my neighbors fenced yard and back.  That's about a half block for me.  I use my walking stick but I have been able to just walk and carry it with me.  Wow now that for me is an improvement.  Little Baby Steps forward for me.  Today at Pt I worked on the upper Arm machine for 8 min instead of 3 and I worked on the bike for ten min. - seems a pittance amount but when you consider that I've been home bound for most of the past few months and only doing piddly exercises. these are a TREMENDOUS! improvement for me.  It's been just over a week since starting out-pt PT and I'm feeling confident I will improve immensely.   I'ts been a slow recovery process for me since my Spinal Fusion Surgery in Late August 2017 but each day I get stronger and my endurance increases.  I am already able to spend time on my projects like sewing and making jewlery  I woke up at 8am and yes it had snowed last night but not much more than was there at midnight, just colder.  I let Bella out twice for 10 min at a time to do her morning routine.  It is10:45am now and Bright sunshine is streaming thru my kitchen and livingroom windows.  Bella is snuggled on the bed warm and snug and I am about to go into my sewing room to work on some projects.  I am having a great day today!