When The Wind Blows

This week started with snow storms blowing across the mid-west and bringing high winds and some rain to Tennessee.  And of course, leaves were blowing from the golf course and church yard, into our back and front yards.  


When I decide on a blog title, I always look it up to find a meme and any other connections to the subject.  The first thing that came to my mind with "When The Wind Blows" was the lyrics to “Rock-a-Bye Baby.”  The history of this lullaby goes back to the mothers of the Native American Muskogee Tribe.  They would hang their baby's small cradle from the branches of birch trees where they were safe from bugs, hot sun, and wild animals.  And as the wind blew, the cradles would rocked gently.  
"When The Wind Blows" is also the title to a James Patterson murder mystery thriller and to the novel by the British artist Raymond Briggs, about an elderly couple's experience during a nuclear attack.

Saturday 11/29 - I didn't amount to much all day, nor did my fur babies.  My body was acting a little stressed, and I wondered if the infection in my wrist (from the cat bite) was affecting my entire circulatory and nervous systems.  I was also thinking that the deep puncture must have damaged muscle because there was still pain, swelling, and lack of strength and mobility in my wrist and thumb.  I took ibuprofen and soaked it in Epsom salt a few times.  

I did a lot of blogging, with Thanksgiving to recount.  This involved organizing and editing many photos from the past two days.  

Joe left for the casino in Cherokee.  

Like my pets, I napped and gazed out the window watching leaves blow across the back.  We also saw Shadow hunting and chipmunks, squirrels and deer.

I did do some Christmas decorating, making my office and the front entryway festive, all the while Christmas music played.

Rain and higher winds moved in before the 4:30 sunset.  Also, news of the snow storm sweeping across the mid-west with videos and photos of the beauty and the hazards were posted.  When the wind blows snow, you get white out conditions.  Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, and Wisconsin, were hardest hit with many places getting 8 to 12 inches.  

Courtney and Kent were experiencing a snow storm in Milwaukee but that didn't stop them from enjoying the hot tub. 
I was concerned for all holiday travelers (but especially Courtney and Kent, Yaneth and family, Jan and Mike, and Debra and her brother Bill).  They would all be making their way home the next few days.  Strong winds and sleet hitting our windows at dinner time had Maggie worried and wanting to hide.  

Sunday 11/30 - The last day of November.
Church was at 10am this morning because on the fifth Sunday of the month, they combine all three services into one.  This photo was taken from the video of the service.  Shirley and I are center/bottom of photo during the greet your neighbor time.  



After church, it was another stay at home day.  The cold/damp weather made me uninterested in going to the ranch, and unmotivated to do much.  

Essentially I spent the whole afternoon addressing Christmas cards, decorating, and doing household chores.  Putting up Christmas decorations always involves dusting and light cleaning. 
  

Monday 12/1 - Wow, we are already to the first day, of the last month of this year.  Time, like the force of wind blowing, are both uncontrollable forces that cause change.  

Courtney got me a Christmas puzzle, made into an advent calendar, so I got started on day 1, with Mama Styx helping.  My table for Christmas cards is doubling as a puzzle table now. This will motivate me to get my cards done.  








Ta da!  Got it done.  And I commented to Courtney that this must have been a challenge with 1000 pieces to sort through and pick from.  I had enough trouble with my little section of 36 pieces.  She said it was a tough one.  

Mama Styx had moved up to my shoulders, to take a nap.  She was now out of my way but still a bit of a hindrance.  I worked on Christmas cards a while.

I headed to the ranch mid morning.  Amiga was resting while Zorro stood guard.  I gave her a Previcox, which I do first thing, every day that I go out there.  
    
   

Then I got busy cleaning house, especially the master bedroom.  I did a deep clean of the bed and bath that Debra would be moving into, even wiping down base boards and window and door sills.  

Debra (with her dog Pugsley) and her brother Bill arrived at 1:45.  We (Patty and Joe also came to help) unloaded everything (mostly a bunch of totes) into the sun room where Debra could then go through them and unpack what she would be needing.  

Pugsley kept a close eye on our coming and going, but was good at staying out of the way. 

I went over some house basics, Patty showed Debra how to work appliances etc. and while Joe was showing her how to operate the TV, the electricity went off.  Bill had left right after getting his car unloaded and now Joe left.  

 





At some point, once Pugsley's bed was found, he took a much needed break in the action.  Patty and I stayed till 4:30, helping Debra unpack kitchen items and clothing.  Thankfully, the electricity did come back on shortly before we left.

Tuesday 12/2 - Overnight we had storms, with high winds and rain; leaving branches and blowing many more leaves into the backyard and front ditch.  
The gym was very crowded when I got there at 9am, but had cleared considerably by the time I left at 11:15.
I dealt with the bitter wind as soon as I got to the ranch to give Amiga her Previcox.  She and Zorro were both revved up, or actually just very apprehensive about coming into their sheds.

Then it started sleeting.  When the wind blows, especially with an air temperature of 33° and tiny sleet blowing sideways, it is miserable being outside.  This is an internet photo, but shows how it looked, although it wasn't sticking to the ground yet.  All the horses were standing with their butts to the wind.  Why don't they go into their sheds? 
I went inside to warm up and go over some things with Debra.  While we chatted, I sipped on hot tea.  
 

It was even windier with heavier precipitation when I started chores.  It didn't help that the boys couldn't hear the dinner bell and I had to walk partway out in the field to get their attention.  And then they didn't want to come into the paddock and were also leery of going into the shed.  I have no idea what had them so spooked or nervous.  AI says that horses get spooked by wind because it interferes with their prey animal instincts by creating loud, distracting noises and unpredictable, fast-moving objects, which makes it difficult for them to use their senses to detect real danger.

Three guys from the Spectrum Internet company came to the front gate as I was finishing up with the chickens.  The sleet had stopped and the wind died down, but the temperature was dropping.  
I shopped at Food City on the way home.  It was relatively empty at nearly five o'clock.  

Joe and I watched the movie Burlesque, with Cher and Christina Aguilera.  It was entertaining with great singing and dancing, although a little risque.  
And we all enjoyed the warm fire.
 

Wednesday 12/3 - While working on this blog, I saw Shadow down back hunting again.  He had just missed a chipmunk, so I went out and feed him.

After 'play' on the computer doing advent calendar games and working today's advent jigsaw puzzle section, I did more work on Christmas cards.

I took a TV tray and some under the bed storage bins out to the ranch for Debra to use and then got the heated water tub set up for Amiga and Zorro.
I also had to ask Debra to not let Pugsley run back and forth along the chicken fence, scaring them.    




This Wreath in a bag on top of a Christmas bin = perfect cat bed, NOT.  Once I got home, mid afternoon, I started work on outdoor decorating.  I had to disturb Monita to get to this wreath I hang out on the front porch.  Soon I discovered the lights on it were not working.  Ugh.  I put it on 'Santa's workbench,' the dinner table.  Now I have another job for another day.  

My day ended watching Survivor with Joe.

Thursday 12/4 - Mama Styx is always watchful.  And of course Babe had to come over to see what it was I was looking at.  Babe is so much bigger than her mom.

Before 10am, I was off to the gym and Joe was heading to Nashville to help out Dan and Vale.








I focused my weight workout on legs and enjoyed HTV as usual during my hour on the elliptical.  




My afternoon was spent at the ranch, picking up all the Thanksgiving/fall decorations and putting up Christmas stuff.  This photo wasn't taken until Friday.  







Joe's afternoon was spent at the hospital with Daniel, who was having surgery on 7 out of 8 blocked nasal cavities and a deviated septum.  









Your para-nasal sinuses are four paired, air-filled spaces (cavities) inside the bones in your face.  A deviated septum is when the wall of bone and cartilage that divides your nose into two separate nasal passages is off-center and can block one side of the nose.

I was home by 4pm and cleaning up clutter when I finally got word from Nashville.  Courtney had successfully picked up Ava at daycare and was taking her home.  And Daniel was out of a successful two hour surgery and 'waking up' in recovery.  Vale was at home with Layla.  


Joe got Daniel home a little after 6pm and reported that he was still pretty out of it.  Paco being Dan's nursemaid.  

Our internet was down when I tried to log on after dinner.  Joe, via text messaging, tried to help me resolve the issue, but we had no luck.  So I read by the fire with our four fur babies.
 

Friday 12/5 - I was up at 3am but with no internet, so I worked Day 5 of my advent puzzle and then did some Christmas decorating.  






It was a gloomy, foggy morning, kind of fitting my mood concerning the disruption of my normal routine/computer time.  

Once Joe was up, he put in a work order to have Xfinity come look at our service.  They would come between 8 and 11:00.  Well, that put another 'wrench' in my game plan.  

I needed to shop for food for the day's luncheon, so I got to Food City by 7am.  

The internet guy arrived fairly close to 8:00 and while he checked things out, I worked in the kitchen making a fruit salad and putting the other salads into nice looking serving dishes.  Meanwhile, in Murfreesboro, Joe and Courtney were dong baby care while Vale took Ava to daycare.  
 


Dan was up and about and his nose bleeding had diminished.  But he wasn't to bend over or lift anything heavy, like 18lb Layla.  Also blowing his nose was forbidden and sneezing discouraged.  And he was to start his nasal rinses.

Well, the internet issue was simple.  The power-bar that the box was plugged into, had been turned off.  UGG!  I had unplugged and re-plugged the strip from the wall but didn't think to look at the other end (slid into the 2" space under the TV stand).  Apparently Joe was the culprit when getting a device from the TV to take to Dan's.  



I got to the ranch 90 minutes before party time, doing some chores and then last minute things in the house.  Debra had added the lights around the fireplace.  Our luncheon was small (only six of us) but very nice with boarders/workers getting to know Debra a little bit, and her getting acquainted with us.  Karen is missing from this photo because she took it.  

Pugsley is not the well trained service dog I was expecting, but he's cute.  He is also spoiled rotten.  Debra feed him scraps from the table while we ate.  I am so much stricter with Maggie who I don't even allow on the furniture.  This will be an adjustment for me.  

After getting dishes and food cleaned up, I still had time for a quick nap once I got home.  And then I was ready to go at 5:45 when Sherri and Bill picked me up.  Micki, Linda, Sherri and I went to Reds and enjoyed a lot of dancing at our ladies night out.  

I was home and in bed by 11pm.