First off, I have to tell one more thing about the baby shower...after we were done with the shower, Sarah wanted Jeremy to come out front with her. Then they called his mom and me to stand up there with them. Since the baby will be the first grandchild for his mom and me both, they had gotten us a necklace with the birthstone of the baby! This does not do it justice...I tried to take one last night, and then this one is from today...and neither turned out very good, but you can see what it looks like. It did catch us both off guard.Now for today. We were supposed to wake up to nasty, icy roads and maybe get an inch or so of snow. Did not happen. I am fine with the no icy roads, but sure would have liked a little accumulation of snow. We have had snow flurries off and on this entire day.We took a drive over into Illinois...I was hoping by going west that we might get into some real snow, but all we did was go in and out of snow flurries.We would go for a few miles of it snowing so hard that you couldn't see much of anything in the distance, then they would give way to almost sunny skies. It was just a strange sort of day.I thought today I would post these showing how hard it was snowing. And later on I will post some with no snow.

I have always liked reading journals and diaries, fiction and non-fiction books about the pioneers that came before us. And for some reason, when I get over into Illinois, I always think about them more. I think how excited they must have been to find all that rich, fertile, flat land. And then on days such as today, when the wind cuts right through you, I think what hardships they must have endured and I really wondered how they survived. I really wonder if I would have had what it took to build something from nothing.

It gets cold and the wind howls here in Indiana, but over there the land is even flatter, so it hits even harder. I told Roger that soon as you get into Illinois, the farms are much more spread out. I really want to get my tripod back in the Rav and take some photos and stitch them together for a panoramic view of some of the land over there. I don't know if I can do it justice or not...but I do want to try.

We have been home a couple of hours, and I am still not warm through...so imagine what it would be like trying to keep a fire going and trying to stay warm in the primitive conditions of even a hundred years ago! I was just in and out of the car to take pictures...never out for more than 10 minutes at any one time.

It makes me so thankful to come home to a home that has water and warmth--just by turning a dial or handle.

Did you think I was gone for good?

I am sorry for not posting or visiting the past two or three days...I plan to try to get around tonight. Just thought while I had a minute I would update you on all that is here.

My daughter's baby shower was Saturday afternoon...talk about getting a lot of stuff! I cannot begin to name it all. It took their car and our car to get it all home. They were packed full. I did not take pictures, simply because I got gone without my camera...I didn't have it on the list and was done down the road a few miles before I thought. Besides that I don't think I would have had time. However, two or three others took pictures and I should get some of them. I just don't know how long it will take.

Neal, his wife and daughter came early and helped Rachel, Sarah, Christen and I set up. Yes, Sarah helped set up her own shower. But it was worth it just to hear the guys and Allison get this one game ready....you know, the one where you melt candy bars in the microwave and put them in pampers and they look like you know what. They are passed around and guests have to guess what kind of candy bar it had been.

We could not hear all that was said while they did it, but we could sure hear the bursts of laughter. And we would look at each other and laugh...we decided they were having way too much fun with that game.

I had been so stressed about the party--I don't know why I get that way. I worried about having enough food...that was the main thing. We probably had about 8-10 people at the most actually tell us they were coming. But I understand that--when it is that time of year, I don't like to make definite plans. So I wasn't upset that people did not call...just didn't really know how much food was needed. I ended up having more than enough, which is a lot better than not enough.

One of my other nieces from over at Indianapolis came, and she came home with us and spent the night and yesterday. That is one of the reasons I have not been on-line. Then last night after she left, we had a major power outage. The power went out about 6:00-6:30 and didn't come back on till after 10:00 last night...by then I was too tired to think about getting on here.

We have been gone this entire day...to Sarah's to get some measurements, to Gander Mountain for Roger to spend a gift card they got him, by this one park in Terre Haute that I had been wanting to check out, by Harbor Freight, and to get a bite to eat. So I am totally worn out again.

Bubbie is doing just wonderful! I really cannot believe how well he is doing. He takes it easy, but does do some stuff. He does get in the middle of the floor now and sleep in his normal way part of the time, all stretched and twisted on his back. Arms and legs extended out each way--you just cannot imagine how good it is to see. Our house feels complete again.

Us three humans are all doing better, though not totally over the sinus thing yet. But feeling better every day.

I am going to cut this short, and hope to visit all of you sometime later tonight!

Look who's home!

Scroll down if you happend to come for the Sky Watch post.Rachel stopped and seen Bubbie yesterday--she said he purred so loud you could hear him all over the room. Louder than he has ever purred before...which doesn't take much. Usually the only way we know he is purring is to feel his chest.Anyway, she wanted us to get him today, and being that I had most of the running done for the shower, and feeling some better, I thought we would. It feels so right to know he is here. The first thing, he went down in the basement...and stayed. He never goes down there to stay unless one of us is down there.

I first brought him up, and he went right back down. So we let him stay most of the afternoon, then went and got him and shut the door for a while and made him stay up here with us. Soon as we opened the door, back down he went. Somewhere during this time, Rachel got home--she went and got him....and I think he has been upstairs ever since. Unless he has gone back down in the past few minutes. He hasn't been wanting on the furniture, and has been laying in around and stretching out on his back as in some of his earlier pictures.

He does carry his back leg a little bit abnormally--and you can tell it is stiff. But he does get around. And he ate and he drank and he has ate some more. Even dug in the food which is one of the things he does. I am so happy that he is home.