FLABBERGASTED --

I'm watching the news and just heard the mother of the new septuplets (whatever -- that woman in California whom just gave birth to 8) --- already has 6 children. Whaaaat! How does one afford 14! Let alone 8 --- food, clothing, shelter.

Elders chatting with the FSA people yesterday -- looks like an additional 10 acres of CRP for 2009 --- and more tree planting. Someday it will be a prairie again.

Toodles
Diva

FATIGUE

This diva is pooped. Lots of paper shuffling this month (too much paper shuffling) -- but 3,000 w2's and 1099's and a couple of tax returns are done! The party starts tonight -- need to get ready for the February chaos. Katie's back -- always keeps me grounded and smiling! The pix is of "Red" and "Hairy" of couple of napping barn cats. Red left us for better turf (or better women?) and Hairy now rules the cat world at the farm. They were young and friendly in their youth.

GRATEFUL

I'm grateful we don't have this much snow (somewhere in Colorado they do) -- check out the picture in the Mpls StarTribune about the house move accross White Bear Lake --- I tried to cut/paste/insert but it's beyond my skill level. Looks like a pretty good fish house to me....fireplaces, porches, nice windows, satelite tv, toilets (not sure if they're operational). All in a day.

M

GRATITUDE ( a big word)

katie's back !! katie's back !! as in back to work (for me) a couple of days a week!!!! I'd do backflips (but I'm way to old for that!) -- all in a day eh!

Diva

LONGEVITY (Week of Words)

the word is out -- the planning has begun -- the postcards are in the mail.....

RENEWAL (Week of Words)

Today's Word -- RENEWAL -- new week, new day, new attitude --- happy monday all.

Serenity (Week of words)

Serenity -- my word for Sunday --- way to much wacky in the past week so working toward SERENITY this week. Yes I'm at work at 8:25 on Sunday morning (I've been here a while too!), things to be done with out the interruption of the telephone.
Saturday night at the Grandview Hilton was intertaining -- the long black set of wheels had been called (not the limo -- ) ... time to leave before getting caught up in that chaos. #3 this week.
Diva M

Where does the time go?

Okay it's Saturday again, the days and weeks are just zipping by me. Me and Nick are working hard this morning. I didn't realize it was going to be -17, I don't care if it's zero or below that's just too cold for me.
Icehouse is going to the lake today. Complete with most of the comforts of home (coordinated mini blinds -- can't seem to get them hung in the real house) hope the fish are biting!

M

Green Week -- TGIF

Nick waving flag at the motorcade when GWB came thru 4 years ago (standing in the ditch in front of the shop). So Nick is at least a foot taller now and I'm guessing his feet are at least 4 sizes larger too.

Green Week - Thursday

Diva is not having the best of weeks. My blood pressure is rising!

Green Week Wednesday

Okay, so the white daisies are done and the cone flowers take over --- and of course the poor strawberries struggle to survive. New berry bed in my future -- new everbearing plants coming from Gordie! Heat wave on the way = need to work on the sidewalk this afternoon -might even be able to find the cement.

D

Green Week # 3

Green week pix #3 -- the daisy patch (there are june bearing strawberries in there too) -- quit reading this and get to a tv. I haven't seen this much -- hoop-a-la since Reagan replaced Carter -- I still remember that day -- professors kicked us out of class to student union to watch TV --- the only place on campus with cable tv (and a clear picture) -- Amazing the things we take for granted eh! I came home and went to work early ---

Diva M

Jelly -- where's the grape jelly...

Green week picture #2 -- young Baltimore oriole (which is more difficult to spell -- Baltimore or oriole) --- the birds --- dive bomb the jelly feeder on the edge of the deck -- even when we are sitting out there....

Green Week - Day 1

Diva has decided this needs to be green week. Only green pictures and no pictures of that damn (he's not behaving well today) cat. --- Diva will be finalizing her seed needs tonight and ordering the seed. It's a "back the basics" year in the garden. No more of the fru fru designer watermelons --- too unpredictable in our unpredictable weather!

I'm watching TV and some news guy is interviewing someone in a gorgeous garden. I think I'm going to need a road trip to the Conservatory at Como Park -- SOON!!!!

Diva M

Coolest Work Wheels! SOLD

Diva's old work wheels finally SOLD!!! Bessie's got a new home in New Sweden (?) or maybe it's Lake Prairie!!!!! I'm sure she'll be equally loved at her new home.

D

Em & Molly

Diva is still cold. I am braver today -- I did the McDonald's breakfast gig this morning and opted for an iced coffee!
Here is Emily and Molly -- nice pix of the "girls" ......

M

The Other Watermelon Diva

It was brought to my attention yesterday -- there is more than one watermelon Diva -- imagine. So I googled it -- the other Diva had other "assets" that she is peddling via the internet. Do NOT google it in front of your children or employer!!!!!!

Needless to say -- the other Diva does not garden or at least doesn't appear to grow veggies!

All in a day, eh! Only -28 on my morning voyage to the office. Warm up on the way.

M

Am I in the Way?

The one mouse a month does not create a tummy. In the cold weather I've become a lazy, lazy cat -- I rest where ever and whenever I want -- I especially like the heat registers and of course the copy machine, but my favorite sunspot is the counter -- even if someone puts something in my way.

Nick

So....

So, at 5:15 (am) I popped on my bathrobe and winter parka and started the car (and yes, backed it out of the garage) -- a mere -15 --- by the time I decended to the lower elevations of town -- it was -20.
Warm up on Saturday --- above zip! YaHoo!!!! Only 85 hours to go!!!!! And 93 days until April 15th!!!!

Toodles
M

Anna Kate, Brielle & Claire !

Anna Kate!

Brielle!

Claire Olivia!
Lots of good looking baby girls come outta this building! Anna Kate is Katie's daughter, Brielle, the eldest is Tressa's daughter, and Claire Olivia is Emily H's daughter. Baby Claire is the youngest at 7 months!

So, it wasn't snowing when I left the farm, by the time I got to the shop it was an occasional flake and by the time I got to the office, it was snowing. All in 1 1/2 mile commute -- we getting ready for the deep freeze -- hanging rugs/quilts in the windows -- trying to keep the heat loss to a minimum --- time will tell.

Sunday (at the office)

Diva's already been at work for an hour (it's 8:12am) -- gotta only 94 days until April 15th --- actually I have "plans" for this afternoon, so I came early with the intent of leaving early. Lori, the cleaning diva, is due in at 3:00 and I like to get out of her way -- besides I need to go home and clean.....laundry awaits me! It's piling up. There is a haircut in my future too! Lori takes very good care of me -- my hair and my messes!
I also feel the need for a cooking binge --- tater tot hotdish and funeral hotdish --- are on the menu --- need to eat good! It's going to be cold and I need good hotdish to keep me going! Mending and the quilt project await -- I vowed to sew for 1/2 a day -- that lasted a day.
It snowed again.

Diva M

okay, the cleaning diva, called in sick -- so I became the cleaning diva -- can't cut my own hair however -- that would not be good (or pretty!)

Saturday (again - they just keep coming)

before the January thaw first must come the deep freeze --- so 10 days from now we should be basking in the melting ! one can always wish!

TGIF

so, Ya Donna, this pix for you --- I finally got the bottles on the wall.

red/white truck in action -- it's other job in life.....still icy out there -- pray for warm weather -- I don't think my ice will melt until April....

Diva

Thursday

I AM THE KING !!
(THIS IS MY ROYAL PORTRAIT) . .


YES, I WILL POSE FOR THE CAMERA

good thing he's around I seem to have a bunch of his portraits -- yesterday he managed to bite someone -- then clawed the next person. All in a day on South Third Street -- He's managed to shred his way thru 3 plastic window kits -- clear duct tape patches them up. Found him napping on my suede jacket last night -- hissed at me when I threw him off......

no wonder my stress level is rising daily.

Diva M (destressing, hopefully)

Wednesday

no I did not take these pictures -- cousin Jerry forwarded eons ago and I've just enjoyed them a lot -- they are pictorial descriptions of my moods yesterday --- a) run for the hills the wicked and wackie are on the loose and b) stay out of my turf buddy! Today is a new day -- thankfully.

tuesday

oops! (yes this is real -- and yes it still runs -- needless to say, he'll never get to borrow my atv)

I Hate Mondays....

Here is sleepy Nick -- this animal leads the life -- eats whenever he wants, sleeps where ever hi wants and well......

So my personal hockey rink turned into a personal rock yard -- 8 pails of rock on the parking lot and sidewalk --- no it will really hurt when I slip and fall -- can't wait for the rocks to dig into me!

Yahoo!

Sliding Diva

Okay, I got here --- I only fell once on my sanding duties --- I was warned upon my exit from the house -- and I forgot my camera at home. The parking lot is now my personal skating rink -- dual duty -- basketball court and hockey rink. $ 17,000 later ......

Ugh.

Sunday

I'm finding old pictures at home -- here is Nick providing the musical entertainment at the farmer's market === 5 (?) years ago. Here's the deal -- he no longer plays the clarinet and he's a whole lot taller. The good news -- same old truck and tent. It's a low budget operation!

Here's "red" -- when he was a nice young kitty --- adulthood turned him into a lean mean fighting machine. He has since relocated -- he was a traveling cat and well hasn't returned for several months.

Saturday

This is scary Nick --- I'm sure the talons were out and the fangs were showing ..... he has his moods.

This is nappy Nick -- no talons or fangs --- just spreading a lot more hair. His new favorite roost is the copier. I'm sure the repairman is less than happy finding his "fur" in the document feeder. Alas, yesterday was a "mouse" day -- so he's earning the $23 of cat food I bought on my shopping extravaganza. Now if the litter box would only change itself.

Friday

It was a wild New Years Day -- the annual shopping extravaganza --- cat food, coffee, t paper, etc. Then back to the office --- where Dad moved all of my snow piles to the front yard. Huge pile in the front yard -- but it's clean along the fence and parking. Usually it's hauled away -- but heavy equipment is not allowed on my new cement until it cures for a while longer. So, piles.

Thursday

So I thought I'd try a picture (or two) a day -- this oni is old -- the shrubs are short and the tree is still in the yard.... probably 2 years old......maybe 3 -- I'm home and more pictures from which to choose. Okay, curiosity sent me looking it was March of 2005 ... time flies.

M