Thanks, Sarah, for the longtoe pictures - of SNOW!!!  No matter how cold it gets down here, and it has been down to 28* (for FOUR HOURS!!) it is colder & wetter elsewhere.  Our resident population is about 80% Canadian, with most of them originating in the middle provinces of Manitoba, Alberta & Saskatchewan, so we are constantly hearing of minus this or minus that degrees.  The 20% that is NOT Canadian hails from Nebraska, Dakotas, Missouri & so forth, so they have their own miseries!!!  Luckily for us, they left MOST of that crap back home!!!  We generally have warm to cool weather, with prevailing winds from the south or east.  When it turns, by gosh, we know it!!! 

Last week's advance dance saw eight full squares, with 2 couples sitting out at any given tip (2 more couples would have made a full NINE squares!).  Not many of them seemed much better than us, and that made it really difficult to dance well.  We're not all that confident ourselves, so when we find ourselves without a partner beside us, we think we're wrong.  Often, tho, we are ok, and it's the other couples out of place.  But, we never really know for sure.  It won't be until we start dancing with people BETTER than us that we will improve, I'm afraid.  Unfortunately, as those who dance know, couples at that level are not fond of breaking down or pulling others through.  So, we dance Tuesday plus, mentor on Wed & struggle thru A on Thurs.  In between, we see eye, skin & pain drs.  Ugh.  Busy, busy, but we really haven't seen much of the Valley! 

The whooping cranes are back in for the winter, so we're trying to put together a short trip back up the coast, to their home grounds.  We were offered a summer host position there, but we're not sure I can handle the bugs.  Remember Appalachicola?? The no-see-ems???  The hives??  No??? I DO!! And, I don't really care to repeat the experience, either!!!  Soooooooo, probably not gonna go work in the woods for the summer.  We are thinking of returning to Rockport-Fulton (still in TX), where we spent last summer.  They do have a wonderfully warm pool there, as well as convenient beaches & shopping.  And it's not too awfully far from Victoria, an area we'd like to explore further. 

Jack & Di went to South Padre Island today, with his brother & sister in law.  Can't wait to hear all about it & see if there's anything worth going back down to see.  Of course, there's a craft show coming up, and yet another pain clinic appt this week, so it won't be anytime soon, fer sure!  I'm beginning to get some custom embroidery orders - not anything terribly fun, but enough to keep me busy.  Busier than expected.  Plus, we do have to "work" some, so I'm managing to stay out of trouble.  For now anyway.  I think after the 17th I'm gonna try to quit buying fabric.  I do believe that is an addiction.  An expensive one.  I have lots of projects to complete for my own benefit  & pleasure; maybe I'll tackle some of 'em!  A pillow for Di, 4 stained-glass-looking flower quilts for Jose, and a pocketbook for myself and another one for Di.  I did manage to squeeze in a couple pair of flannel pj's - apparently just in time!!

The flower bed out front looks really bad.  We worked so hard on getting it all pretty & planted, but then the weather turned cold & rainy, so we couldn't get it mulched with rocks, as we did the front entrance.  Then the freeze hit & we lost almost everything.  The gardenias & scheffleras are struggling on, but all else is gone.  Nothing we can do now but tear 'em up & out and weed the remainder.  Wonder why it is that the weeds can survive a freeze but the desirable plants can't?  Murphy's law, I suppose.

Got an email not too long ago, letting me know that my article really is gonna be published, hopefully SOON!  Remember the one i wrote about workamping?  Titled, A happy camper is a happy camper, but an unhappy camper is a pain in the butt.  Bet they clean that up a little.   

Well, enough of my ramblings - you may note the time stamp of 2:20 AM - yeah, that's really what it is.  On a worknight no less.  Jose is talking about getting a new mattress - one of those sleep-number jobbies.  Anyone have any experience or opinions on that?  Seems like an awful lot of money, to me.....BUT, they *were* $4,000 when we started looking at 'em, and now they're down to $1,300.  Makes ME wonder.  Jose says 'cuz they're making more of 'em, but I think it's 'cuz they cannot unload the supply.  Who knows.  Lemme know what y'all think of 'em tho....

Stay warm & dry, God Bless.