Finding fun in winter

It's that time of year when we go stir crazy with all the snow and cold weather.

A winter wasteland.  Where the ground and sky meet, park benches are empty, and flower pots beg for flowers.

So, we have to make our own fun and laughs...

Donkeys?

Professor

Last Friday we enjoyed a local antique mall.  And Mike found all the props...

Number 9

Firefighter at the ready

And to add a dash of fun, why not travel with a cat?  Actually our cat Gilbert is diabetic and needs shots twice a day.  So he travels with us on short overnight trips..

From carrier 

to co-pilot

to fancy cat hotel

He is a trooper for sure.  Of course the amount of stuff we have to pack increases ten fold, but we want to take care of our little buddy.

And sometimes a little sign invites you inside...

Hope you are having a great week and enjoying sunshine and warmth wherever you are!

Diane

Family frenzy

Sometimes the stars and moon align, and the whole family gets together for a crazy evening of constant motion. Talking, laughing, eating, kids jumping and playing.  It really doesn't get much better than this.

Niece Diane & great nephew Rhys

My sister Angie & great niece Alice at Barney's Easter Party!

Nephew Dane and his dad Eric

Reading and general horseplay

Nephew Dane reading to great niece Violet

Great niece Violet

 Great nephew Rhys and his dad Jeff

Niece Diane, her husband Andrew and dad Ron

Getting ready for a group photo

And we attempted a few serious family photos...

My sister Pam, her husband George and kids Rich and Alex

The whole clan.  Four generations!

Brother Gary and his wife Peggy

 Judy and Ron's family

Mom and grand kids

Me and Mike

Mom, grand kids and great grand kids

By the end of the evening we were exhausted from laughing.  And maybe my back hurt a bit after playing horse with my great niece Alice, meaning she jumped on me. The horse.  

And I'll leave you with a couple of cool cats...

Traveling with Gilbert

Have a great week!
Diane

Winter finds Indiana

Lost glove saying "where is my owner?"

Remember how much I whined last year during the Winter months?

Snow. Snow. Snow. Broken record.

And this Winter we had a relatively mild December and January.  So Winter should be over, right?  Spring should be on it's way, and I should be seeing crocuses poking out of the ground.

But NOOOOO!  This year February is the freezing cold month!

Grey, snowy day

Did a mom write the last sentence?

Sunset over the backyard

Enjoying dinner out

So we look for fun wherever we can find it...

Dinner with Beth Ann and Melanie

Saturday night out.  Great pizza and band!

Dress for success?  Typical evening in front of the fire.

Mikie, where are the martinis?

Sewing project-pillow cases

Saw this last week. Blind men driving?

Ok, so there are lots of meals out.  Sounds strange, but it's an excuse to get out of the house.

And notice I didn't have any Fitbit pictures. Hey, it's dangerous to walk outside.  That's my excuse, and I'm sticking with it.

And we've spent hours in front of the fireplace catching up on episodes of The Blacklist, State of Affairs, Madame Secretary and Person of Interest.  And thank goodness the new season of The Voice started last night.

Normally I would be happy about breaking a record, but not today.  Minus 3 degrees.  Enough said.

Diane

Day to day living

Happy cookie day

It's been a strange time.  With so much happening these past few months, it's been hard to get back into my own daily life.

So here is a glimpse of the past couple of weeks...

Sweetie with big heart

My sweetie surprised me with a Valentine's Day breakfast of crumpets (to go with my hot tea).  It took several hours to make them, but they were delicious.

Mikie making crumpets

Crumpets, blackberries and cheese

 Last weekend we were in St. Louis with Stan, Kevin, Kathy and Kristopher for a Blues-Blackhawks hockey game. Our friend Mary was supposed to be there with us.  We thought of her often during the game...

Blues vs. Blackhawks

Mike and I with Kathy and her son Kristopher

I visited mom last week, and we enjoyed getting together with family for dinner at our favorite BBQ place.

Enjoying food and laughter

Walking tall, that's me!

And I have been walking my little shoes into the ground.  Nothing like a Fitbit and my friends commandeering my device to set me up for weekly challenges.

Basically at any time during the week(or weekend) I can see how many steps each person in the challenge has taken.

I haven't won yet, but I was ahead for a short time last weekend.  And yes, the competition keeps me walking, and maybe I am a bit competitive...

Love that few minutes of being ahead...

And yes, it's been cold here in the Hoosier state.  Mike and I tried to warm up with some winter hats.  Lovely, don't you think?

For walking at night?  Hunting?  Scaring aliens?

Fashion statement for sure!

And because my eye is often drawn to the strange and unusual,  here is a picture I took at my mom's house.  Not sure there is an explanation...

Reaching for love or lemons?

Hope you are enjoying the week!
Diane