Technically we're under a winter weather advisory, though surely if there's any, it won't be much.  Of course, that's what I said last time and here came a foot of snow.

Sheesh.  May as well live in Lubbock or someplace like that. 

BTW, I had an absolute brainstorm at Lowe's a week or two ago.  Years ago I'd gotten a very small spatula from The Pampered Chef and loved it.  One of my favorite things in my kitchen, in fact.  Sadly, it disappeared a few months ago and I could never find another.  Well, barring ordering another from TPC.  By itself it's only a few dollars but add on the s/h and it'd get a bit pricey.

Well.  I was at Lowe's with Kenny (as usual!) and idly looking around while he was searching for something paint-related, and noticed the spacklers or whatever they're called.  They look like flattened-out spatulas, but lo and behold, there was a small one with an angled handle! 

Four bucks.  

Best darn little spatula for bar cookies I've ever had. The corner is sharp so it cuts a treat, and is the perfect size for cookies and anything else small.

So if you've been wanting something along those lines, head to the hardware store. 

On another topic, there's an election on March 2 and I'm about to freak, I'm so ready for it to be o-v-e-r.  The mailbox is laden with those big postcard-type things, and honest to goodness, it feels as if half the phone calls are automated ones in favor of one politician or another. 

Surely not.  That would be beyond bizarre.

Been watching the Winter Games and for the most part the ads in them are not terrific.  I'm getting really tired of the Nationwide ads...the original one about "The world's best spokesman in the world" was dopey, but the succeeding ad is even worse.  It doesn't seem to make sense, or explain why anyone should get their insurance through Nationwide.  

The Chevy ads are good.  Makes me want to get either a Traverse or Equinox.  ;^)

Tonight begins my favorite figure skating event, i.e. ice dancing!  Woo-hoo!  

Last night wrapped up the men's individual figure skating competition, and I need to ask the boys what's the Russian for "sore loser".  Plushenko looked like he was chewing a lime when he was on the award stand, and apparently he's been mouthing off ever since, complaining about not getting the gold.  I didn't think he deserved it, frankly.  His short program left me stone cold...so busy, with him waving his arms all over the place.  Evan Lysacek skated better, and more difficult programs.

Says she who can't skate across an ice rink.  Horizontally. 

The ads for upcoming movies and television shows are also less than compelling.  So far there's not a one I'm interested in seeing.  The worst of the lot has to be that "marriage" show with Jerry Seinfeld and whatshisname. 

Just finished watching Allison Reed (IIRC) and her partner, and while her skating was excellent, I'm taken aback by the fact she's only 15 years old, she is representing the nation of Georgia, a country she has never set foot in (though she's planning on visiting it this summer, now that she's a citizen and all).  The commentator acknowledged that changing one's nationality for the sole purpose of competing in the Olympic might seem odd to some but if one is passionate about skating and the opportunity presents itself, why not?

Call me Some, because it most assuredly seems odd to me.  Certainly there are legitimate reasons for changing one's nationality....marriage or adoption, for two.  But simply because it facilitates one's ability to compete?  Presumably Allison either fears she wouldn't be able to cut the mustard and represent the USA (she's from Warren, MI), or she's all about shortcuts.

So far's I'm concerned, she can go to Georgia this summer and stay there. 

Mine's doing well, especially when contrasted with a friend of mine (single woman of 50 with a history of cancer) who was unexpectedly laid off yesterday.  :^(

Last night was choir practice - including the first practice for Easter, can you believe it?  Tenebrae rehearsals kick in the second week of March, as well.  I've been in the Christ Chapel choir for over a year and it's been an enormous blessing in my life.  The people are committed Christians and prayer warriors, and it's humbling to be included in their number.  When I compare where I was a year ago with where I am now, the difference is astonishing.  Which isn't unexpected, naturally, but still welcome.  It's wonderful to look forward to things again in this earthly realm, along with a near-constant eagerness for the resurrected world to come.  Still sneak peaks to the east, hoping to see Christ coming with an untold number of angels, and trumpets blaring, and fire flashing!

Odds are it won't happen in my tenure on the planet, but by golly, one never knows, does one?  He's coming sometime, and it seems to me this is as good a time as any.  

Very likely most of y'all are aware of the snow storm (amounting to a blizzard in places) that happened a week ago?  Boy howdy, was THAT a surprise!  The Russians were extremely pleased about it, declaring they hadn't seen this much snow since they were back in Russia.

 
That was the view of our backyard.  Dmitry tickled me by throwing a snowball just as he did the February after he arrived home:

I need to see if I can located that photo from six years ago.  Here's Zhenya with his snow-covered car:

The cats were fascinated by the white stuff outside and tried to get out to play in it, but I wouldn't let them.  Did get a fun shot of Magellan, who was startled by the flash:

That's Twilight in the background.  The snow didn't stop Carolyn and her parents and Dmitry from heading down for their already-planned trip to Galveston to see the Mardi Gras parades that weekend.  No snow there, but lots of people. 

Isn't that a darling photo of Carolyn in her Mardi Gras mask.  I'd love to have a mask like that.  I'd also like to get inside a Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory again.

A nice picture of Dmitry, I thought. 

The other evening Kirsten, my eldest grandchild, came over and I got some pix of Jessica and her girls:

First there's the obligatory one with Brianna being silly, of course:

Then she straightened up and cooperated:

On of my favorite pictures in the world!  Aren't they precious?  And here's on of Kirsten alone:

Did I post the picture of what happens when toddler meets mascara?

BION, Jessica was able to get it off.  We send out such mixed messages to children, you know it?  OTOH they hear "Bridgette LYNNE!  Look at you!  Bad girl!"  but then out comes the camera for a photo.

Um, am I in trouble or not, she must have wondered.

Yesterday morning Joe kindly came over early with his pick-up truck to help Kenny load the pantry he'd made for me in his shed.  Kenny said when they wrestled the big ol' thing out the back yard gate and into the front yard, a man across the street stared, then solemnly removed his cap and laid it across his chest.  It must have been very funny!

Anyway, I simply love it!  It's terrific how all I need to do is tell Kenny I'd like a pantry built and he takes over and creates a masterpiece.  Check it out:

Isn't that the coolest thing you've ever seen?  Kenny says the man with the cap gave him an idea, and he'd like to be buried in it.  I said we'll see. 

Dmitry came home from school and said he finished Spanish, so only the TAKS science test stands between him and a high school diploma!  He has all the credits he needs, and has passed three of the four TAKS tests. 

Please pray he can get back up to speed with science, as he's been concentrating on Spanish.  He almost passed it last fall, so if he studies hard between now and April (I think that's when the TAKS tests are given) he's sure to make it this time. 

Recently there have been a lot of radio ads for some sauna/massage/skin treatment place (with, I regret to tell its marketing people, a name I can never recall).  Today for the first time I heard one that waxed eloquent (waxed?  skin place?  get it?  hohoho!) about how fresh, glowing skin utterly transforms one, and this establishment can give you just such a look, and financing is available.

Alright, I realize when someone charges skin care products and cosmetics on a card, that's tacitly "financing" the purchase, but this sounds like buying a car, forcryingoutloud. 

ISTM financing intangibles such as Lasik and beauty treatments isn't financially prudent.  Surely if one can afford to pay for these electives at all, one should be able to simply PAY for them outright?  I'd think the interest rate would be frightful, too.  Lower interest rates are for things that can be repossessed such as houses and cars, not services.

Last weekend I took Brianna and Bridgette to meet Brielle; to say they (especially Brianna) were enchanted with their newest cousin would be an understatement:

Today Alex came by for lunch and we had a Skype visit with Beth and the girls on my new computer, which was terrific!  I want to set up regular Skype sessions with them and the Kloesels and Jonathan so we can keep in touch better.  If only Skype permitted video conferencing, it'd be perfect.  Oh well!  Someday, I daresay.

The reason Alex is in Fort Worth is for his Air National Guard band duty, and today's his first opportunity to wear his brand new Air Force uniform.  As his mama, I think he's quite handsome in it:

While he was here Joe came by with Max and Lucy, the big black lab he kindly took in last week:

Poor Pebbles, Terry's poodle, was dying to be allowed to come in and roughhouse with the other dogs, but Terry sensibly refused.  ;^)  Unfortunately, it looks as if Lucy will have to go to the Humane Society to find a home, as she's too big for the apartment Joe's moving into next week (45 lb limit). 

Jessica began her new job as server at the Hoffbrau House on 377 yesterday, and had a great time!  She's enjoying getting back in the saddle, so to speak. 

And who would agree to participate?

I'm referring to "World's Worst Cook", the new show on FoodNetwork.  Lousy cooks are nominated by their "friends", and the contestants try to improve.  Pretty sure this is correct, though I've not watched it.  The entire premise of the series offends me. 

Personally, I think Elaine should try to have a show featuring gluten-free, peanut-free, dairy-free, etc. cooking.  IMO she'd have super stage presence and she's a first-class cook, too.

Even though I'm not allergic to anything particular, I'd watch it. 

Don and I used to remark to each other that it surely came around more than once a year.  The traffic is rather a nuisance if one lives fairly close to it, as I do.  However, it brings in a fair chunk o' bucks to our fair city, so it's grudgingly welcome.

This morning was the Stock Show parade, which is entirely unmotorized, and Hal was riding a horse, with Elaine and the girls in a wagon!  Naturally I trekked down to watch them; first came HaL:

He looked as if he was having a grand time, but then so did Elaine, Meredith and Margaret:

On another topic, this morning Dmitry's blasted alarm went off again (did it yesterday, too, though it was a holiday) at 6:20 a.m.  After a couple of minutes of waiting for SOMEONE in there to turn it off, I grumpily went in myself, feeling around for whatever was causing the noxious noise.  Finally Zhenya got up, and when I asked where Dmitry was, he replied that he was outside in his car with a dog.

I beg your pardon?  He's where with what? 

Zhenya explained that Dmitry had found - in the middle of the night when I suppose the boys were outside talking - a dog running loose.  Not wanting to disturb the household (that would be Jessica and me, as the girls are with their father on the weekends), nor willing to allow the dog to roam the neighborhood, and being pretty sure he knew where it lived but figured this was too early to knock on their door, he sat with the large black dog in his car, reading his bible.  Couldn't think of anything helpful to do other than offer to make him some coffee, which Dmitry gratefully accepted.

To make a long, rather sad, story short, the woman whose dog it is had a dust-up with her husband last night and refused to take the dog, which is both a jumper and a barker.  Nice dog, mind, but mercy Maud, does she jump and bark!  Not admirable traits in a dog, and in any case, with seven cats there's no room for a pooch.  Jessica left a note on her door, saying if she wants the dog she'll need to come retrieve it pretty quickly, otherwise animal control is coming.

We feel really bad about it, especially Jessica, who was willing to take it to her house in NRH for a few days, though that seemed like sort of a mean trick to play on her neighbors.

This evening Mom and Dmitry and I went out to Kirstin and Matt's so they could see and admire their new great-granddaughter/niece.  When we arrived we quickly noticed the "welcome" sign posted by some of the neighbors:

Alright, the "Kirstin" is misspelt, but it's the thought that counts.    Then at the front door was the offering from Aunt Jeanne:

Mom took a gown and booties to Brielle:

Uncle Dima with his youngest niece:

My eldest and youngest with Brielle:

Three generations!  (Matt took one of the four generations, but they'll have to post it.)

Such a poppet, our Brielle!  Makes us even more eager to greet Alex and Beth's baby this summer. 

For the record, it's immaterial to me whether Baby I is a boy or girl....either will be most welcome, and I'm dancing with impatience, wanting to get a picture of them together.

Oh, and she is 18.5", for the statistic-minded.  ;^)

Beth took many wonderful photos, which she showed me on her camera when stopping by this morning to swap vehicles (they'd borrowed my van to go on a trip after Christmas).  Bless Beth, she arrived at Kirstin and Matt's about 7 p.m. yesterday evening, then when Kirstin's labor stopped she went up to snooze.  Kirstin said the labor kicked back in about midnight; Matt says it was an hour before she woke them up. 

Anyway, off they went to Fort Worth and Baylor All Saints, where Brielle was born roughly three hours later.  Once she made her appearance, Matt told Beth the torch is now officially passed to her as far as here-comes-the-baby goes. 

The K kids stayed with Matt's parents last night, who had planned upon taking them to see their new sister after school today (they live in Arlington and the children's school is way up in Keller), but Bethany pleaded to good effect so Ben Ed and Velma braved the cold even earlier than expected to take them to meet Brielle.  Bethany got to give her her first bath!  Wish I'd been there but Beth was and took pictures. 

Thanks be to God for the safe deliverance of grandbaby #9!