~Shoveling~

Penny came today thru all the extra snow we got over

night last nite.. More is on the way, It keeps building up

over on Lake Michigan, those storms come across that

lake and by the time they get on this side, they are mean,

and will dump a ton of lake effect snow on us.. My niece

lives about half way up the lake and I always hear how

they just get bombed with snow.. We down here at the

bottom of the state have been pretty lucky the past couple

of winters...I told Penny to keep the shovel in the garage

or in her van, she got here this morning, trudged thru the

new snow to get the shovel.. so I think hiding it in the

garage would be smart, then she or anyone else Comes I

can tell them its out there and to shovel their way in. :-)

When I lived in Indiana, we had a wood stove for heat, it

worked great, and we had a tree service so you KNOW

we had wood...When Willie would go down to see his

brother in Florida and I would be left there alone, I put a

note on the door do not enter unless they are carrying some

wood!... Well got it carried in and I didn't have to do it.. We

had it stacked there on the back porch, but still had to be

brought thru the house to go by the stove. I learned REAL

fast how to start a fire and to keep one going ALL the time.

We had a big huge square box in the smoke pipe going out

of the stove into the chimney called a Denny, it had a fan

in it and a thermostat and when that stove inside reached a

certain temperature that fan would come on and blow the

heat all through the house..and it was a 3 bedroom house.

It was the only heat we used..and we stayed warm.. The

BAD thing about them is the mess and the smell.. Everyone

in the world knew when you went past them you had a wood

stove if you had just fixed the fire..cuz you smelled like it..

We sold a lot of wood, cut delivered and stacked, for 100

dollars I think..no maybe not stacked..that's a lot of work if

there is only 1 delivering..depended I guess.. I just collected

the money and made the sales...I had the best part of that

job... We had all the right equipment to make it an easy

job, a splitter and good chain saws..we had a really good

tree service.. Willie was a very experienced tree man.. He got

out of it this year when one of his climbers made a wrong

move and fell and landed right by him, he died.. Willie got

really upset about that.. all the years he climbed and worked

the trees he never fell or saw anyone fall..he had some close

calls but never fell..cuts..yes..many..but that's all part of tree

work..there are all kinds of dangers.. I lost my left eye to that

tree service..

In September of 84 I was helping take out a stump..a tree kind,

Willie was on one of his trips to Florida again, I had scheduled

a stump to be taken out so our foreman Julio said he could do

it, and I went along to help clean up it was extra work and pay.

Julio had a wedge, his hammer and very strong arms.. and hit

that wedge and a piece of it, a quarter inch piece came off

of it and I was sitting quite a ways away and had just started

to say something and look up at him..and BOOM! it hit me in

the eye, it slammed shut and my face felt wet..I ended up

blind in my left eye after 4 surgeries on it ..When the metal went

through it had a barb on it..and tore the lens and a path thru

my eye and bounced around in the eye socket shredding it..

I heal very slowly and that eye took forever..

7 weeks after it went thru and 2 surgeries, I went to have the

stitches taken out of the eyeball..I put my chin in that little cup

thing..the Dr said this wont hurt since he put nummy Drops in.

It didn't, I hear him go "ohoh" and gasp..and then says to me,

"Lois, don't panic, or get upset, but I will have to call and have

an ambulance come and get you and take you right to surgery,

again, (3rd) the eye has opened right back up as though it

hasnt healed at all, I cant sew it up here, Im sorry" I about

lost it.. but I had no choice..for that surgery I was wide awake.

And I ended up blind in that eye..Ive notice that its very weak,

and the eyelid even will close and I don't realize it..I wore

glasses at first just clear ones.for protection of my good eye,

now I have to wear magnifiers if I want to read or see anything

up close its gotten so strained.. I should get one of those black

eye patches...all I would need then is the parrott and I KNOW

what Dutch would do to THAT ! .. I would look cute tho.. a

eyepatched GORGEOUS WEEBLE.. :-D..

We are all primed and ready for 2 days with no company and

snow outside and cold..we have food and all kinds of good

stuff..Penny stocked the boys up I am trying to keep no less

than at least 4 cans of food for them and 1 bag of dry all the

time ahead..just in case.. Dutch I wouldn't worry about he eats

what I do.. LB he only likes graham crackers and frosting..:-)

Winter time I learned to have what I need here enough to last

a week at the very least.. I don't think it would ever come to

that but.. never know..anything is possible..the way this crazy

weather acts.. I just hope this coming Monday is one Penny

will make it..its so hard when she misses them...She was ok

today but no telling what can happen in 2 days..We are set,

and Im set for a PB&J with banana.. I had Penny get me 2

of them today.. I havent had one in awhile.. with banana on

it ..but just PB&J is good.. Food, TV and sleep..:-)

"Nitey Nite"

Y'all have a good one now, Y'hear? Love ya and Thanks!!!

Always, Lois ****

God Bless you, is my prayer today,

I'm so honored to call you "friend";

I pray the Lord will keep you safe,

Until I write again.....