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Post by stepper on Dec 31, 2009 23:33:02 GMT -6
Hey! She looks like she's having fun! She's doing something wrong there! Where's the scowl caused by the snow getting under her clothes??? And how'd you get the long tracks without footprints from where you dragged the skis behind you?? You two did something tricky there! <Aw blast. I've been out skied by a pre-teenager.>
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Post by quettalee on Dec 31, 2009 23:53:56 GMT -6
Salud y amor y tiempo para disfrutarlo!...back to you, sis...means..."health and love and time to enjoy"
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Post by quettalee on Jan 1, 2010 21:17:35 GMT -6
I went out to see that big ole moon tonight, sis. The gloom is trying to cover it, but it's so gigantic in the sky that even the clouds can't keep its brilliance hidden! So beautiful.
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Post by Phalon on Jan 1, 2010 21:32:27 GMT -6
Oooo, so glad for you, TG! I've tried, but there's snow falling from the sky at what some would consider an alarming rate, so the moon is hidden. I think it's kind of fascinating that when it's snowing at night it never really seems dark...the sky is gray, not black. It's Lake Effect snow, and has been falling since last night, and will continue to fall until the Lake decides she's let enough of her waters be taken for now. You can hear her from the front porch; it's a not quite a roar, but a low rumble.
I didn't get a chance to sneak away during the day to ski in all this fresh, new loveliness, but found some time this evening. It's been awhile since I've skied at night - it's the best...would have been even better if it had been under the light of that full moon!
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Post by stepper on Jan 1, 2010 21:37:12 GMT -6
I went out to see that big ole moon tonight, sis. The gloom is trying to cover it, but it's so gigantic in the sky that even the clouds can't keep its brilliance hidden! So beautiful. An apt description TG. We've had cold and clear skies two nights in a row, and you're right. It's a big ole moon out there. Brilliant, and somehow it looks just a bit larger than usual.
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Post by Phalon on Jan 2, 2010 18:56:30 GMT -6
Well, the weatherforecasters were right this time. They predicted fifteen inches of new snow by this afternoon. There's only one problem. This photo was taken at noonish today, and it still hasn't quit snowing. The storm was supposed to be over by five this afternoon, but the warning has been extended until five am tomorrow. We've probably had five more inches since I stuck the yard stick in the yard....cuz that's why they named it a yard stick, no? And look! It's Little Red Riding Hood! My, what a big beard you grew, Hood. No, no - it's Hubs, taking advantage of a lull in the precipation, and digging us out for the second time in twelve hours. So funny...with all the blowing snow, he had icicles hanging off his beard. The kids took advantage of the lull too - our ravine had nearly a dozen sledders, the girls included from the crack of dawn 'til it got too cold and blowy to be outside any longer. The neighbors, not going anywhere in their own VW van, decided to build one out of snow. Ah, I love winter! Tomorrow, I ski!
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Post by quettalee on Jan 2, 2010 22:16:18 GMT -6
Wow! Too cool, sis. Well, of course it's "too cool"...no doubt, pretty downright cold, but it looks like too much fun! Reminiscent of my childhood years in Connecticut...
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Post by stepper on Jan 2, 2010 23:05:26 GMT -6
I was looking at the weather channel a little while ago. There's quite a bit of cold weather up north of here...and it was looking mighty cold up at the northern tier...several below zero readings up there. They were saying it's potent enough that it might reach us Thursday or Friday...freezing rain followed by a chance of snow. I'd believe the freezing rain because that's inconvenient, but if it snows on top of it, the snow might actually last a few seconds instead of melting right away. Be careful of the cold and snow! You never know how it's going to affect you!
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Post by Siren on Jan 2, 2010 23:21:26 GMT -6
Break out the longjohns, Step. And don't forget to button the seat! We have some mighty, mighty cold winds here tonight. To beat the chill, a friend and I stopped into a local coffee house, "Cuppies & Joe", and savored their hot chocolate with real whipped cream. The "Cuppies" in the title stands for cupcakes - they make many marvelous flavors. Mine is "The Don", an Italian cream cupcake with cream cheese/coconut frosting. Sorry about my low spirits in my last post. Though I love the holidays, they do get me down. Sorry to dump that on you you all. As we kick off a new year, I'd like to send my best to you all by sharing this photo (which I adore) and caption with you. With it come my sincere THANK YOU to you all, and a wish for a happy, healthy 2010!
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Post by stepper on Jan 2, 2010 23:39:19 GMT -6
Break out the longjohns, Step. And don't forget to button the seat! We have some mighty, mighty cold winds here tonight. To beat the chill, a friend and I stopped into a local coffee house, "Cuppies & Joe", and savored their hot chocolate with real whipped cream. The "Cuppies" in the title stands for cupcakes - they make many marvelous flavors. Mine is "The Don", an Italian cream cupcake with cream cheese/coconut frosting. Sorry about my low spirits in my last post. Though I love the holidays, they do get me down. Sorry to dump that on you you all. As we kick off a new year, I'd like to send my best to you all by sharing this photo (which I adore) and caption with you. With it come my sincere THANK YOU to you all, and a wish for a happy, healthy 2010! Wow. This is majorly strange! I was just going to reply and say 'dump away Siren', but when I quoted your post there was more to the post than what showed up originally! I double checked just to make sure that I'm not completely crazy. While that's still debatable, I don't understand what happended. What I can see in your original post doesn't include the "Kick off the new year" comment, nor the image. Geez. I wonder what else I've been missing.
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Post by Phalon on Jan 3, 2010 8:09:24 GMT -6
Siren's post was edited about ten minutes after she first posted it, Stepper....maybe the image (and a sweet image it is) wasn't there when you first looked at it?
Hope everyone is staying warm in those cold temperatures; it's definitely Long John and Mary Jane season! The storm passed here sometime before midnight - when I took the dog out before we went to bed, the sky was clear and I finally got to see that big, beautiful moon! Clear skies though, mean colder temperatures, and our twenty-something degree day turned into a two-degree night. I know 2 degrees, cuz Hubs keep looking at the thermometer, shaking his head, and saying "2 degrees!" over and over again, in disbelief.
Just letting the dog out again, we're up to nine degrees. And the sun is starting to come up! (Funny, I never noticed it rises in a different place than it does in summer....probably because we don't get to see it rise much in winter.)
Something this winter that I think is cool is that I have birds! I've always felt a bit sad that the birds never visited my feeder in the winter, thinking that the reason was because it's so windy in my yard. The wind probably has something to do with it, but not exactly the way I thought. The sunflower seeds tend to freeze and clump together in the wind. Right before Christmas, I dumped out the frozen clump and switched to safflower seed in both feeders. The decision was made out of pure laziness - the only bag of sunflower seeds left was a fifty pounder, and I didn't want to carry it through the store. Safflower seeds are harder and smoother than sunflower, and they don't seem to clump, even with the snow and wind we've had.
I've used safflower before with mixed results. The squirrels won't touch them - bonus! But neither will the sparrows or finches. Chickadees, nuthatches, titmice, the downy woodpecker, and a little brown bird with red on it's head, (I think maybe a redpoll?), have been at the feeder nonstop since I switched, even through the storm! The safflower brought a new visitor too - a flicker. It's only been two or three times during all the years we've lived here that a flicker has visited our feeder. This guy though, has been visiting every day during the past week.
Even when the dog was done doing her thing this morning, I had to sit out in the cold and watch the birds. Luckily, the mug full of steaming coffee kept my hands warm....I only came inside after I drank it. Drinking coffee on the porch, watching the birds and the sun rise....it seems like such a summer thing.
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Post by Phalon on Jan 4, 2010 8:56:17 GMT -6
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Post by vox on Jan 4, 2010 12:38:42 GMT -6
Great pics Phalon! We have been forecast snow for the rest of the week (which will undoubtedly bring the whole country to a halt!) We dont even have that much, but we are never geared up for it in Britain! I love it when the snow has fallen but it all too soon turns to a brownish slush! Oh how I envy you over there, you have 'true' winters!
Enjoy it while you can! that's what I say!
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Post by Phalon on Jan 4, 2010 15:35:04 GMT -6
I think ours will be around for a while, Vox. What an extremely bizarre day! I was surprized they didn't cancel schools this morning...oh, no, no, no - they waited until early afternoon to do that. I told LX this morning that I'd pick up her and her two friends, if the snow hadn't subsided by the time school let out. Got the call, they were closing schools, went out to shovel off the car, and damnit! The front door locked behind me. Oh, please, please, please let the back door be open.
It was. The door between the mudroom and kitchen was locked though. Pried off the cover to the cat door, eyed it's size. Turned around and eyed the size of my rear, and decided 'one of these things is bigger than the other' and didn't want anyone to find me hours later, half-in/half-out, and try to explain why. Reached my hand through the door to the knob. Lick, lick, lick. The dog. Apparently a good watch dog, she was going to lick me to death. And sh!t! My arm was about a foot too short to reach the knob.
Went back outside to...I dunno...stare up at the sky at the still falling snow. Noticed neighbor's van home. Ah-ha!!! Of course! He works for the schools; schools were closed, he was off work early. Trudged through knee-deep snow to his door. Knock, knock, knock. "Hi. How long are your arms?" Living next to me for 10 years, this question didn't even phase him. "Pretty long." "Good. I need to borrow one."
Lick, lick, lick. Watch dog hard at work. Long-armed neighbor unlocks the door, and trudges back to his house. Wearing slippers.
Unbury and warm up the car to go get LX. Move two feet. I'm stuck. Little itty bitty car is bottomed out in the snow. Damn! Go through the list of LX's friends, calling their cell phones to see who will answer; phones must be turned off on school grounds. LX will not carry her cell phone cuz "it's ugly", and will not save her money to get a good-looking one. (eye-roll) Finally reach Ben; had the urge to ask him why was his phone turned on in school, but didn't. "Ben, are you going to see LX in the next few minutes?" "Uhm...who is this?" "Oh, LX's Mom. I'm supposed to be picking you, Olive and LX up from school....only I'm not." "Oh...uhm...ok." "Cuz I'm stuck." "You're stuck? Or is your car stuck?" grumble, grumble, smart-@ss-kid. "My car." "You want Olive, LX, and me to come get you out." "No; but thanks for asking. I'm in my driveway." "You're in your driveway, or the car is in your driveway." "It's a good thing I like you, Ben. Just tell LX she has to walk home....too bad for her she's wearing high-tops, and not boots. I told her to wear boots, but apparently they're as ugly as her phone." "Uhm...right. You sure you don't want us to come get the car unstuck? You sound a little weird." "No, no - I'm okay. Just tell LX she's gotta walk home, ok? At least she's not wearing slippers." "You have a good day, Mrs. Phalon."
Ok...now I only gotta deal with trying to get BP home....her school is out in the country...way out in the country. And I can't even drive two feet. Call Hubs. "Hubs, is it bad out there?" "Pretty bad...not too bad." "Bad enough to close the office, drive the hour home in time to pick up BP from school because they didn't cancel the *&^%$ thing this morning when they should have?" "You're stuck, aren't you?"
No. My car is stuck.
"On my way. Just make sure I have a place to pull in the drive, okay?"
Can't park in the street - it'll cost a hefty fine in winter.
Can't get the big blower going - it's too heavy for me to push. The little blower - the one Hubs calls "Mighty Mouse" won't go less then a foot without me turning it off, and reaching down the thingy to get the packed snow out. I hate reaching down the thingy - even though it's off, I have this vision of my arm being chewed to bits....kind of like one would imagine an arm reaching through a cat door would be by a vicious watch dog. If the watch dog was a watch dog and not a lovey licker. The snow is heavy. Really heavy. I shovel a wide and long enough space for Hubs to pull in the van when he gets home...only long and wide enough for the van. Once the van is in, and the door is open, they'll have to fall into the snow, cuz there is no room to step. I hope they're not wearing slippers.
It takes me over an hour to shovel this small 5 x 8ish foot cubbyhole in the snow.
Everyone is home safe. The town is under a Snow Emergency; in all the ten years we've lived here, I've never seen a Snow Emergency. Everything is shut down and travel is banned except for emergencies, so the road crews can get out and move the snow. The Lake Effect Storm Warning is in effect until 7am tomorrow morning. I talked to my boss, who lives a short distance up the road. She called wanting to know if I wanted to go skiing. They just got fresh snow up there, apparently - 3 new inches fell this morning!!!
We, less than 15 miles south, now have over three feet...and still counting.
I love winter, yes, yes, I do.
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Post by vox on Jan 4, 2010 16:07:43 GMT -6
OMG! Phalon, I shouldn't laugh but it was an amusing story, especially the bit about the dog! Sounds like our old Ben, MG always said if we were burgled, he'd lick the burglar to death!
You have had a lot of snow, hopefully you will all be safe and nothing bad happens! What is a Snow Emergency? Honestly, we get a couple of inches over here and everything stops! the british people don't realise how lucky they are!
Keep safe!
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Post by quettalee on Jan 4, 2010 16:55:59 GMT -6
I'll second that "OMG!" sis! What a great bard you are! I was laughing the whole time...not at your misfortune, of course, but at the wonderful way you have of conveying your experience...and the fact that I ventured out to the garage today in my slippers.
We have no snow, but I wore no socks, so my feet were nearly frostbit by the time I decided I had had enough "rummaging around" in the garage in the clutches of a winter freeze...(no coat, just a thin sweatshirt, and no gloves or hat...although I did change out of my sleeping shorts into sweat pants, which is more than I did earlier to bring in the recycle bins).
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Post by Siren on Jan 4, 2010 18:10:22 GMT -6
That WAS terrific writing, Gams. I think that's a blog entry in the making. Well done!
They say an Arctic cold front is headed our way later this week, with wind chills near zero on Thursday. We still have snow on the ground from the Christmas blizzard. Looks like it won't be melting any time soon.
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Post by Mini Mia on Jan 4, 2010 18:56:45 GMT -6
Wow, Phalon, nice tale. Glad you weren't stuck out in the cold for too long.
Vox: If my neck of the woods got as much snow as Phalon, we'd be in big trouble too. We don't get too much snow in my part of Kentucky, and when we do, it's usually pretty light. Every now and again we have bad storms, and when we do, our road crew isn't ready for them. I'm sure though, that if it was a regular winter thing, like where Phalon lives, then they'd be prepared and it'd just be another winter day.
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Post by stepper on Jan 4, 2010 22:01:21 GMT -6
My sympathies Phalon. Of course, it's said with a smile since I just read the post. Down here, if snow looks like it's going to stick they send everyone home from work because the people who are actually from here can't drive in it. They haven't got a flipping clue. There are few things scarier than 4 cars passing you at 60 mph and all 4 are doing dounuts. BTW: since you were already outside, did you make any snow angels?
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Post by Phalon on Jan 8, 2010 16:10:29 GMT -6
Everyone been staying warm and dry? Hope so! Heard the Artic blast Siren mentioned has hit. I've been neglecting one of my favorite threads this week. Whew! And what a wintry week this has been! Vox asked, A declared Snow Emergency is when all vehicles, except for the snow removal crews and emergency vehicles such as fire trucks and police are prohibited from being on the road. The only exception is in the case of an emergency. I don't know how much this is enforced though. My neighbor drove to get Chinese take-out....the only restaurant in town that was open. TG said... I was laughing too, Sis, the whole time. About the time I lost it was when I stood there contemplating fitting myself through the cat door. It all went downhill from there. Everyone has had an adventure of some sort during this storm; thankfully mine was on the ridiculous side. Too many cars off the road, way too many accidents. You and my neighbor must be kindred soles....sole mates from another life walking through the sandals of time. I swear, the man never wears shoes. He goes barefoot...or even worse, sock-foot, until the first snowflake falls. Joxie: Too funny, Joxie - the first house we owned in Kentucky was in a small rural area. The city "snow plow" that went down our street was a pick-up truck equipped with a plow and a guy in the back throwing salt from a garbage can. Kid you not. And yeah, we're prepared....sort of. It came down so fast this past weekend, they couldn't keep up. Our trucks are massive double-plowed things - a plow in front, and one on the side. Plows so big, I swear they could scoop up my car and throw it 50 yards. They "tandem plow" - one truck driving right behind the other, going what seems like 40 miles an hour down our street with a 20 mph speed limit. I'm mesmerized watching them - it's almost like a dance the way they manuever these things. Unlike the leaf-sucker truck, the garbage truck with manical arms, and the zamboni, though, I've got no desire to drive a tandem plow. They scare me. And this is what they leave behind... The view from my porch: Upon a closer look. I'm 5'2" - the piles are higher than me. Not to mention it's nearly impossible to see around. Risky driving coming to an intersection because you can't see what's heading down the road. Inch your car out and pray. Stepper: Oh, we have those too, Stepper. They're called SUV owners, who think just because they take up 3/4 of the road, they have the ability to mow everything down in front of them. No one told them though, it seems, the heavier the object, the harder it is to stop. Stepper also said: Almost! But not on purpose. I went skiing Tuesday, and headed to the cemetary again. When I left the house, it wasn't snowing, but by the time I got there it was coming down pretty hard. The cemetary roads hadn't been touched by the plows, and it was difficult skiing in that much snow...not to mention I couldn't actually see the roads very well. Somehow I ended up off roading it, and dang I was sweaty and tired. Thought I'd rest for a moment and thanked William "Buddy" Hill for the use of his tombstone to sit upon. I didn't think he'd mind.... ...until, for no apparent reason I fell off of it, and lay flat on my back in the snow. The wind was blowing, snow swirling, and no one else was about. Yanno how sometimes your mind wanders when you're alone? No? Ok, maybe it's just me. I could nearly imagine being pushed off Buddy's grave by unseen hands, and getting pulled under three feet of snow....before continuing on six feet under. All that would be left of me in spring was my skis on top of the grave. I quickly left the cemetary and skied to the library, where the Biddies gave me odd looks for dripping on the counter as I started to melt. Official count in feet per BP's social studies teacher: nearly four. How's that for official - not very, I'm thinking. But we've had probably close to a foot more during the week after the intial three-foot storm. Did you know a black lab bounding through nearly four feet of snow looks amazingly like a dolphin breaching the surface of a white ocean? Quetta's having a ball; she loves it. Other fun stuff: Today I went snow-shoeing in the small nature center at BP's school as a volunteer Mom. It's something I've done every year since she was in kindergarten. Get twenty-some kids in a single file line, have one of them fall, and they all go down like dominos. Thankfully, I was off to the side. That's about it for now. Sorry it's so long. And I still love winter.
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Post by Mini Mia on Jan 8, 2010 18:03:09 GMT -6
Phalon: I think my county is a little bit more sophisticated than that ... well, maybe.
When I got my hair cut on Tuesday, the beautician told about a guy who came to her door barefooted. He told her the snow didn't bother his feet at all, and he even went hunting barefooted. I went to school with the guy and he sometimes rode my bus. We knew the family as one of the poor ones, so I'm sure he grew up that way. I doubt a grown adult could go barefooted in the dead of winter and survive if they weren't used to it from childhood. Shoot, if I step onto ice-cold concrete or metal barefooted, I come down with a cold before the night is through. I know to start taking cold medicine right away if I want to nip a cold in the bud. I've had the sniffles all week, and I'm beginning to think it's from walking on the linoleum barefooted, which I don't recall happening before, but there's a first time for everything.
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Post by Phalon on Jan 8, 2010 22:39:58 GMT -6
BOLL. Yeah, although it was a small country town, I would have thought they might have more sophisticated equipment too, Joxie...after all, we were only about 5 miles from the No. KY/Greater Cincinnati Airport, and about 10 miles from downtown Cincinnati. Still, the guys in the pick up came by each winter.
I'm guessing that a person's feet must become so callused from going barefoot that it might protect them from the elements a bit? I know neighbor guy's feet are callused; his wife tells me they are like shoe leather. Maybe he just doesn't feel the pain from the cold. He walks across gravel without batting an eye. I can't even take a few steps on the concrete sidewalk without wincing. I'm a barefoot in the sand or soft grass only kinda gal.
Take care of those sniffles before it turns into something worse!
Oh, and one more thing I forgot to mention that I just found out this week. Did you know that if your hands get sweaty inside your mittens in single-digit temperatures, when you take the mittens off, your hands will actually steam? "Look, Hubs! I am soooo smokin' hot!!!" His feet were steamin' too; I "eeewed" at them.
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Post by Mini Mia on Jan 8, 2010 23:11:53 GMT -6
I've been taking the sinus Day&NyQuil and they seem to be working. So it isn't a cold .... yet. A few years ago I learned the hard way that if a cold medicine doesn't work, it's usually because it's sinuses, and if sinus meds aren't working, then it's a cold. Weird how they can have the same symptoms sometimes.
I had a sore throat and was coughing, so figured it had to be a cold, but the cold meds would not work ... and my cousin said it sounded more like it was a sinus problem to him. Took sinus meds and it did the trick. So from that I know to switch out the meds whenever one isn't working.
I also stopped using my vaporizers this past month, and I think the lack of humidity in the house is drying out my nose and causing all my recent problems. I usually run the vaporizers non-stop all winter to help with the dryness, and the static charge. I'm surprised I'm not itching like crazy yet. I just got tired of messing with them, but I'll have them up and running sometime or other.
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Post by Phalon on Jan 8, 2010 23:23:59 GMT -6
Yeah, our house is dry too. I've zapped myself...it's more like a zing, really....it seems a hundred times a day lately. We usually have a humidifier running too, but haven't this year for the same reason. Just got tired of messing with them all the time.
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Post by Mini Mia on Jan 8, 2010 23:37:54 GMT -6
Yeah, they are a hassle. If I didn't like not itching and getting zapped, I'd probably not use them at all ... but eventually I _will_ have to get them up and running again. After all, winter is just beginning, and I won't be able to withstand a couple more months of this dryness.
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Post by Siren on Jan 9, 2010 11:56:45 GMT -6
Thanks for those amazing pics, Gams. Those snow piles are as high as my head! Hope you feel better soon, Jox. That Arctic blast sure put the hammer on Oklahoma. The coldest winds I can remember have cut through here the last couple of days. They even closed some schools, thinking it was too dangerous for kids to be walking in this cold. (Many don't have the proper clothing for cold like this). Wind chills around zero - below zero in some areas. But would you believe that, at a concert last night, I saw two young women wearing little short dresses and cowboy boots?? I can just imagine what they thought, as they were getting ready - "Yeah, it might be a little cold. But I'll look so cute!" Stupid. Speaking of concerts, two more good ones are on the way tonight. A friend of mine, a singer/songwriter who's trying her luck out in Nashville, is back in OKC for a show at our local Opry tonight. She started there when she was about 12 years old. Now she's all grown up and married. Time really flies! Here's her myspace: www.myspace.com/kataandtheblazeAnd another musician friend of mine, Shawna Russell, is performing at a local casino. We'll catch a couple of sets with her after the Opry show. (Be sure and listen to the end of "Rumor". She really wails. What a voice!) www.myspace.com/shawnarussell878Y'all stay warm!
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Post by Mini Mia on Jan 9, 2010 19:35:29 GMT -6
I'll try, Siren. I ran out of tissues with lotion, so I'll have to endure the sore nose. Ouch!
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Post by stepper on Jan 9, 2010 19:49:15 GMT -6
Oh. I hate when that happens! And once in a while there's a real zingger in there that hurts!
Try Vaseline FBM. Just put a thin layer of Vaseline on the underside of your nose any time it feels sore or dried out, when you go to bed, after a shower, etc. It'll help.
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Post by Mini Mia on Jan 9, 2010 20:13:49 GMT -6
Ooh. Thanks, Stepper. Never thought of that. I did think about using body/hand lotion, but figured it might burn. I bet Vaseline wouldn't.
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Post by stepper on Jan 9, 2010 23:37:59 GMT -6
Personal experience - it'll work. And you're welcome. That's what friends are for, eh?
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