Blizzard in March

I'm sitting at my desk looking out the windows in my office and I see big old wet sloppy flakes of snow falling all over the place. Our granddaughter came up this morning from Dallas to by horse feed at our little store, and now she's trying to figure out how to get it back home safe and dry. Who would have thought that we'd be having snow here at the end of March. The trees are budded out, the spring flowers are in bloom, the tulips look great, and my inside plants are already out on the porch. Bet they are wishing to be back inside. But, they are just going to have to rough it.

Bill went to the eye doctor yesterday and found out that he has to have cataract surgery, so next week he meets with the doctor to set it all up. I know I'm going to have to have that done as well. I can't see very good these days and the eye doc tells me that it's because of cataracts. Who would have thought that someone as young as yours truly would need cataract surgery. I always thought that was for old people - - like Bill. Not youngsters - like me. Note latest photo:

Thought it turned out pretty good. If I was as good with photo editing as my niece is, I'd have done something about my "wrinkly" neck, but I'm not so what you see is what there is.

Well, since I started writing our blizzard has stopped, the rain has stopped, but it's still colder than all get out out there. Even Cookie notices it. She goes out on the porch to do her stuff, and gets it over with in a hurry so she can come back in. She's really got it all under control now. No more accidents. She knows what the outside is for all right. Her hair is really growing out now. I'm still not ready to cut it, so we'll see how long it gets before we decide she need a trim. I give her a bath every 8-10 days so she stays really pretty and silky and soft. Such a happy little dog. I bought her another new toy yesterday. She has quite a collection now, but plays with them all. She'll get one and play with it for a while and then goes for another, and pretty soon you have little toys scattered all over the downstairs.

I actually am on myspace now so if you want to check it out sometime, just go to www.myspace.com and do a search for Joan Babcock. You'll find my profile page. It's still all a little confusing to me - the kids seem to have a lot of fun with it - but when we ACTUALLY get high speed internet, I think I'll like it as well. I've got a lot of music pulled up into playlists, but can't listen to it because it takes for ever to get a song to download - comes through it little spurts. That's really the way you want to listen to music.

I'm going to a singing tomorrow afternoon so that should be fun. Guess I'll take one autoharp and make do with it. Don't feel like taking two or three so I'll just do anything I decide to sing in the one key. Works for me, and I guess nobody will know the diference.

Anyway, till next time.

JB

March Madness

It's finally March. Next week daylight savings time kicks in and spring should be on it's way. Our jonquils and daffodils are in bloom and the tulips are coming up. We've got a pussy willow bush that started putting out little fuzzy buds a couple weeks ago already when it was nice and warm, and then, SURPRISE!!! It was 19 degrees night before last. So, they probably got "nipped in the bud".

I always wondered where the term "March Madness" came from anyway. Perhaps, it's from the fact that if spring doesn't hurry up and send old winter packing, we're gonna be REALLY mad. That's probably not it, but for you northern and eastern folks, I'll be you are ready for springtime. This has been quite a winter for most of the country. We seemed to have missed the majority of the winter weather conditions that came this way - just living right I guess. :)

Had a lot of fun yesterday. One of my piano students who I've gotten to be very good friends with outside of piano lessons came over after lunch, and we proceeded to explore My Space. She has a My Space account and for reasons totally beyond my control, so do I. Actually my cousin Daryl sent me an invitation and it said that I had a message from him. So, I go there, and in order to even find the message I have to sign up. Now, I probably need a My Space thingy like I need another hole in the head, but after spending the afternoon trying to get Kaitlyn's up and running and uploading pictures, and looking for her friends, I kind of got the hang of it. We had quite a time for a while and got a lot of laughs out of the whole process.

She was making a music playlist. Now, if you want to have a real insight as to how OLD you really are, sit down with a teenager and let them tell you the names of some of the music that they like. Or better yet, listen to a couple. Most of the time she'd tell me, "You probably won't like this one." She's right. But --- to be fair, I guess bluegrass and polka music probably won't turn her on either. This is Kaitlyn busily mastering My Space.

She added me to her "friends" list (after answering the question "are you SURE you want to add this person to your friends list" two or three times. ) I guess My Space couldn't believe it either!
I'm sure I'll be the only "gray-haired" friend she'll have on her list, but wait till I start adding some bluegrass music to my playlist. I found out that your friend's playlists show up on your page as well. She'll really love that!!!!

I told her that I was going to upload a video of her playing "Rockin' Robin" on the piano that I recorded last year sometime. She was using my computer so I actually got to see her e-mail address and password. So, I COULD DO THAT!!! I could, that is, if I could REMEMBER her e-mail address and password. That little bit of information seems to have left me, so as for now, her MySpace area is safe from the video. I thought it would be a real good addition, but you know how teens are!

Well, I guess that's enough about what's been happening around here. We both seem to be well finally. Sure been a rash of "the crud" going around. My new little piano student is down with it today.

Till next time.

JB