~IN THE DEAD OF WINTER..

NOT!!

That's my patio up there.  WHY I think I don't have to water in Winter when it's bone dry..is beyond me.
 Right now the wind is howling out there and those huge pine cones, some of them a good 8 inches plus in length, and hard as rocks, are falling like rain.  Almost.  Sometimes when I am outside I can hear them HIT with a bang on the side walk.  The tree is huge, I think it's called a Canary Pine, and I am hoping no one gets bonked on the head when walking down the sidewalk.  If they can dent a car, think what they can do to one's head.

When they fall from such height they can do damage,   PH planted that tree when he was in his twenties and I love it.  It's beautiful.  Now and then the city comes by and butchers everything in sight.  I've had a few arguments with them.

By the way..those of you who get snow..I hate feeling jealous, but I am!
It's Springlike weather here..lovely..but we NEED Winter.

On another subject, I'm finding I'm not the only one that has to force themselves to leave the house.
I never used to be that way..but when I do finally force myself to jump into my little truck and take off..it's wonderful!  Then I want to hit the mall (I'm kidding!  I only go in the back door on one side (Nordstrom) and on the other side of the mall..I hit Penny's if I need jeans..but I haven't done that in..ages because I can buy them right here while sitting in my comfy chair.
Yeah...I know.  Not good!

I think..I'm getting a bit too "comfy" with everything I need right at my fingertips on this computer.
Oh...and before I forget..the picture of the pine cones above was taken just moments ago!
I am back in business.
Not only that..I'm feeling better.

I missed Christmas ENTIRELY.  I took pictures but now it's to late to post any.
And my tree was SO pretty... *sniff *sniff
It's the one I ordered on line?  A Frazier Pine and it was wonderful.  Shipped from North Carolina on the 6th of December and still so fresh when we took it down that I hated to see it go.  I'll do that next year.
I used to love going out to the tree farm with the kids...etc. etc...not any more!
Hiking across those fields, feeling my eyes freeze shut, not being able to feel my feet....
Oh wait!
That's National Lampoon Christmas Vacation!!!
:)
Busy putting up hearts now...

Time to fix dinner.
Huge hugs!!
Mona

~WORDS TO DESCRIBE OUR LOVE~

There are none.

And they are gone.  The days flew by and I hated to see them go.  One dear friend wrote and told me that she knew they brought back memories of Patrick..and she was right...at least in part.  However, it is much more then that.  They are two of the most precious people on earth to me.  

Always there when life hurts me.  There is no distance too great for them to travel to be at my side.

No, it's not just the memories...it's love.  A deep abiding love we have for one another.

Have you ever been hugged so tightly that your face got squished?  I have!
I even went so far as to take a picture of them sleeping safely in our guest room.
I would wake up in the morning...and then remember they were in the other room.

I used to run and jump on them..and roust them out of bed!
No more running.no more jumping.  Just quiet sigh of contentment as I tiptoe away and make our morning coffee.  They are here!

It's been more than 60 years now since we met in high school.  We have gone through life together..
Because of them, I will be brave and fly in a plane again.. to see them, I would crawl!

My love to all of you.  Thank you for your words of support.
To clarify, I did not lose my blog.  My name was taken, along with some of my pictures and put out there as someone else's blog?  I'm not sure.  I didn't have to go through steps to regain my blog..it was never gone.  Just my blog name and photo's were taken.  If it happens again..I will have to give up my name I suppose.
Others have done it..and I guess I would survive..I just don't want to.
Again...thank you SO much!
Mona

~DARK PLACES OUT THERE...BE CAREFUL~

I'm back in business!  

In just this few past weeks so much has happened.  First, my pictures would not download onto my blog and while trying to figure out what was wrong, I discovered someone..some MONSTER with a very sick mind, had taken my blog name, grabbed a few of my pictures, one being my little Fairy Garden in my wheelbarrow,  and then proceeded to add porn.  

When I clicked on my blog name..up came a familiar picture of mine..but much smaller than I post, and I curiously scrolled down..a name appeared.  A strange name that appeared to be foreign.  After several of these came the pornography, absolute filth!

I began to shake.  I think I went into shock!  I had NO idea what to do or who to call ...so I ran!

I have not even gone back to investigate.

I came face to face with a faceless enemy.  I knew, of course that our blogs are "out there" as they say..and that there are lots of poor pathetic souls with twisted and sick minds that are so lost that they prey on others.  I KNEW that.  Or thought I did.

One other time, a woman, a relative of a blogger, began to harass me when I first began to blog and somehow I got through that.  But...this was different!  This time I didn't even know who or where this  "thing" came from.  

Sitting ducks, we are!  Trusting.  Thinking that our blogging community are folks we know, and that we are safe..and then suddenly, like a splash of ice water, we realize that someone is out there in their narrow, dark little world, perhaps jealous of what they do not have, crawling with their slimy minds, over our writings and pictures of our lives.  It's pathetic and sad.  

I was, and am, still tempted to just close down and not blog anymore..but how I hate to allow someone like that to put fear into me.  Still...how can one help but want to run from such evil?

So...I am here. 

I called in the Geek Squad and they came to our home and fixed my camera problem and I am back in business.  (I hope!)  I haven't tried yet..but I think all is well.

Please wish me luck.

And stay safe.  At least as safe as possible.

Love to all those I've grown to care about.  

Mona