Up late, feeling lazy.

Late sunrise:
I can’t believe what I did. Woke up right on time. Thought I could just lay there for a moment or two. What the…..! When I reopened my eyes the clock hands had moved reading like it were an hour and a quarter later. Ho boy, I sprang to my feet, laid my hand on the stove, and thought, “Oh shucks! I‘ve got to build a new fire.” luckily that was not the case. I sneakily rearranged the coals so there’d be a couple chunks wood flanking those coals and laid more firewood over them, cribbed like. Then went about my other duties, one of them starting my laundry. (Frieda unable to negotiate the basement stairs any more the laundry is little enough I can do for her evening up all she he done for me over the years.) Getting back to my favorite sitting place, the computer warmed up, I checked the weather. Gonna be nice today and I’ve already missed some of it. Oh well such is my wintered life in Shorthorn country.
Having gotten my act together I’d fed the cats and walked out to the Ford McDigger to see if one of them promotional free, will it start a new Chevy, key in the McDigger’s ignition lock. I tried it, looking right, I stuck in the ignition, IT fit halfway! Oh what the heck, I gave it a turn and the Ford wanted to start. Hmm, a little hand filling upon my part I shall make it fit even better and it’ll become on of them ultra fancy spare Ford tractor keys.
I brought more firewood into the house, so that chore’s done.

While I was carrying the firewood, good old Sweetheart was right outside the door still campaigning the better side of my good nature to let her in the house. One problem. we’ve another cat in the house and Frieda and I aren’t interested in any feline dominance wars. I mean there’s only so much of me to go around and can take.

This cat Sweetheart was born only feet from where I’m seated. Once close to Winter’s ending days, some Spring weeks later she wanted out, so we let her go. Attentive to Frieda all Summer long we let her back into the house that same Fall. Winter’s entertainment we let her out again when Spring rolled around. That fall she wasn’t any to anxious to come in. While we were disappointed we respected her wishes. We left her out. By and By my brother’s home had become rodent infested. He had mice running everywhere daylight as well after dark. He needed help. I suggested he needed my Sweetheart and I’d let her help if he provided her with room and board. A deal was struck. I coaxed her into my arms and tucker her away in a traveling case. Oh lawd, the objections. She howled and screamed as if I was about to introduce her to her own bloody murder. Introductions all around I turner her loose in my brother’s house. Not at all happy with me abandoning her in another’s home. She split and nobody saw her for three days. However she took her task seriously as well as straight to heart. She had been dropped into a warmly housed smorgasbord of meaty mice delicacies. Over time I was forgiven. When Spring rolled around my brother about to set her free outdoors, at his place, I thought that a bad idea. She’d have to fight for her life and place in the new cat community. I brought her back home. She’s been here ever since. She’s the top cat down to the barn and is a stickler for being well mannered. My eyes have seen her cuff an ill manner kitten onto the straight and narrow. Sweetheart has always been a real hoot to watch?! A deided one of a kind
What the devil, close enough to the hour, I had lunch before going onto the shop.
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Later:
In just before dark, I’d had a good afternoon. Not a wildly successful one but I’m comfortable with it. I assisted in assembling a new hay feeder ring. Then I assisted in feeding five bales hay into four yards. Off and on during the afternoon I round filled my new key. When I had finished it wasn’t pretty but trying it needing a couple more strokes with a flat file it went/was home. I packaged up Ray’s trash and he put it out. We were good. Ray had even brought me a bag of cat food in his day’s travels going out purchasing that hay ring earlier. He also brought home some salt some ready for feeding most for mixing. That’ll be taken care of in a few days. Taking Tom home I got him to assist me fueling the 4020. It is much easier if there’s two of us. One in pouring position the other individual handing the cans up to the first one. That done we tried the new key in the McDigger. Stubborn at first it finally started with that key.
On my way home seeing Juan’s cars in his drive I stopped to see if it’d be a good night Frieda may see their indoor holiday decorations. Learned Jeanie has been sick and she never completed her decorations. Juan suggested next year. That was alright with me, my not wanting to press us upon such a nice lady, cause she sure want to entertain. That activity she didn’t need.
So we’ll be in for the night keeping the fire going and my checking out leftovers. Leftovers? I had ‘sgetti and meat balls. Had fresh (frozen) summer’s raspberries over ice-cream. Been a while since I’d had Ice-cream, my favorite desert of all kinds, well except for apple pie, maybe except for lemon-meringue pie, well maybe not leaving out mince-meat pie, perhaps my likings leans towards butterscotch pudding, and let me not forget lime gelatin laced with fruit-cocktail.
And another one of these:

Latest word on Daughter’s silence. She’d drowned her cell phone in a cup of coffee. There’s simply got to be better stirring stick than a cell phone.
It be getting late already and thinking I might better go to sleep earlier so’s to bring my sleep patterns back on track. I’m committed to starting tomorrow earlier. Can’t help it. If I were paid by the yawn, I’d be a rich man. BGKC.
Fernan

I hate day’s like this

I was busy, busy, busy all day and still feel as if I haven’t accomplished a thing. The day went something like this. Turning the computer on for a weather report, ultimately drifted over to the three places where primarily lurk, comment, and most easily get into trouble. The first thing coming to mind was upon one bragger’s cleaning the ashes out of his store. This struck home, having three buckets full I could easily load up and broadcast them for their sweetening effects upon some poor soil (fill).
My first thing out the door right after satisfying the bellies of a number of cats I went about moving my ash. Like I had written I had just the place for them. I did some book work, mailed a bill paying check along with Frieda’s mail-order County Library book exchange. What is it? I wanted to clean out our wood stove and it’d decided to slow burn it 6:00 AM contents. Frieda’s complaining, “I’m cold. Cover me up with another blanket.” Heavens to Mergatroid! I sleep with but one covering, the fire near going out every morning. As it cooled down it would be after lunch before I could clean out stove out and then I removed only about half a bucket full of ashes, as the other half was very much alive coals. The ash bucket so hot I had to have hand protection when that pail was only half full. It was so hot I parked that bucket on top a trivet sitting upon the stove top to radiate what heat it was expelling. Live coals left behind my putting five pieces fire wood in the stove it was only minutes and we had a good fire going again.
That stove taken care of I turned to the telephone my line becoming an outgoing complaint line. My first call was to a credit card company. I’d paid off a product purchase last August and have been charged late charges plus interest on them ever since. I had refused to pay them. Today working my way up the corporate ladder I finally found a party who’d see my complain and unfair charges as I saw them.
All what I had supposedly owed was finally stricken from the electronic books and my credit’s good name restored. I swear, if we let them, the frapping bankers will makes us all slaves to them! I had just objected for over half the afternoon mad and had politely gotten my points across. There was mentioned a boycott and a reversal in nature my taking them to small claims court. Whew, Another call down, one more to go.
My next call was to our local cable company. I wanted an explanation over their charges for what services I was supposedly getting. By the time I was all through I hadn’t saved a dime. The reverse was so, our getting fifty more channels for something like $5.00 more, plus our cable equipment will be up graded later this week at no additional cost. That last no cost to us is most irregular.
Finally all caught up with what I hadn’t forgotten or had actually remembered, I was telephoned, cauliflowered eared out, plainly tired of listening to prerecorded messages, and punching the correct corresponding number to answer a electronic generated question.
I removed myself from the house. I had an enormous amount of firewood needing brought into the house. Saving my converted vestibule to wood shed firewood stores for use during more brutal weather conditions (blizzards say). So I want to bring wood in daily avoiding having skipped it the last couple days while we’ve had such brutal winds, that would have grossly cooled the house off.
The last thing I did was feed the ladies. Then when done with them I was day done a whole half hour before sundown. Sundown came a bit later today under sunny skies. But when it did come it were like somebody had turned off the lights.
Other personal contributions to better living, around here, I had managed a bit more house keeping and some basement visits trying to get ahead of the laundry again. It was a loonnngggg day I’m not accustomed to. No shop time. No accomplishments to making the last Ollie comfortably suitable for summer’s work. Now, I wish I could remember if there was just one more thing I needed to take care of before I get into a fully charged state taking on the new year…. Oh, crap, income tax forms. Bill supported refunds to apply for, and oh yeah get the pig refueled with propane. It’s not the filling what’s going to bother me. It’s the paying for it? And, (almost forgot) subsidy reimbursements.
Oh well, it’s only 120 more days I can look forward to seeing the calves start dropping. BGKC.
Fernan

busy day

My putting my day together list:
Got to get back into the grove. First thing make a phone call. With that call I’ll fit my day’s schedule together with what has to be done. Two tasks stand out: I’ve got to get my bi-annual checkup and grind grain. Which ever comes up first, first I’ll have to plug the tractor‘s battery charger and block heater in to warm up tractor for starting. Need to likely make my last supplement run to the elevator until next year. :^) Out of feed, out of meds, my day has been duty filled.
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Coffee smells like extra fresh ground fresh grounds fresh brewed this morning. Mmm Good. Reminds me the days Mom used to buy her coffee fresh ground in the A & P coffee grinder. That was until she’d found an old cast iron coffee grinder combination fit to a hardwood plank and with a miniature cabinet drawer assembly. Mom had Dad fasten to the kitchen wall near the cream separator. I remember her pouring a small scoop that was the perfect measure for her coffee pot. Her favorite coffee maker in those days was her Stovetop Glass Vacuum
I’ve used the Electric percolator as like right now these pots holding up the best living with country well water. These are ugliest and longest lasting pots made of plastic.
There was the dripolator.
Then there was the Mr. Coffee types that lasted a whole year if the purchaser lucked out.
The longest lasting was the boiled coffee maker. I’ve had my gallon sized pot for almost sixty years. Today’s inflated retail price for an enameled new pot, about $50.00. Ouch!
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My day’s summation:
First thing right after the cats. They think they’s the most important critters around here and they’re all going to waste away if they aren’t fed post hast any time I step my home’s door.
Doc’s still vacationing it. No answer, no appointment. I called my druggist and he’d fixed me up with an emergency prescription pack. Whew… and … Whoopee!
I managed one phone call out of three and got Frieda’s insurance settled.
The weather cold the winds almost nonexistent It wasn’t to bad out. I made my rounds ending back here with the empty feed wagon. The empty wagon here I set about the tractor start, the set up and completed today’s feed grind this morning. Everything went smooth enough until it came time to back the equipment back down into the barn. All my coming and going the last couple weeks driving across the creek bottom had not been a problem until I had finished the grind. Over the creek countless numbers of times the last couple week’s day everything had been fine and dandy. Today the right front tractor tire dropped through the ice and chocked itself in the creek bottom’s mud as well as to stop my progress putting the machines away. As any farm tractor driver knows it’s practically impossible to rock a tractor out of a sticking situation. Somehow I had gotten the tractor to move forward getting myself some room the drop the tractor into reverse and romped on it. Whew, I made it across the creek slipping and sliding enough being unproperly lined up for an easy backing into the barn had not happened. Anybody have any idea what jockeying an assembled tow around on freshly deposited snow upon a now hidden sheet of ice. Any body watching my jockeying those machines around could well have imagined I was dancing a country hoedown without music, my left foot stomping the clutch pedal to stop swayed motions left reel right, while my right foot seemingly stomping the same tractor deck the differential lock under foot for both wheels backing. (:^)
By gum, it was nearing lunch time. Ah shucks, might just as well take care of the ladies hay before feeding my own face and warming my fingers and toes. I’m sure hay kept in front of them will keep their tummies full and warming them. But, then, everyone of them is wearing a heavy fur coat. I’ve also noticed they are not slaves to human fashion trends. I have not seen or heard a single one of them ever campaign, “I’d rather go naked than wear fur!”
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Get a load of these art works. Fabulous!

BGKC.
Fernan

Will it ever end?

I’d been found still splitting wood this morning for Tom this time. I do believe he over did yesterday. He should have quit when I did. Well, all’s split what chunks he had cut up. Know we’ve got to do some chain sawing.
Sitting down to a well earned hot coffee in hands wrapped around the cup’s warmth, we started to recap this morning’s good works. About then I’m celled, “There’s a dog chasing the cattle.” Ho boy! That message put an end to recapping anything.
Mounted up within Ugly’s confines I’d driven home. Driving right on by home there was nothing of any dog I could see. However, it were time I fed the ladies and returned home to do just that.

Packing my holstered piece slung over my shoulder; mysteriously unable to close the shrunken belt around the waist any more, I took it along anyway. With all the ladies excitement concerning an uninvited dog’s want to chase one or two of them the whole lot turned on it (dog) and it split. I’m expecting that dog’s has picked up some smarts along it’s feral ways. Not seeing that mutt in the pasture didn’t mean it were gone. Mounted up on the loader equipped JD, my heading out to feed the ladies that mutt came out of the hay-yard crossing my imagined path at just the right distance, safe Now, if I had tried out my six gun, my gun hand havin’ taken up shaking, that mutt was safe as if were still interested in its mother’s charms. That mutt just a moving to and fro must have had an inkling it was safe from any real harm by my hand. It appeared to be about an eight month old German Shepherd and Black Lab mix. To far to initiate a lasting understanding from a shaken hand so bad to make the one and only lasting impression upon the what I could really only assume was a feral mutt, I watched. Headed west I turned the JD around and sort of followed the unsaintly mutt slinking cross country keeping it in sight as best I could my hoping it lead me to its home. My even winding up out on the road, about a half mile down the road it ran off the road south, there my giving up my chase. In the meantime I’ll keep an eye open from now on to see it it belongs to someone down the road, well around the corner.
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The ladies at long last fed I finally got to sit down to my lunch. Some home made stew resembling something more liking soup. I didn’t contradict her. I felt her skillet before. Closed quartered as we are this cold weather you all know I’ve got to get in out of the weather some times. I know it also. Regardless what she called it or I thought of it, I told her, ”It’s good!” I know which side of my bed has the sheets on it. Supper scarcely out of the way it were time to hit the road. We’d been invited down the road for coffee and desert. I’m careful about not messing up one them priceless coffee stops.
Our staying long enough we not only enjoyed our hostesses company but we also enjoyed our host’s company for as long as it lasted. That was good as it worked out. If there’s anything what bothers me it’s my inability to spread rumors when I face to face with the rumoree.
Well, this enough of this.
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Now let me introduce you’ll to something entirely different, a pig’s tale.
Daisy Mae. She’ll grunt and complain at any stranger touching her. Rub her for a couple/three moments back and back forth and she’ll become your buddy acceptant more attention’ If ya look closely ya’ll notice she does have a nice figure, the likeness a grounded Good Year blimp. Continue that rubbing up’n’down her spine and she‘ll sound just like them Good Year blimp engines, just a purring.
(Eat you heart out Ron if you’re reading this!)

This’s Daisy Mae’s nest. The sides of this nest are half Daisy Mae’s height and she’s got to be somewhere’s around/about a hundred and fifty pound a-fully grown potbellied pig.

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One more thing. Holy moley, Number one son came out to see us. Frieda and I scarcely settle with in our house he and his family come knocking on the door. I ain’t gona-a say it, but I can think it, “Where ever did they ever find the time?” Oh well it was good seeing them regardless the hardships? }:^|
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Opps: Almost forgot this:

Finely having it all together an hour past bedtime. BGKC.
Fernan

Resolutions
Yeah, that’s right. I’ve already strated keeping at least one New Year’s resolution. I’m going to treat like I had said with throwing a coin in a wishing well or fountain maybe or beter yet liking a Birthday wish blowing out the candle kind of wish one mus keet to himself or it’ll fail to come true. I’ve even thought of a second New Years rsolutution. Ho bot! I’ge to stop already. Why I haven’t made a New Year’s rsolution in my entire life. Interesting I should want to at this late date in my life. These resolutions should be easy to keep and entirely out of the main-stream of things done around here, between us for at least the last twelve/fifteen years. I shall see how it goes. Can I do it? I’ve thrown down the gauntlet! Now, it’s up to me to see them through. Oh crap! Me and my big mind field!
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Oh, what a beautiful morning. Oh, what a beautiful day. It rained all night melting away our one whole inch of snow. The ground was baren some six hours I had walked on it today. Tom asking to borrow the wood splitter, I did him one better. I invited myself along with the machine. Such a lovely day I brought the Cushman out for the tow. I had a splendid drive going to Tom’s.
His wood in a barn, it was well protected from the elements and so were we my backing my machines inside the barn. I thought we’d never get the cussed log splitter started? Had to open up the aitcleaner and prime the carberator. Then it half assed run once we did get it started. Opening the primary carburator jet improved the engines performance on a richer fuel mixsture. Worked so well, I gave the primary jet’s feed on the Cushman as well which improved the Cushmans performance for my drive back home.
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Here’s another ceramic village snapshot. Enjoy.

While I’ve not complied a long list of tasks it has been a busy and full day just the same. And more than my time to retire. BGKC
Fernan

Christmas Day

Cheeso-pete, life can have so many snags along the way.
This has been one of a kind Holiday celebration, then aren’t they all, I took it easy all day yesterday. It doesn’t help farm life is not without its perils. I don’t know how many times I’ve spent a holiday fixing fence, even mid-wifed once, and today looks no different. A neighbor near out of firewood has asked me for the use of our splitter today. He don’t know it yet, but I’m going with it.
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Backing the rein deer up, found under our tree a brand new nite shirt. Thank goodness it wasn’t another lacey-nightgown. Found a set of long stemmed wine glasses. A most apropos gift I’m sure is suggesting I get down and bottle all those fine wine full jars what have quietly awaiting my attention. Got a, get this, a tin box made in China filled with cookies baked in India. They are an international timely arrival, our just having run out of a tin full of Danish butter cookies. I got me a new pair of extra heavy warm winter socks. Only one pair? Are I supposed to just wear the one pair for the duration? Another gift was a knit stocking cap. Now that’s the first thing I may put on, every morning, its covering everything.
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I helped Frieda with this morning’s cooking carrying my own breakfast in out of the kitchen.
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All the mornings fuss over with, the wrapping paper and boxes saved with the kindling, I realized I had gotten a 21 battery package and nothing to put them in. Imagine my disappointment I hadn’t found one them new fandangled electronic wizard’s wand’s. I guess I won’t be going to Hogwarts School of wizardry for my High School equivalency completion course for my GED diploma cause I'm improperly improperly equipped. And, I was looking forward to meeting the infamous Harry Potter.
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Well I did it. I got outside and fed my morning chores. When I can’t navigate my own driveway I’m sure to be another statistic out on our road. So here I set no new toy to play with until I’ve broken it.
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Talked to number three son. Today. He’s still out of it. Got some talk from him complaining about holding phone up to his ear, needing a speaker phone to make his life easier. Yeah, sure. He told me he’d been in a Kalamazoo hospital and they had kicked him out, and that’s how he got home. Truth is he’s been in hospitals nursing homes up the Lake Mich. Coast. No Kazoo. I asked him about how he was coming with his exercises and he tells me does them once a day. I can believe that and then and when he does them it is likely with somebody standing over him encouraging him through the motions. He thinks his wife’s grandmother is still alive and he’s expecting her home at anytime. Yup!!! Everybody may get to be just as happy as he is provided they adhere to a very strict diet of Mt. dew pop, pot, and drugs. His stomach, upper and lower intestines are eatened up and in knots and his mind is contentedly dwelling in La La Land.
I can’t do anything for him. It must come from within himself.
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Here we are, another photo of the ceramic village Enjoy.

Calling it a day. BGKC
Fernan

I’m reminded

I related our difficulty getting Her Mostess into Ugly’s confines to see a Christmas village evening last. And it was there in I had made an uncomplimentary reference to a cow. Well, that slip of my tongue wasn’t the worst one I had ever made. Going back over a half a century there was a moon lit night over looking a Lake Michigan parking site I had wrongly spoken of a similarity which only added a clue to the life sentence I was about to receive for wrongful acts towards a certain young lady vamp. The criminal’s mind worked something like this:
“Frieda, you’ve the same eyes as an old girl friend knew and grew up some with.” I whispered between kisses.
Her interest piked her hands on my chest pushing herself back from me, “And who was this girl?” she’d spoken in an alarmed tone…….
While her manner was more liking, “How dare you have so many loves before me?!” I wondered either how or why hadn’t I kept my mouth shut?
………”Well?“ she insisted, “You’ve brought her up. Tell me about her.”
“Hmmm….well….okay.” I hemmed and hawed, “She had the prettiest big brown eyes just like you…..
You’ve sad that!” she interrupted.
……. and, her name was Martha.” I had continued.
“Is that all? What she look like?”
“Well,” I started, expecting to get clobbered, “She was a dark red haired Jersey cow.” already cowering in my seat expecting the worst, she righted herself, flung her arms about my neck and squeezed me ever to tight my thinking she was either about to smother me or break my neck.
And, she surprised me with, “That is the nicest compliment I have ever been paid!” Then it was sloppy kisses she planted all over me. Obviously I survived to tell this tale of whoa. And then trying to explain the lipstick traces all over my face and on my collar to mom wasn’t the easiest episode to explain. Lawd! Oh my! How I’ve suffered ever since!
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Remembering Christmas Eve’s fun times
They were all so impressionable, where will I start. How about with in my own home this time. With our children when each had reached the age to be impressed, bedazzled, shocked, wondering what all this was and when urged get into it, where does a kid start. Watching each child’s first impressionable Christmas, I liked our turning each one loose and then selfishly positioning ourselves where we could watch our child’s eyes widen with surprise, wonderment, and astonishment.
All the bright lights on a tree that wasn’t there when they’d gone to bed. There was a new unfamiliar smell. There were hung on that tree all manner of colored lights, bright shinny mirroring balls, tinsel, with an Angle and Cross way up at there at the very top. Underneath the tree rested brightly colored boxes. Some with ribbons, all with name cards. And, Mommy and I weren’t worried somebody had snuck all this stuff into the house. Looking at Mom I was encouraging our children to do something. But what? I had bent down on the floor taking my hand leading the latest one to the tree. I seated us and handed our child a package cover in funny not everyday paper. In the child’s lap I placed a first package. Open it I’d said, whatever that meant? Then within the blink our parenting twinkling eyes we started ripping a ribbon and paper off the box for the surprise hiddened within.
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For each new child about to witness the spirit of Christmas I saw to it a live tree was brought into the house Christmas Eve. Keeping the tree alive was the rewarded hard part. Burlap wrapped roots firmly set into a half bushel basket we set it within a galvanized laundry tub we’d fill with water.
Each new tree removed New Years weekend was immediately planted to keep it’s roots from freezing. Then either covered with snow, leaves, or straw to keep the limbs from freezing. This covering whatever it might have been was to help the traumatized tree to mellow out to it’s new surroundings. Now, we’ve many living reminders Christmases past living around/about the South Haven community.
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Seeing as how our wedding anniversary was but a couple weeks before Christmas the timing eventually required gifts of a less practical nature. The same such gifts I had come to give my love became welcomed lingerie playwear between us. As it followed, it happened we both looked forward to the personalized effects on each of us. On our anniversary I was usually treated to a late evening vamp’s fashion personalized fashion show of things she liked putting on so I could spend hours just taking it all back off. Such wardrobes often kept me up all night.
Quite often Santa’s helper received additional good naughty girl wardrobe pieces. Once and again and more Santa’s helper upon opening her gift within our privacy had disappeared to redress in fashion’s hinting promise Santa’s rewards for spirited giving. How I ever survived those days now eludes me just some of my memories.
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Now for a bit of granny eye candy.....


And now one more picture to blood shot an old codger's peepers.


Frieda and I wish everyone who ventures into Shorthorn country a very Merry Christmas.
May everybody be kept safe this Holiday week End.
Fernan