Today is my birthday....(#52)......WOW, I can hardly believe it.  Time is so precious, it seems to creep by until you get out on your own and start a career or family.  Then, it just seems to fly by.  I still find myself wondering where all the time has gone over the past few years.
My family had a "Taco Dinner" and cake and ice cream for me tonight at my sister's house.  We had good food and a fun time together.  My brother gave me a red rod and reel "Crappie Rig" for my birthday.  Red is my favorite color and fishing is my favorite pastime.  I plan on using it very soon.
My sister-in-law and nephew brought me lunch and we sat and played a board/card game all afternoon.  The nephew wasn't showing much mercy on his Aunt on her birthday....he won nearly all the games.......
It has been a wonderful day.  Ritzy is taking me out of town for a couple of days next week to celebrate.  This week was just too busy.  I am really looking forward to that.  He had told me a few months ago to pick out a place to spend a couple of days and nights.  I picked Oklahoma City.  I have always wanted to see the 45th Infantry Division Museum.  Ritzy served in the 45th Infantry (National Guard) for over 21 years  so I feel  we need to go visit the museum to learn about the history of our great Oklahoma National Guard.
It will be so nice to just "get away" from the stresses of our normal routine for a couple of days. 
I spent yesterday altering the daughter's wedding dress.  Talk about stress....WHEW!!!!!  I think we about got it where she wants it.  The wedding is only 3 weeks away.......
I am probably gonna need a vacation after that too, hehe!!!
It is getting late and this birthday girl is getting tired so I better get my rest because as you know ~~I am not getting any younger~~Ritzywife out...............

I can hardly believe it.  I didn't have a speck of green on today and nobody noticed.  I did it on purpose, just to see if anyone would be brave enough to pinch Ritzywife, haha....
This month is flying by.  Spring is just a few days away and the weather is finally feeling like it should.  Today was beautiful, but I couldn't be outdoors due to a nasty cold that I acquired from someone.  I was also busy, busy, busy in the house today.  The daughter and future son-in-law moved into their house the night before last.  That meant that I could FINALLY get my house back in order.  I did not waste any time doing so.  It took the whole day, but "mission accomplished"....
The only thing I have left is to arrange my sewing table and craft items in the storage/sewing room.  That will be a fun job, tho.
The wedding is slipping up on us, just a few weeks away.  We are all trying to see if we have forgotten anything....I am almost sure there will be something we didn't think of but, you know....it will be just fine in the end.
The fish are starting to bite and I have not had a chance to go yet.  They are just beginning to come in to start their spawn for this season.  My brother and sister-in-law went fishing tonite and only caught some small ones.  My brother met the sister-in-law and the nephew at our house after work and they all went fishing.  I was frying chicken strips for supper  and realized it would not take much more effort to cook for 3 more........I realized brother was probably hungry after working all day.   I called my sister-in-law and told her I had a "doggie bag" to hold them over til they got home.  When they came in the house, I told them they may as well sit down and eat....we were just finishing and there were still plenty of side items left.  So, they ate and we got to visit for a little while.  I love doing things like that for my family.
Earlier  in the day,  I was talking to her on the phone and was telling her that I had a table that had some storage space in it that I wanted to give to the daughter because it was just too big for where I had it, but i needed a place to put my cookbooks and some other items.  She said she had just what I needed and she and the nephew brought it out.  It was perfect.  Now my dining table is where it is supposed to be ( not pushed against the wall) and 4 people can sit around the table.  I told you  I had been cleaning, ;-)   Before, there was that baker's table, my dining table, chairs, a file cabinet for the church and another small table in the dining room, plus some tote boxes due to the daughter's move back in November.  Not Anymore....  The only thing in the dining room now is the dining table and chairs. YIPPEE!!!! 
I should not be having any trouble falling asleep tonight, but we'll see.  Ritzy is sleeping right now and I am about ready to call it a day.   That being said....Ritzywife is out!

Only 3 weeks away, and it is playing hide and seek.  It warms up a few days then turns cold.  Hard to believe it is March 1st already.... Ritzy and I have been switching between turning off the heat and turning on the A/C - turning off the A/C turning on the heat for the last couple of weeks.  It's just that time of year in Oklahoma.
He told me that he was talking to his brother in Wisconsin last night and found out we have received a lot more snow than Wisconsin so far this season. 
Ritzy was also telling me that his parents are doing fairly well.  His mother fell and broke her hip.  She had to have hip replacement .  Ritzy's brother said the recovery is going to be very slow.  We will be going up there in a couple of  months.  His brother already invited us to stay with him and his family. Gee, I sure hope it isn't as hot as last year.  Their home does not have air conditioning.  The week we were up there was one of the hottest times during last year.  hmmm
Ritzywife is thinking about that garden and planting flowers....and let's not forget crappie fishing!  I love this time of year!!!!!!  Don't get me wrong, I love the snow, and it is beautiful......but my favorite time of year is Spring.  I love watching everything come back to "life".   My jonquils are up and getting ready to bloom.  The only thing is - this is when we usually get a heavy snow.  We will just have to wait and see. 
I hope the weather cooperates with my fishing plans this year.  We live close to a creek that runs into the Oologah lake.  The bank is rocky and the crappie come up in there (if the water temp is right) to spawn.  This goes on for about 6 weeks starting in late March-early April thru May.  But the temperature has to level off.  Has to make it in the 70's - 80's during the day and not drop below 60's at night.   The way we are going now....it's going to be interesting to see how things turn out.  If I am lucky it doesn't flood me out of my fishing hole.  That's the bad thing about where I fish.   If we start getting a lot of rain, the lake rises and floods out the creek.  Then the only way to get to where the fish are is by boat. 
The daughter and her fiance are about to get their house ready to move into.  They have spackled the walls in the bedrooms, bathrooms, painted and are getting new carpet tomorrow.  This has turned into more work than they had planned, but they are about finished.  Still have to replace the kitchen countertop.
She is getting things ready for her wedding day, also.  All this while both of them are working full time.  Oh well, they are young....they can handle it ;-)  that's why you do this stuff while you are young, haha!!
I have a Dr.'s appointment in a couple of hours.  Its's that yearly exam every woman looks forward too......not!!!  I just keep telling myself that tonight it will only be a distant memory, hehe!!
Speaking of tonite, after returning home from that appointment, I have to get supper started.  Think I will go with chicken.  Last night we had homemade chicken and noodles...and yes, the noodles were homemade too.  The daughter and fiance came home and got the noodles out of the refirgerator and headed up to "granny's with them.  She said granny (my mom) wanted some too........The future son-in-law said they were delicious.......
I also tried a new recipe out  on hubby and the son.  I saw the recipe in a magazine the night before.  It was a German pancake.  It tasted pretty good, and was so darn easy to make. 
Ritzy told me last night that he did not know how he would have survived all these almost 28 years without Ritzywife's cooking ;-)
 I thought that was sweet.  He sure can put that food away tho,  I just look in amazement at the amount he eats and stays so fit.  He ate 3 bowls of noodles last nite!!!!  plus dessert.....I did good to eat one!!
I am glad that he likes my cooking......I love to cook for my family.....even tho sometime's it can be a challenge, but, I like challenges too.....
Speaking of cooking, I am going to have a new stove delivered tomorrow.  The stove I have used all these years doesn't have a see-thru door, it is also one of the cheaper models made.  I thought I deserved a nice stove for all this cooking.  This one has 5 burners on top, a grate all across the top, the middle can be used for an oversized pot or griddle, and better temperature control, a lot of other features and the most important (to me)  a self-cleaning oven.  I will probably be giving my brother a call to come help Ritzy install it.  All it will cost is a  steak (cooked on the Weber grill) dinner and a homemade cobbler.  No problem for Ritzywife.....
Wow, when I sat down here to write, I thought I had nothing to say.....but as you can see, that was not the case.
Ritzywife out...........................