The snow has ended here in Oklahoma but not before dropping 7-8 inches of the pretty white stuff. Ritzy has already shoveled the walkway. A neighbor came over with a box blade and graded our driveway. The poor little birds are trying to find something to eat. Ritzy and I always feed them....so, they don't have to go far.
The daughter works at the Cherokee Nation Casino and Hard Rock Hotel in Catoosa. When she left for work Thursday she took extra clothes and accessories knowing she might not be home for a few days. The hotel puts her up if the weather is bad. She is hoping to come home after her shift tomorrow night. At first she was upset that she could not come home, but I was trying to get her to look at the positive side. She could work extra hours, be able to stay in a nice hotel FREE, not have to put up with us ;-)..........She has called a few times and I think she is doing just fine....Who knows, it might make her appreciate her family more,,,,,,,
In the picture is the store/baitshop/Ritzy's hangout, across the road. You can see my little penguin leftover from Christmas. I told Ritzy the other day to leave him up. I was hopin to get some more snow so he would feel "at home". Ritzy failed to see the humor in that......
Ritzy has been finding things to do outside, thank goodness. He drives me nuts when he is cooped up inside. He goes over to his "hangout" and helps the owner out with chores, sweeping, shoveling snow, drinking coffee,etc......if you look in the picture you will notice his red truck which means he is over there now. "Caught ya, Ritzy!"
Heck, Ritzy came in a little while ago and told me he would buy my lunch or dinner over there afterwhile. Ritzywife is NOT about to turn that down.
I don't care what anyone else thinks, I love the snow and the cold.
With that Ritzywife is out.............

This past couple of days we have finally seen temperatures above freezing. I like the cold weather and all but I (and everyone else around me) was starting to get a bit cranky. I took the picture while crossing the Oologah Lake over the Winganon bridge. In the distance you can see the steam rising from the power plant in Oologah.
It has been over 10 years since the lake has frozen over like this. We still have snow in our yard. It's going away, but none too soon. Has been here for 3 weeks. Ritzy and I were talking about that tonite and he informed me that I was "crazy" for liking the snow and wanting it to stick around.
Not to much going on around here except that we are getting back into our "normal" routines after the holidays and bad weather.
Supposed to get a little rain later this week.
I haven't seen much of the neice's kids because of all the bad weather. I kind of miss them. We will have to pay them a visit tomorrow or Friday.
Now.....I will just have to wait for that next snow to move in while the rest of the family says----"Bite your tongue!"....I can't help it I love the snow!!!!
With that Ritzywife is out..................

What a way to start the new year. Ritzy shoveled the walkway as you can see. The little penguin finally got some snow to stand in. he ought to feel at home. Its 7 days into January and the snow is still here. It's sure been interesting trying to stay warm. The woodstove sure feels good.....
We had a quiet new year's eve. The plan was to go Granny & Papas for a new years eve party to ring in the new year. We got up there about 6pm to eat chili. Around 8pm bubba and sissy started playing and I looked at Ritzy and he looked at me because of all the "Noise" at granny's and we both had that "let's go home and celebrate QUIETLY!!!!!! What is so funny is the fact that Ritzy sometimes complains about the noise that our 2 grown kids make at home( loud movies or music), and I told him on the way back home that if he ever complains about their "noise" again i was going to get him. It is nothing compared to the "Noise" those kids were making, hahaha!!!!
We came to the conclusion that my sister and her hubby and the kid's parents are just so used to the commotion at they didn't notice. After getting home and just relaxing I asked Ritzy if he still wanted those "grandkids" we are still waiting on. hahahaha!!!!
I was telling someone at church last nite that we were in bed by 9:30 and watching a movie that night. They could not believe it. I think we even fell asleep before midnight. It sure is fun getting older.......
Today and the next 2 days are going to be quite cold here in Oklahoma. I stuck my head out the door just a minute ago to tell the daughter bye and I sure am glad I don't have to go out in that.
Heck, it's winter.....it's supposed to be cold.......I'll just keep adding wood to the fire.....
With that Ritzywife is out..........

Here in Oklahoma, you don't hear the word blizzard, but that's what we had on Christmas Eve. Between 6-8 inches of snow. Yippee!!!!! The only bad thing was that we were stuck at home on Christmas day. We don't own a 4-wheel drive vehicle. My brother was good enough to come and get us and take us to my mom's. His son took the daughter and her boyfriend. We were stuck at Granny's till someone took us back home. My sister and brother-in-law got stuck in their driveway, as did their daughter and family. (Bubba and Sissy) After about 4-5 hours of trying to get unstuck the neice had someone pull them out and the brother-in-law got his tractor and flatbed trailer and that is how they got to granny's for christmas. 4 miles away.....Let's just say this was an interesting Christmas....I was told that if I ever asked for a "White Christmas" again, the family was gonna let me have it......
Needless to say the candlelight service at church was cancelled.
Santa was pretty good to all of us this year. I was better than I thought this past year, haha!!
We are now waiting on some more snow tonight.......I love it!!!!!!!!
Ritzy thinks i am nuts.......
He had plans to cut wood this last week on his days off, well, with all this snow, that did not happen.
I guess I will just wait and see what the new year brings..........
With that Ritzywife is out for now...............

Yes, the days and weeks leading up to Christmas are my favorite times of the year. I love the anticipation of watching the little ones opening gifts, seeing their faces as they see what "Santa" has brought them. I can hardly believe how fast the time has flown by this year. I have been thinking about this time last year----Ritzy had just returned from Iraq, we did not know yet that my niece had brain cancer. Life sure throws curve balls sometimes. Everyone goes thru something...
An older man who I have known nearly all my life went to be with the Lord a couple of days ago. His wife is in my sunday school class. His funeral service was today, I played the piano for it. Mom, Dad, my sister and niece all sang. It was a good service.
I will be praying for his family over this Christmas holiday.

Back to Ritzy and I - we are still adjusting after his return.
Always keep our soldiers and their families in your thoughts and prayers......
I have a special place in my heart for these people who sacrifice so much....
I know because I have been there.......

SNOW!!!!
Here in Oklahoma we have a very good chance of having a "White Christmas" this year.
I love it!!!!! It is definitely going to be cold, as it should at Christmastime ;-)
I just hope we can get the snow without the icy roads.
We are supposed to go to my sister's (Nana's) tomorrow afternoon to watch her grandkids open their gifts. It is going to be fun. Tomorrow night at 8pm we are having a candlelight service at our church. Looking forward to that also.
Christmas morning we will get up and exchange gifts here in our home, then we will all go to Granny's for gifts and lunch. Mom usually has breakfast cooked when we all get there.

Ritzywife wants to wish everyone a

Merry Christmas

Well I don't have to wonder where the cold weather is anymore. It has finally arrived here in Oklahoma. We have the woodstove going good and the electric blanket sure feels good to Ritzywife at night.
My neice finished her radiation treatments last week. Her report looks good for now. She still has to take the chemotherapy for a year. The baby that was born early is doing wonderful.
I finished ALL the Christmas shopping yesterday. The tree was kind of bare and I could not stand it so I wrapped all those gifts today. They are now under it. I am glad it is done.....
Now all I have to do is wait on Santa. Ritzywife has tried to be good this past year......
We have put a new metal roof on the house, painted the gutter and trim. I have done a few more things inside. This has been a very busy Fall. Ritzy stays busy cutting and selling wood.
Our trip to Wisconsin is a "no-go" Ritzy decided he did not want to risk driving in any bad weather. His Mom said she was glad he had changed his mind. Besides that, the daughter started a new job and the son said he did not want to take off work. This was going to be an everyone go or no-one goes trip.
This is and has always been my favorite time of year as far as holidays go. I love Christmas!!!!!!
The decorating, the music, just the "feeling" in the air I guess.......
As I sit her I have my ear buds on listening to a christmas cd by Third Day. It is a good one!!
Anybody could be talking to me ( or about me ) and I would not have a clue, haha!!
With that Ritzywife is out....................

The past couple of weeks have been very busy. Last week I started redoing my bathroom. I just finished tonite. I love the way it turned out. Put up "beadbord" wallpaper and country bath border. Painted the closets dark blue with coffee trim. Put tiles around tub. But first I had to take off the old ceramic tiles. Did that tonite. We just finished cleaning our mess up. Ritzy cut and glued the tiles and I put them on the wall. Last weekend the family put a metal roof on our house. Looks good. Now Ritzy gets to paint the gutter. I already have the paint waiting on him. haha!!
I put new border (apples) in my kitchen yesterday. Now all I have to do is put new border in the living room. I am waiting on that to arrive. All this started when I decided to redo our bedroom a couple of months ago. My body is saying (((((enough already))))).....
I cannot beleive it is November already. The weather still feels like summer. I think it is supposed to cool off in a couple of days, tho.
We are planning a trip to Wisconsin with the kids in December, weather permitting.
We have never visited during the "holidays" all these years we have been married. Ritzy was always afraid of having to drive in bad weather. Ritzy, the kids and I discussed this trip as being our Christmas present. You get to a point and receiving "things" doesn't matter near as much as spending time with family. You never know how long you have with them.
My neice has only 2 weeks of her radiation treatment left. She was saying today that on her birthday, November 30, they will be taking an MRI to see the progress of her treatments. I told her it would be a wonderful birthday present not to have any of that nasty thing left.
I have gone with her a couple of times to watch the kids while she takes her treatment. It only lasts 10-15 minutes. We just stay in the car and I play with the kiddos.
WOW, I have "nothing" planned for tomorrow. What will I do???????
I'm almost sure something will come up. It always does.....
I'll be giving this body a rest, I guess....sounds good!!!
It is getting late so I better go.
Ritzywife out!