where's Jack??

Bob and I realized ( middle of the morning) that we hadn't seen Jack since we got up. Both of us hunted all over the house - garage, attic, closets, behind the floor length curtains - and so on. No Jack. We even wondered whether he had gotten out when I went for the paper at the end of the driveway. Jack has never tried to go out... but we worried anyway!
Then Bob had an idea and got out the container of cat treats. Rattling it , Jack came running. From where... we have no idea, other than upstairs since he flew down the stairs!!
Treats were tossed for both. They love chasing the little things across the kitchen floor !

Stuck at home

It seems like everything is closed in the Kansas City area.... all the schools certainly are. My DD is a teacher for one school district... her children are in another. Schools have been closed for the weather for 7 days in 2019... so far. Which means the school year will be added onto at the end to make up for these days... Unless the State of Missouri forgives the missing days.
When we got up this morning it was  -4 F out. Certainly not as bad as the states North of us, but bad enough. It is supposed to be colder tomorrow.
I am glad I had my eye appointment yesterday and that Bob did a grocery run after dropping me off at home! So staying home till it gets warmer is not a problem...

Two years ago I had cataract surgery. I noticed recently that my vision was blurry in my left eye .. like I was looking through frosted glass.  It seems that I have developed scar tissue around the "bag" which holds the lens in place. The doctor is going to zap it with a laser. Not something I am looking forward to ( in three weeks or so) but everyone acts like this is "nothing". They are going to do both eyes. One at a time, one week apart.
I've also developed "dry eyes" so now I do drops and gels...
Nothing like falling apart/old age.  Hand sewing is difficult with blurry eyes... and even the computer gives me fits.

left the blog for awhile thinking I might have more to say... my add-on is :

It's snowing !!
Probably not going to be much since it is quite cold still...

"Boozy Botanicals" Night Out

Thursday night my daughters and I had a girls night out.... my husband was watching my older daughter's puppy Harper Lee.  We  started out at DD1 's office and went for dinner at a nearby Chinese restaurant. We all had crab rangoon's and then an entree. Mine was cashew chicken and white rice. ( enough for Bob and I to have the leftovers the following night for dinner!)
Then it was off for a making and tasting!  We learned how to make syrups and shrubs for "boozy cocktails" ... though there we were told of lots of other ways to use them.I am going to try making my own!  I have visions of booze, ice. a fruit shrub in my glass for a great hot summer day drink !
The presenter mentioned using the syrups on roasted veggies .... and in cakes...

The canning jars contain an apple/pear /cinnamon stick syrup .... the darker red one is a blackberry/raspberry/ pinch of ground ginger shrub which uses vinegar instead of water. The presenter made these while talking!

The ones in bottles are the ones she sells - grocery stores liquor departments,  bars, online etc. She makes them at a place which provides the facilities for small companies which makes sure all government regulations are followed.... and includes bottling and labeling!  She makes at least  4 more varieties.

Fun time... hope DD1 finds some more things to go to!  Hopefully when it's warmer out ... them temps were bitter going down to single digits by the time we were heading home!

Here we go again

Bob and I went to the library yesterday... we just wanted something new to read that was a book and not in the Kindle!! We both came home with 4 or 5, stopping at the grocery store on the way home.
Good thing too since it started to rain. By dinner time ( evening) the temperature had dropped and the TV was issuing winter storm warnings and school (etc.) closings were scrolling along the bottom of the screen. By bedtime we did have a slight covering of snow.
This morning all the area schools are closed because of the ice under the snow. We have about an inch of snow... not bad.  But the temperatures are not going up, so no melting and the ice will stick around.
With the new new everything looks nice and white again. Glad I have new books to read...groceries in the fridge... and a "fire" ( sealed gas insert) to keep us content in the family room's recliners!!

I have bears and a friend ready for the new online show coming up... Winter Stars.  If this weather continues I will have some ready for the next show way ahead of time!!  LOL

                             Jack's way of keeping an eye on Bob while he is on the computer!!

Out to lunch

A group of Kansas City Restaurants is having a week long plus fundraiser... Interested people can check out which restaurants are participating, check menus and make reservations. SO... we are heading out for lunch today at Ophelia's in Independence, MO. On the Independence Square just across from the soda fountain where President Truman worked as a young man!!
The menu looks SO tempting. There are three choices for course 1, three for course 2  and for an additional cost three choices for dessert.  Bob and I are thinking about sharing so we can try more !!

We chose a French onion soup and cobb crab salad to start. Followed by a bison burger and duck tacos for the main course and a snickerdoodle blackberry cobbler for dessert. Great coffee -we drank about 4 small cups each ! I may not sleep tonight.  Bob says great food ... 5 stars! We each tried the other's choices and shared the dessert.

oh-oh yesterday

We had rain in the morning and then when everything was nice and wet, the snow started ! Sticking to everything especially trees that still had leaves. And power lines... After about 8 inches fell... dense stuff... the electricity went off!! No power... outages all over the Kansas City area. Not everyone but enough that the KCP&L had workers come in from other areas.

So we had an afternoon of reading and snow shoveling ( BOB)... and as things got darker I started looking for candles. Luckily we had enough! Our furnace is gas but we need electricity to run the fan etc. The gas insert fireplace kept the family room warm and with matches lighting our gas stove I was able to cook dinner.
As Bob said, candles are romantic but that's about it.  8 hours later the lights came back on !! He is deciding on what we need to make another no electricity reasonable...

We did have limbs fall, as did our neighbors, so after the snow melts Bob will have cut them up into
permissible size. The trash company won't take BIG stuff in their green pick up.... green stuff doesn't go to a landfill, Missouri law,  it is composted .

road trip

Bob and I discovered a winery ( via Facebook) about 45 minutes away by car. The website said it would be open for tastings today and tomorrow so we decided to go!
We haven't left the Kansas City area since Tigger broke my leg and a road trip sounded just what I needed. We headed East on  I-70 for about 18 miles and then headed North. The land around us quickly became fields waiting for spring planting - mostly corn and soy beans. Cattle fields were empty... have they been slaughtered or are they in barns for the winter?
About 45 minutes later we came across signs for the winery and small fields of grape vines. The winery has a nice small lake and an open deck with seating where one can sit when the weather is warm and probably drink the wine. We're not sure since it wasn't open ( even though the website had said it would be!). Only sign of life was someone in a road grader working on the gravel roads!
Oh well... we'll go back!
We went home a different way... heading further North to the old road that follows the Missouri River. The river had chunks of ice floating in it and the current was really fast.  We went through the little towns of Wellington and Napoleon ... and then Levasy, Sibley and Buckner.
This part of Missouri had slaves and Civil War battles.  Large plantation homes were on top of the bluffs overlooking the Missouri River... keeping the residents safe from Yellow Fever ... unlike those who lived in the river bottoms...

Being away from home... even if only 45 minuted by car ... was good!!

NOISE !!!

We live on a cul-de-sac of 6 houses and have two new neighbors to the right of us. Not sure which it was since the driveways connect at the street, but one of them set of LOADS of fireworks at midnight.  The rockets flew across the circle and set off LOUD bangs!!

Actually fireworks are illegal in my town except on the Fourth of July.

Jack and Tigger ( The cats) were nervous and upset... hid under chairs.... tails going a mile a minute... and didn't settle for quite awhile. No sleeping on beds or laps.  Wonder what July Fourth will bring in the way of fireworks and how the cats will take it.  Our cul de sac has been quiet for quite a few years..