Who Said It Was Spring?!?!?

This is what the door at the end of my hallway looked like iced up from all the blowing snow.

Scenes from outside my office with buildings and scenery slowing disappearing.

We finally got to leave the oilfield and this is what it looked like from the backseat.

Home sweet home!

The neighborhood

A potty break for the furry kids

Our tree in the front yard slowing disappearing.

This is what it looked like after pushing open the front door.

The rose bush in our front yard.

How does that table hold so much snow?!?! That's a pair of Joe's tennis shoes he left on the table over the weekend.

The backdoor snow.

The backyard. Can you see where the dogs have been?

Our temperature was 76 on Saturday. I didn't wear a coat or a sweater to church yesterday for the first time since it was another high 60's afternoon. But this was all like the calm before the storm!!! Because IT happened this morning. The blizzard happened. I've never been in a blizzard so this was quite a day.

I got up at my normal time and did my normal routine. The weather forecasters had said it would start snowing about 3 am, but the storm was running behind. I rode with Steve and Kevin out to the field in government Teri's truck (she's in Hawaii this week) and by the time we got to the field, Mother Nature had started cranking it up. By 8 am, Trina and Mary had left the office as the roads north were being closed and that's where they live. We finally got the word that the oilfield was being closed, so Kevin, Steve and I loaded up in the truck and started for Casper.

Wow, what a ride home! It took us over two hours after leaving the oilfield to get to Casper. I have now truly experienced a blizzard and it ain't pretty! The interstate had not been cleared and due to the blowing snow and white out conditions, the road felt like you were driving in the middle of an unplowed field.

Today was a great day...we finished doing our taxes and got them sent off!!! You win some and you lose some, but all is good!

Thanks to my sweetie, I have had a vase of fresh flowers on my dining room table every week since Valentine's Day.

A Busy Week - Part 2

FRIDAY...We were up very early to get Joe to the office for physical therapy. He is doing very well and doesn't have to go back for three weeks at which time he will hopefully lose his "boot". It was the beginning of a gorgimous day. The weather was in the upper 60's and NO wind blowing!!! This is such a strange occurrence, I had to take a picture of the flag pole outside the orthopedic office. We rode around with the sunroof open all day long.

After we finished at the doctor's office, we went home, cleaned house and then treated ourselves to a pizza buffet lunch. It was good, but it wasn't Cici's Pizza (which we miss). It really is strange eating lunch at a restaurant as I am so used to eating something prepared in the microwave most everyday at work. Because we are so far out in the "boonies", there is no such thing as having something delivered to you or any place to go pick something up. Then we hurried home as one of my new friends was coming by the house to visit for a little while. After she left, I loaded up Joe and the furry kids and we went exploring on the top of Mt. Casper where we had not been yet.

Mt. Casper has an elevation of about 8,200 feet and even has ski slopes which are operated by the City of Casper. As we progressed up the mountain, we experienced a 22 degree drop in the temperature. It was also amazing to me the amount of and deepness of the snow that was still up there after the nice weather we've been experiencing in the last week. (We wound up closing the sunroof because of the coolness). It is really quite a spectacular view of Casper when on top of the mountain. We have decided we are going to have to get some binoculars so we can locate our house from up there and see the other sights in the distance. I even noticed a wind turbine farm and want to find out where and how far away they are.

So, all in all it was a beautiful and very relaxing Friday and Joe and the furry kids seemed to enjoy the change.

A Busy Week - Part 1

MONDAY... morning started out in the usual way - get up at 4 a.m. and prepare for another week of work. However, it went downhill from there. I apparently got hit with some 24-48 hr. stomach bug once I arrived at work. Do you know what it's like to be about an hours drive away from home, without your car, without any medication and feeling like you were on the verge of dying? Unfortunately, I do. Someone at the field had to go into town though and stopped to buy me something for my upset stomach. But things didn't seem to improve and luckily for me, I hitched a ride into town about 1:00 and went straight home and to bed and stayed home TUESDAY too. Now that was a bummer as Tuesday was St. Patrick's Day. I had planned my ensemble for work which included my green beads and bringing everyone green pistachio cupcakes. But alas, that never happened. Oh well, there is always next year.

WEDNESDAY... I was feeling much better and made it all day at work. Then after coming home, I had to make 100 cupcakes for the Relief Society Birthday party Thursday night. I discovered I had only kept (1) 12 muffin and (1) 6 muffin pan so it was a long evening of baking, but the house smelled good!
THURSDAY night I hurried home, gathered my cupcakes and left once again for a very successful evening. We had approximately 50 women there and all seemed to have a good time. The theme was "Getting To Know You" and so we played a circulating game where they had to find out something about each one of the sisters. We also had a potato bar and a cupcake bar which made them get up and move around for their food. And yes, I did warn them that I would be taking pictures that might appear on my blog.

After all the medical treatments and surgeries that Joe has had in the last, I finally had my first doctors appointment.

Unfortunately it was time for my yearly female appointments as I was past due. Can I say how strange it was not to be taking Joe to a doctor appointment?

Our Date Night

Joe and I had a real bonafide date night last night and it was great! I can't remember the first time that we've had a date night where we were both dressed up and smelled good at the same time. Yes, we have gone out to dinner here on a very few occasions, but this was different. Those times are like going to dinner at your own own with no special preparation.

To begin with, we attended our first ward social. It was a celebration of all things St. Patrick. We were given green bead necklaces, ate a shamrock cookie and had some green frappe, as well as a written quiz to see how much we knew about the St. Patrick's Day holiday. I won't tell you how poorly Joe and I did. We were entertained by little dancing leprechauns by the young women, synchronized swimming by the young men, a melting snowman by the primary, a song by a member of the elder's quorum, a monologue by a member of the high priests and nothing by the Relief Society as I would assume they were the ones who took care of the refreshments. The stellar entertainment killed a good hour and then we left to be alone. (No furry kids - we'd left them alone in the house).

We decided to go to Arby's since we had coupons for a free new roast burger sandwich and all we had to do was buy a drink each to get it. So here we were - the last of the big time spenders - sitting in Arby's dressed up with our green beads eating our sandwiches, drinking our drinks and nibbling on our curly fries (had to have some of them).

It was great being there together doing that. We couldn't remember the last time we'd sat in a fast food restaurant leisurely eating like that. It had been a very l-o-n-g time though! It was like we had no cares in the world. I know how excited I was to have Joe out of the house, clean-shaved and moving, so I can only imagine how it made him feel.

It was a wonderful night.

Post Secret Is Coming!

For those of you who have read my blog, you know how much I enjoy the website http://postsecret.blogspot.com/. It's a weekly ongoing gallery, started in 2005, where people anonymously mail in their secrets on one side of a postcard to a man in Germantown, Maryland. He's received so many they've now been published in at least four books and he has done many exhibits with the postcards across the country.

I discovered today that one of his exhibits will be coming to Billings, Montana beginning in October of this year at the Yellowstone Art Museum. I am putting that on my calendar since it's only a four hour drive and would make a nice weekend getaway for Joe and me.

Not all postcards are pleasant. Some are of a sexual nature, but there are the others that tug at your heart or make you cry or make you grateful for your life and family and friends. The postcards make you wonder about what happened to some of these people. Did the writing and sending of the postcard bring them happiness or make any change at all in their lives.

If you wanted to send a postcard, what would you write, I wonder. Hmmmm.

Grocery Shopping Challenges

Grocery shopping is a challenge for me at times. The prices are different than they were in Georgia and there are some items I absolutely refuse to buy at this time because of that. For example, I refuse to pay .98 cent for a single bell pepper when I was used to paying no more than .50 each especially when the place at the end of the street had them fall off the wagon on the way to the packing shed for free. Would you believe that canned vegetables are on sale at most places for $1.25 per can? I'm talking peas, corn, green beans, etc.

Did I just not do that much grocery shopping while living in south Georgia? Why was my freezer full all the time and the pantry shelves full of canned goods? (I miss Sav-A-Lot for my canned goods).

But, it's getting better here. I'm learning to play the "shopping game". Every Wednesday the specials of the week come out for the three main grocery stores here - Albertson's, Safeway and Smith's. Yes, there's a Super Wal-Mart here (two in fact), but even they don't usually offer the lowest prices (only on canned vegetables).

I've learned to selectively pour over the sales circulars studying them like a general going into battle. Yes, I will drive from one store to another to pick up their advertised specials. It really pays to do so since everything is so close in proximity. And, these stores are in competition to each other and so it is possible to get some REAL bargains.

Yesterday, I launched my full frontal assault. The first one since moving here since the shelves were becoming like Old Mother Hubbard's and we have two dogs where she only had one.

Each store has its ways of enticing you into it i.e., using their store cards for "card specials"; mix and matching like items of similar cost and getting LOTS of cents off; getting cents off the pump at either their store or a chain of convenience stores, etc. My reward yesterday was purchasing $93.48 worth of groceries at one store and paying only $48.81. This included even 3 packages of corned beef brisket, two gallons of milk ($1.89 per gallon), asparagus (six bunches), jars of fancy spaghetti and alfredo sauce (and various packages of pasta) for .49 each. The other store I purchased $45.30 and spent $25.01 for fresh cabbage, zucchini and various other coupon off items.

Yes, I felt quite proud of myself, but I'm still poised for the price of peppers to plummet promptly.

A Well-Dressed Trunk

Our car trunk no longer belongs to us. It belongs to the whims of "Mother Nature". I realized when I went to put something in it this morning, that just "weren't gonna happen"! There is no space, there is virtually no room.

Let's take an inventory, shall we:

- two rolls of toilet paper enclosed in a ziplock bag;

- windshield wasper fluid for -35 degrees;

- a gallon jug of water (which stays frozen most of the time);

- a 20 lb. bag of kitty litter;

- a medium-sized spade;

- granola type bars;

- four blanket/afghans compressed in a space bag for better storage;

- scarves, gloves, hats;

- an absolutely crammed backpack for Joe and one for me which contains extra clothing, canned food, water bottles, soap, washclothes, candy, etc. (They are so heavy, it's almost impossible to carry both at the same time);

- books, magazines (that would hopefully relieve boredom);

- non-heatable food and plastic utensils;

- adult diapers and baby wipes;

- lighters and various other items for survival and we always make sure we have at least 1/2 tank of gas AT ALL TIMES!

Glittering

I experienced another new weather phenomenon the other morning at work. I call it "glittering". I looked out my office window and then went outside to really experience it. The only way to describe it in layman's terms is it is like God is in the heavens and he's pouring out white glitter. I had previously seen how the frost attached itself to the prairie grass and the snow, but I'd never just seen it shimmering down from the sky. As I understand it, what was really happening is that the air is so wet that this are like miniature ice crystals that is like snow that is not formed and reaching the ground. Whatever the reason, it is an incredible sight and although I tried to take a picture of it, it just wouldn't show up. For that I am sorry that I can't share this beautiful sight with you. Shucky darn!
The bottom picture shows the view from my office overlooking a field totally covered in the glittery frost. It is truly an incredible sight in person.

What's Black and White and Red All Over?

My car the other morning after I left it in the shopping center parking lot so I wouldn't get stuck in the snow at our house. And, I didn't!!!

Dogs Laugh With Their Tails

That is the saying I found on a sign while in Utah visiting the kids. I thought it applied to our "furry kids" and I couldn't resist buying it and bringing it home.

The furry kids are most happy when they get to ride in the car. B.J. always hangs out the window sniffing the air or sits down just staring out the side window like a little kid. Blaze, on the other hand, has to be right in the middle of the front seat between Joe and me. It's like she's the quinessential backseat driver. And, it gives her an early preview of vehicles that she can get ready to lunge out after they've passed.

Frost Bite? Could Have Been.

Living here in Wyoming has made me learn a few new life lessons with 99% dealing with weather issues i.e.:

• drink more water to keep hydrated since we are considerably living over a mile high and the skin dries out quickly;
• it's okay to park anywhere and anyway you want when a parking lot is covered with snow and ice;
• when it's snowed...NEVER stop in lots of snow or you may get stuck (and I do get stuck);
• always make sure that you clean the snow away from all windows and don't forget the side mirrors!;
• have emergency items stored in your car at all times no matter what time of the year;
• always have a pair of gloves and a hat with me when I go to work as the weather can change quickly and it's ALWAYS cold in the government trucks in the mornings;
• keep wheels straight when driving in deep snow;
• use caution when opening doors during the 99.9% of the days the wind is blowing or you can have your car door ripped off or buckled (I speak from experience);
• etc., etc., etc.

With all these learned lessons, I learned a new one the other night which was a warning for me.

The weather forecast was for 6-8" of snow and I decided to park my car in a grocery store parking lot across a main street very near our home and walk home. It was snowing very heavily and this was compounded by the wind blowing about 35-40 mph. I had on my fur-lined boots with heavy socks, my gloves, my hat which covered my entire head down to my eyes, over my ears and neck, had zipped up my coat and thrown the hood up over my head also and took off walking for the 5 minute or so trek home.

The entire way home the snow was blowing violently in my face and I started literally losing the feeling in my cheeks which where not covered, as well as my nose and my eyes. By the time I reached home, I had no feeling in my face, especially my cheeks. It felt as though I had giant ice cubes on them. For some time that evening I had no feeling in my cheeks, but thought not a great deal about it, in fact joking with Joe about how cold they were.

Anyway, after my shower the next morning, I looked in the mirror and to my surprise both sides of my face looked like I had developed extreme sunburn. Throughout the day, I applied vast amounts of healing lotion to my face - slathering it on would be the best description. Several people with lots of experience living here and with medical training told me that I was very lucky as I appeared to have just been severely windburned, but with just a little more exposure I could easily have been in the early stages of frostbite. Yes, five minutes in that type of weather can be catastrophic I learned. I had applied so much lotion throughout the day that a napkin would stick to the side of my face. It was as though my face was one giant glue stick.

The lesson learned here is that I now have a couple of scarfs in my car at all times, along with an extra pair of gloves. I am also going to be looking for a couple of ski masks so that neither Joe or I will be left without that type of protection ever again.

Snuggling

A personal observation - so read on at your own risk...

I used to love to snuggle. You know what I mean. Cradle up next to the one you love - sometimes called "spooning". I always thought it was the greatest feeling in the world. I used to love to snuggle up behind Les, put my arm over his tummy, situate "the girls" just so and drift off to sleep. He said he could always tell when I was really ready for sleep when I'd kiss his back and rollover to my side of the bed. I did this for basically 22 years until the last year of our marriage when he wouldn't let me snuggle anymore. That was when I knew something was wrong, that something just wasn't right. And it wasn't.

Many times I've stated that when Les left, he took my "warm and fuzzies" with him meaning I lost the love and affection I've felt for people in general. He took away my feelings that I could ever really love again. That was until I met Joe.

Joe saved me. He did so in so many ways. He taught me that I was lovable in spite of myself. He taught me patience. He taught me about true love and sacrifice. He taught me that he loved me even when I did everything to push him away and out of my life. He hung in there with me and made me love again.

After almost five years of marriage, I noticed something a few weeks ago. I had started snuggling with Joe. It was not a conscious move, but rather a subconscious move that I came to feel made me realize that Joe wasn't going anywhere. That it was okay to really love again. I can now, once again, go to sleep knowing that feeling, that connection and it's great! Thank you Joe.

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The pictures were taken today. We're getting ready to attend our first Ward social here. Doesn't Joe look great after about nine weeks of basically being homebound?!

Ahh...It's The Smell of Winter

Maxine says it so well in these pictures about winter which returned to us today. It's been so nice with the warmer weather we'd been experiencing for the last couple of weeks. But alas, that all changed today and definitely tonight. It has snowed all day long since I left for work this morning and hasn't quit. Because of all this, I have implemented Plan A of winter survival. And what is that? I DON'T want to get stuck in the snow in my neighborhood like I did a few weeks ago. So my solution is parking across the street at the shopping center. I decided to park in the Albertson's parking lot which should be plowed each morning (I hope). And I hope that I have parked my car in the right place and that it doesn't get towed away during the night.

After work I dropped off a few items at the house, drove to the parking lot and walked home. What an exciting walk that was bundled up in my boots, my gloves, my hat and the hood up on my coat. The snow was blowing directly on my face and I made a mental note to wear a scarf around my face when I walk back in the morning. And, I better not forget the thermal underwear either!!! If all goes well and the car is there in the morning, then I'll be doing the same thing tomorrow night since we're expecting more snow. Oh, did I mention that there's supposed to be about 6-8" of snow tonight and the additional 2" tomorrow?

Doing all this is hopefully going to reduce my stress about whether I can get home or whether I can get to work. I'll let you know how it goes.

Mother Nature's Beauty

Riding home from work one night, I saw something I'd never seen before...the beginning of a rainbow...which was quite spectacular.

Meet My Female Co-Workers

Meet Trina my bestest buddy at work. She used to have the job that I have so she's been the one helping me with my training and learning the ropes. She and I have hung out a couple of times on our free Fridays. She lives north of the oilfield out in the country with an array of animals such as llamas, ducks, chickens, sheep (and even has one that is named "Poopy Balls").
This is Mary who is more reserved than Trina. She's been working at the field for about eight years so she knows everyone and everything.

There are only a total of seven women working at the field and there are a total of four in our department including my boss, Teri.

Mudville

This is what the trucks look like when driven in the field after the snow thaws. Imagine what my car would look like?! That is if it even made the drive up and down the road.