Groundhogs and more

Well, apparently ALL the groundhogs came out today, saw their shadow and headed back into their burrows, meaning we're in for six more weeks of winter and since there is a winter storm warning tomorrow with 25 cm of snow, freezing rain, ice pellets and more...maybe those varmits do know what they're doing. Really makes the commute something to look forward to and will without doubt cancel the scrapping booked for the evening. Sigh.

When I stopped at the grocery store on the way home to print photos, the weather prediction had everyone in the county out stocking up on provisions - as if they're going to be without groceries for a month or so. I picked up a little invention which someone at work had mentioned - slow cooker liners - which appparently practically eliminate the cleanup so there is a stew set up to test if the claims are legitimate. I will keep you posted, they're sort of like those oven roast bags for texture and will fit up to a large slow cooker. To end my day on a positive note I went cruise wear shopping at my favorite boutique Chez Francois and as usual Frenchy's did not disappoint. I scored some beautiful white capris, three great t-shirts, two shorts and a kerchief as well as a couple of mugs.

A group of us went to see the movie Marley and Me last night at the local theatre and it was as expected a tug at the heartstrings. The most amazing thing to me was that Owen Wilson was excellent and very believable in the part, I wasn't expecting that. Definitely not a good movie if you're feeling fragile though and the kleenex did get a good workout.

Getting quite philosophical I have drafted some guidelines for Living Well not Merely Surviving:

Family and friends trump everything else
Tell people what you're thinking - unless it's really hateful
Hire a regular housecleaner
Don't obsess over the latest research - a new opposite study will be published tomorrow
Anger isn't awful if it leads to positive action
Talk to strangers if you feel like it
Make grand plans, then readjust but don't be disappointed if they don't work out
Don't travel with library books
Go solo shopping or to a movie if you want to
Don't waste time on books, movies or people that aren't worth it

And in keeping with #7 I left a message for the banking daughter telling her that I had things all planned out so that within a few years she and I would be living in a small Caribbean country. She'd be working for First Caribbean Bank and I'd be doing some kind of mission work, maybe a feeding program or homecare in this third world nation while she supported us in the manner to which I'd like. Her father could come and visit whenever, or stay if he could get things sorted out business wise here and her sisters would just have to content themselves with visiting. When I mentioned my plan on the way to the movies, my friend says "what does she think of that?" and I assured that she'd replied through an email in the affirmative so she says I should've saved a copy. "Nah" I said, "by then one or the other of us will have changed our minds and moved on to something else anyway, that's the way we are" I assured her. Nothing is a certain in life as change itself eh?