New Year - 2007

Auld Lang Syne

I spent most of yesterday removing Christmas decorations from the house ... getting ready to welcome in 2007! The two reindeer are in the garage, "knicknacks" put away (I think). If you are like me, in July you will see the eyes of Santa looking at you from some obscure place in the house. The pre-lit tree that I bought for convenience didn't turn out that way. The fuse for the entire middle section was broken and a new one couldn't be inserted, so there I was doing the very thing I have always hated ... untangling "real" lights to put on the tree. It came in three sections and I had voiced that it will never go back in the box it came out of. Even getting the sections apart didn't work for me..... I only got the top off. So, technically the tree is still in the house and the box I am suppose to put it in is growing smaller and smaller. Anita where are you! Happy New Year everybody!

Christmas Eve

The above picture was one that my daughter snapped as my grandsons came up to me and I wasn't expecting what followed. William had a gift he picked himself of bath oils, bubble bath and lotions. His face was priceless as he told me he loved me and he got what he knew I would like. My hand covered my mouth as I was starting to tear up. George was waiting his turn. Although George is 10 yrs. old now, for many of his years, he and I have been sharing coffee, cocoa and Nestle's strawberry drink that he and I believe no one else likes but us. He gave me a very pretty candle that he said he knew I would love and a gift package of fancy cocoa complete with tiny marshmallows. And... no surprise to me that there were only two cups ... one for him and one for me. It was a memorable moment. Thank you boys!

JOY TO THE WORLD

Christmas Eve

Although the above picture was taken on a Christmas Eve over twenty years ago ... these are my daughters. Merry Christmas Girls!

SILVER BELLS

Snowmen!

I have just about given up on a chance for snow. It has been raining heavily here and thankfully the temps are mild. I have seen snow in our coastal area many times over the years .. we were part of the Blizzard of 1993. That year was the first time I had ever gotten to participate in putting a 5 ft. snowman together, complete with a carrot nose, a scarf and a tophat. It's more a longing for happier times .. the picture above is from one of those times. This Christmas is much better than last year. It's sort of like piece-mealing, gradually getting better for some of us. There are still so many who ONLY have their memories of a happier time. I can look back but I also have one foot in the present. Keep us in your prayers!

Wish Granted

I have been sent snow from a friend in Michigan! Thank you Jeanne and "hang in there" with my new blog ... it will get better, I promise!

Dear Ruth, I have read in your blog, (which just isn't the same anymore) and read your posts on Pascagoula.net how you would like snow for Christmas. I wish I could do better for you than this, but here are pics from last year at my house. As you can see, we had very little snow on Christmas day as it was rather warm, as it is now. We MIGHT have snow Christmas weekend. I do not consider myself an authority on the subject, but of the three winters I spent in 'Goula, it only snowed once, not for long, big wet flakes that stuck to car windows and rooftops. Then it melted about as fast as it fell. From my point of view, in a way, I kind of hope you don't have snow, only because I do not know how well the drivers would react, and it sounds bad down there on dry pavement. I have been keeping up with Anita's blog, and my Christmas wish for you and yours is to be able to fix and eat Christmas dinner in her kitchen. May all of you be able to put your troubles behind you for one day and enjoy the Holiday. Your friend, Jeanne

What A Difference A Year Makes

This will be our second Christmas since Katrina and although situations have improved for many of us, it is still not normal. Let's use me for an example. In the past, as soon as I heard the first Christmas carol I became Mrs. Santa! This was a favorite of mine The Season Will Never Grow Old. If my daughters and their families were home for the celebration, there was an overabundance of gifts for all of them. Special donations were made to charities and the church we attended. It was a wonderful time and would leave lasting memories. Last year, we were sick and very depressed but somehow I managed to get gifts for the children. Yesterday, my daughter Anita and I shopped at Wal-Mart in Pascagoula. I found myself actually enjoying it. I have always wanted to play golf but my husband didn't like it so I put my like on a "back burner". He did buy me a golf cart which was used for driving up the long driveway to get the mail, rides around the lake and even for pulling a cart full of dirt down a hill to fill in low spots at the water's edge. Anita and Dave got me a Tiger Woods Golf Game and a Play Station 2 for my birthday and I now play golf. Back to the story ..... we were in the sporting section and I saw golf clubs so we stopped and for at least 10 minutes I had tried the "feel" of actual clubs in my hands. I believe that if we could have found a ball that I would have hit it down an aisle in the store. I will most likely report the latest news here on the Coast soon after I take care of a few things.

So This Is Christmas

click image

A Perfect Elf!

My daughter sent me Yvonne as an elf and I thought I would have some fun with putting my serious expression on what is suppose to be a "happy" little elf. My 3 yr. old granddaughter is overjoyed being an elf but smart enough to question the "whereabouts" of the elf costume. George and William at 10 and 9 yrs. old can't be duped that easily. When they view me as an elf they break out in loud laughter but sweet, innocent Yvonne says to them, "Shh! Nana is dancing!"

Yvonne
George
William


Well this Elf thing sure flopped. Last time I looked we had no faces or else the site goes down for maintenance. I will leave it as it could appear again!

Santa's Helper!

This is really neat! I am not a very happy looking elf but it was fun dancing!


Click Here

LET IT SNOW!!!

I drove around today looking for new construction pictures to show you. Construction is slow along the entire Coast and people still live in Fema trailers. I can only imagine how helpless they feel. I am not seeing many homes decorated. Please don't judge how well we are doing with the nice things I put on my blog. My mood is more down than up so I am constantly doing something to pull me out of the doldrums. So this is Christmas ... what do I do? I surround myself with the visual images of the season. I have a decorated tree, a small fiber optic tree a snowman, two reindeer, a Nativity creche, music and there are candles everywhere. Just like you, I have been blessed with many beautiful Christmas' past to remember with fondness.

Sometimes things can be aggravating though. My two reindeer are already a problem. The expected arctic cold arrived in the deep south at 11:30PM last evening with a brisk wind and I went outside to get the deer before they blew away. It was a struggle to get the stag inside with his widespread antlers but I managed and decided they can stay until the cold weather passes.


The next pictures are of new construction in Pascagoula, Mississippi ......

Westwood

Westwood

Westwood

I'm Ready!!!

"Arctic air will arrive later tonight, dropping our temperatures into the 20s. Winds of 15-20 mph will make the temperatures feel more like 10-15 degrees. Highs on Friday will only warm into the 40s. Sunrise 6:40 AM Sunset 4:55 PM"

Okay I am ready for this .. I have taken care of the plants and the pipes. The reindeer are standing adjacent to three windows and a 15 to 20 mph wind will have them inside with me when they crash through the windows.

Will update you tomorrow!

Gosh It's Cold!!!

We shouldn't be having this cold weather ... but since we are .... I think it should snow!! It can happen. Christmas Day 2005 we had unexpected snow. The flakes were huge but it was snowing on Christmas. That has to be a first. At this time it is 36 degrees.

WLOX Weather:

Still Cold...
Tonight will be another cold night with lows in the upper 20s to low 30s inland and the mid 30s along the coast. Wednesday will be a little warmer with partly cloudy skies. Highs will be in the low to mid 60s.
Sunrise 6:38 AM Sunset 4:54 PM

Well last night's temps didn't go as low as expected and I , for one, am thankful for that. Temps in the "teens" or 20's result in nothing more than burst pipes and I can tell you from experience that is one big pain. I was living in Gulfport at the time when I heard the sound of water continously running in a bathroom wall. I had a plumber come to the house and after sizing up the house and the situation that I was in, he said, "Lady you have a BIG problem." "The way the pipes are connected in the walls they all run to the main pipe located under the slab." We will have to take out most of the walls and rivet our way through the floors to reach the main pipe." My heart stopped beating momentarily and then I found my voice saying, "You have got to be putting me on, you expect me to believe that I have to destroy my house to repair a leaky pipe?" He said, "Take it or leave it." I left it and called another son in law to come and advise me on what to do. He and I were walking with flashlights in the front yard searching for this leaky pipe when we stepped into a "soggy" spot in the lawn. He started digging and there it was. Bright and early the next morning, I called a plumber we had known for years and he sent someone who "clamped" off the pipe. Problem solved! It would have cost me well over a $100,000 to put the house back to normal. As it turned out, it only cost me $260.00.

I tell people I had my "Katrina" many years before she appeared.

Brrr!!! It's Cold!!!

We are at the present time in the grip of very cold weather. I have not seen or read very much about how the people living in the Fema trailers are faring. I do know after talking to someone who went through last winter in a trailer that it was very cold. How much longer must they live this way? I am in a insulated house and I am cold. It is 32 degrees now and the low will be in the mid 20's. Hopefully, each city will have a shelter that they can go to and stay warm.

I will post an update as soon as I can!

Coastal Snow Man

Wreath

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Your Hometown News - Moss Point/Escatawpa

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Your Hometown News - Moss Point/Escatawpa: "It's been a South Mississippi holiday tradition now for 13 years. Colorful displays depicting a variety eye catching scenes are what make the Fall de Rah in Moss Point such a holiday favorite. But as Photojournalist Greg McNease found out, it takes teamwork to pull off this annual event."