Gypsichic's Humble Abode

1st Snow of 2011

2011-02-04T10:53:00.000-06:00

The first winter storm we've had hit Monday night..........Tues was blizzard conditions & we ended up with about 6-8" in NW OKC and other surrounding metro areas saw 12". We had almost as much as the 2009 Blizzard on Christmas Eve. Thank God many folks chose to stay home this time.

I hibernated at home taking advantage of the time to do some things I enjoy - instead of just catching up on chores! I did a little crockpot cooking, baked some chocolate banana bread, & did some scrapping. Hubby worked out in the shop & shoveled snow on Wednesday.

Went back to work on Thursday. Now they're predicting another couple of inches of snow possible today or tomorrow. Yee haw!

Magnificent Monday!

2011-01-17T14:28:00.000-06:00

My word for 2011: Prosperous

–adjective

1. having or characterized by financial success or good fortune; flourishing; successful: a prosperous business.

2. well-to-do or well-off: a prosperous family.

3. favorable or propitious.

How do I "live" my word?

That is the question I have been pondering for a week or so.

After doing some reading, writing, listening to Joyce Meyer, & reflecting........I took a hard look at my self-talk & what I spoke out loud. Somedays, I am positive. Somedays, not so much...........it's the 'not so much-ness' that I want to change.

I believe in a power greater than myself.........God to me & others I know.........however, my dog is a power greater than myself..........she's quicker, a better hunter than my hubby (& he's pretty darn good), & bites a heckuva lot harder! So, I've learned if I can't feel the presence of God, I can always pet my dog.......to ground me & remind myself that faith is believing what I can't always see. I don't always see my dog being quicker than me, hunting prey, or biting - but I know she can.

Using this information, I can transfer this belief to my 'lack of prosperity or abundance' thinking. I've been verbally saying out loud that I have enough of _______. I have also been spending at least 5 mins just thanking God for the things in my life AND thanking him for things I am currently praying about AS IF they are already taken care of. Finally, I've been verbally blessing everything I can think of.

I have to have something to replace the negative thoughts and actions. At the very least, doing these things keeps me more grounded in the present & I haven't been projecting into the future nearly as much reacting to fear of things that haven't even happened!!!

Progress not perfection............

Opportunites ............for a new year........

2011-01-13T10:41:00.000-06:00

I have miraculously successfully navigated my way thru grad school. Wow. I'm still amazed with myself.

Which brings me to the topic on my mind..........opportunities

I listen to Joyce Meyer alot (love love love her) & she talks about having 100's of opportunities everyday. It might be to change a negative thought pattern, not procrastinate, or be of service to someone someplace.

Today she talked about self-control. Particularly, self-control of our mouth. Hmmmmmmmm.........I see a lesson here............restraint of tongue is like any other exercise.........if I do it enough, it becomes easier & I gain strength. I've noticed being short with my hubster when he says 'huh?' or 'what? i didn't hear you'........irritating to me really. Guess what I will be working on?

What opportunities are being placed in front of you today?

10 days til Christmas...

2010-12-15T16:05:00.000-06:00

O.M.G.
has it really been another 6 months since I've talked to my blog???
I promise.......I will try to do better! give me another chance........

how time flies when one's every waking moment is consumed by grad school........whew!!!

on to picking up my life where I left it..........have you seen the inches of dust and piles of clutter that has collected waiting ever so patiently for me to finish school.........waiting patiently & multiplying in the mean time!!!

What a mess!!!!

Holy Crap

2010-07-02T11:40:00.000-05:00

has it REALLY been 6 months since I talked to my blog???

That's a sign that grad school has consumed my life!!!

Winter Storm Jan 2010

2010-01-30T20:41:00.002-06:00

I took this picture about 1 pm on 1-28-10. The temp had dropped to around 30 degrees and icicles were forming on the bird feeder.

At 1 pm on 1-28-10 my jeep was starting to become covered in ice - ignore the date on my camera......it needs reset apparently.

By 3 pm on 1-28-10 the icicles were getting thicker & longer..........sounds a little dirty, huh?

Took a shot of our walkway at 3pm on 1-28-10 to show how the sleet was starting to accumulate........now the fun is beginning...........whoo hoooooooo

And by 3 pm on 1-28-10 my jeep is beginning to resemble an ice cube!

6 pm on 1-28-10 shows my ice covered yard & thick icicles........already slick and hazardous out

6 pm on 1-28-10 & my jeep is encased in ice........fun times

6 pm on 1-28-10 on the back patio - that's about an inch of ice shown

By 7:30 am on 1-29-10 the sleet had covered the yard

7:30 am on 1-29-10 showed how the icicle had lengthened overnight.......good thing i was staying home!

7:30 am on 1-29-10 reflects how the ice accumulated over night on the back patio - the dogs hated going out to pee - their tootsies were cold

11:30 am on 1-29-10 - snow started falling around 8:30 or 9 am...........by this time it had accumulated quite a bit on top of all that ice..........hibernation was my middle name by that point!

11:30 on 1-29-10 looking across the street shows the snow shower much better...........say that 5x really fast..........

3:30 pm on 1-29-2010 - the snow has really piled up and it just kept falling

3:30 on 1-29-10 shows the patio covered..........pretty to look at from inside snug as a bug in a rug

WOW! 3:30pm on 1-29-10........good thing i didn't need to go anywhere.......where the hell's the road???

By 6:30 om on 1-29-10 the snow had let up but it was a cold nipply night

6:30 pm on 1-29-10........where's the yard???

8am on 1-30-10 - why i can never sleep when i'm off is beyond me...........but check out how long that icicle has gotten!

8 am on 1-30-10 - just took this of the icicles hanging off the house because I thought they looked really cool.

8 am on 1-30-10..........sheesh louise! better not stand under those things.........they'd send you to the ER

8 am on 1-30-10 - holy COW!!!

8 am on 1-30-10..........the neighbors haven't moved either..........they're hibernating as well looks like.

8 am on 1-30-10.........wonder how long it'll take to unbury my ride...........

So I'm a little behind.....

2010-01-30T19:45:00.000-06:00

posting about Christmas.

my tree (although that's my sister's pictured) is still up. hers is probably undecorated sitting in the same spot.

Rarely do we get a pic of me, my mom, my sis & bro all together.

my mother would kill me if she knew this was posted online.

my sister might too when she reads this ;)

The Gabester is all about the food.........

the rest of the tribe is bellying up to the bar..........

while the rest are steadily grazing............

a little wrestling match after dinner between Uncle Rodney,

Colton, & of course Dozier couldn't stand to be left out.

and then Maggie had to join the game of "chase the light"

then the after effects of Christmas dinner set in..............

All in all it was a great Christmas. Getting there was somewhat tricky due to the record blizzard Oklahoma City experienced. The weatherman predicted 1 - 3" .............we ended up with 14". Amazing.

We live approx 10 miles from the turnpike & it took us about 45 min to get there. Thank God we drove out of the storm halfway up the turnpike. A normal 4.5 hr trip took us 6 hrs. Then we had 4-6" of snow fall while we were in Kansas. As long as we had safely arrived at our destination, I didn't care.

We stayed 4 days at my parents. We laughed, slept, went to my sister & her fam's, laughed some more, watched her shake her hiney when our brother's cell phone (that she'd secretly hidden in her back pocket to antagonize him) started ringing............and we laughed some more.

The following day we dug our way out of 6+" of snow to help haul kids around, fix broken belts on trucks, & help bro get his truck out of the ditch. All the while listening and watching the news regarding the record blizzard that hit home........14" of snow dumped on OKC.........unheard of!

When we returned home, we were snowed out of the house..........lol

Rodney had to use a little gardening shovel to get us in the door due to the drift against it! Quite the sight i must say.

Grandmuffins

2010-01-19T10:24:00.002-06:00

CHEEEEEZZZE!!!

My 2nd oldest grandbaby, Ryan, was showing off

those pretty pearly whites for the camera.

CHEEEEZEEE TOO!!!

Ryan's little sister

(my 4th grandbaby & my namesake)

Tricia was not going to be left out!

Back to the saltmines........

2010-01-18T09:32:00.000-06:00

Weekends are just never long enough! I usually have a list (in my head) of all the things I need & want to accomplish. The problem is that list is usually long enough for 3 days worth of work for 3 people!!!

I finally did pack up my little Christmas village........kinda sad. And yes, my tree is still up! It was, however, on the list.........lol. Maybe by the end of January it will be put to bed upstairs in the attic. My snowmen collection is still out as well. Oh well.

My life is busy. I do, however, look forward to the day when I don't have 25 things to do at once.

4 days

2009-12-21T10:01:00.000-06:00

til the big elf leaves candy in our socks

So Cold!

2009-12-09T16:10:00.002-06:00

It's a whopping 23 degrees outside!!!!!!