Recently in Personally Speaking Category
I spoke with my lifelong friend on Friday -- thankfully. You see, she lives in Greeley and two of her grown daughters and their families and her own mother all live in Windsor, where the tornado was on Thursday, the 22nd. I'd been trying to get a hold of her since Thursday and was getting very worried when it took so long to reach her. When I finally spoke to her, I listened to a very harrowing story, indeed.
She sounded exhausted and in shock, beginning her story with the words "You just wouldn't believe it". The tornado tracked toward Windsor by way of Greeley, Gilcrest and Platteville. It first skirted the western edge of Greeley, which is precisely where she lives. She said she was watching the weather channel when they announced "an enormous and deadly tornado heading towards Windsor, Colorado". Of course she freaked and immediately went to the phone to call her daughters and mother, but oh no, she couldn't get through to them! The storm had already taken down electrical and phone lines, rendering her helpless in her quest to warn her family. She said that I had no idea how horrific it is to know something potentially deadly to your family is heading straight for them and you can do nothing to warn them. I agreed. I have no idea how horrible that would be. I can only imagine, and even that scares me to death.
Well anyway, knowing my friend as I do, it did not surprise me in the least when she told me what she did next: she got in her car and drove to Windsor, only to be stopped by police and told she could not enter. Yeah, right dude. You obviously don't know my friend! She took her car and found a place where she could leave it, locked it up and began walking. She walked for miles, crossing fields, a stream and even a river to get to her kids! She snuck in behind police lines without being detected. Yep, that's Kathy! Now, she's not in the best physical condition (severe back and neck problems), but like any mother, nothing was about to stop her. She finally got there and found her daughters together at the younger's house, because the older's house was destroyed. She told her mother her own harrowing story of only having mere seconds to grab her 2 1/2 year old and her dog and run downstairs to a closet before "a freight train went through my house". She was crying very hard, as you can imagine. She and her son are both very traumatized, as is her 12 year old daughter who was in school at the time and thought her family had been killed. Her husband, when racing home from his workplace, was immediately put to work by the police and National Guard (because he's a Guardsman himself), and wasn't allowed to even go home for a few minutes to check on his family. It was a while before he could get to Katie's house (the younger sister) to check on everyone. As you can imagine, it was very difficult for him to concentrate on his work without knowing exactly how his own family was!
No one had power and were living with candles and, if they were lucky enough, generators. They were all just very thankful they were alive. I have not spoken with her since Friday. I asked her to please keep me updated when possible. I can only imagine how busy they have all been trying to clean up and find even a few of their belongings strewn about, if they can. They have to board up the house as best they can. One wall is completely gone, and her kitchen cupboards and refrigerator completely disappeared. It's just so unbelievably amazing.
I've put together a few of what I consider to be the best videos of the tornado and its aftermath for you, if you haven't seen any already. I think you'll agree that it is utterly amazing. Mother Nature definitely has a temper.
Tornadoes, Windsor Tornado, Colorado Tornado
I imagine by now a lot of you have heard about the tornadoes in Colorado today. Not all that unusual, given that May is typically our severe weather month, but the tornado which hit Windsor, Gilcrest and Platteville today absolutely was unusual in that it was so HUGE and hit so early in the day. Tornadoes like that are normally found in Kansas and Oklahoma, not Colorado. The damage done in today's confirmed 6 tornadoes is devastating. Thankfully the loss of life was limited to one man whose RV in which he was camping was taken by the monster tornado. My heart breaks for his family.
Today our town was lucky. The terrible storms flanked us all day, but we were left alone. We had high winds and cloudy skies, but that's all. We're still under a Tornado Watch for another hour and a half, but I don't think anything is going to happen *knock on wood*.
You should definitely check out this video on CNN -- it's awesome, and will show you exactly what I'm talking about. They have a good article about it, too.
Springtime in Colorado is nuts. Today we had tornadoes in and around the front range; severe thunderstorms and tornado watches on the plains; flooding due to rapid snow melt up by Steamboat Springs; and snow advisories at and around the Continental Divide. Yep, that's Colorado for ya'. ;)
Colorado Tornadoes, Colorado, Northeast Colorado
Hi, guys. How is your Tuesday going so far? My day got off to kind of a slow start. It's one of those "do it when you feel like it" days. It's cool, though.
I've been doing a lot of work on my web sites lately. As many of you know, I had a "dry spell" for a few months wherein I did very little blogging and really ignored my sites. As a consequence, I've suffered much lower recorded visits and page views. To those of us who have blogs, we know that our sites live and die by the numbers. Months ago my PR fell to a 4, and I'd really like to get my 5 back. So, I've been doing some damage control. I've submitted my blog to the newest ways out there to help increase my traffic and page views, plus I found a great web directory free of charge to which I can submit my blogs. I thought that sounded great, considering most good directories charge in order to get a listing with them.
I could kick myself for allowing things to go downhill so much around here, but I guess at the time my mind and heart just weren't in it. Things like that happen, right? It's like running a race and falling behind, then suddenly catching your second wind and sprinting forward again. I guess you could say I've found my second wind. Finally.
I hope your day is being kind to you. :)
Blogs, Web Directories, PageRank
So how was your weekend? Mine was really great! My daughter and I had a fabulous time on our one day road trip. :) We did some shopping, went to a beautiful sculpture gallery, ran into an old friend at the mall, and had dinner with my oldest friend, along with her husband and son. It was totally wonderful! After dinner they got out their Wii and we all had a lot of fun bowling and golfing. That was the first time I'd ever used a Wii, and decided right then and there that I must have one. LOL We didn't get home until almost midnight, and as much as I detest driving at night, it was more than worth it! :)
I hope you all had a great weekend, too!
I love ceiling fans! I always have. I only have two of them in my house right now, but hopefully there will be two more in the next few months as we finish remodeling the room upstairs. I also totally love Outdoor Ceiling Fans! I've always dreamed of having a space outside that completely flows with the rest of the house with a beautiful ceiling fan, completely setting the mood of the room.
There are so many gorgeous Ceiling fans to choose from at CeilingFanWarehouse.com. The outdoor ceiling fans are unbelievable! Did you know they even make outdoor ceiling fans that are U.L. Listed for wet locations? I didn't! They're called, quite appropriately, Wet Ceiling Fans. How cool is that?
While browsing through their web site, I particularly loved checking out the Minka Ceiling Fan. So many styles, and a lot of them with free shipping! I also loved the Tropical Ceiling Fans. They made me think about the bar in "Casablanca". Veeery nice. :) The Hugger style fans are really nice, too, for those rooms that don't have high ceilings. I think there's a ceiling fan to fit everyone's taste and needs there. You should definitely check them out!
Outdoor Ceiling Fans, Ceiling Fans
A new puppy and a new car -- how could it get any better? lol Seriously, though, I promised you guys a picture of my daughter's new puppy, Hemi, and I also said I'd post a pic of my new car, so here they are! :)
Here she is just a couple of weeks ago at the park with my daughter. Isn't she adorable? I especially love the way her ears curve over at the top. lol So cute! She's definitely a baby, full of vim and vigor and mischief! But we love her very much. She makes the cutest sounds ever!
This is our new Toyota 4Runner SR5. It's funny that the pic came out showing it as blue, because it's actually dark gray with just a hint of blue. I guess that blue really comes through, though, huh! In any case, we love it! :) My daughter and I are going on our first road trip with it tomorrow. We can hardly wait! :)
I hope you guys have a great Saturday yourselves! :)
New Puppies, Toyota 4Runner SR5
May is finally here! Yaaay! I don't like April at all, for a plethora of reasons, so I am always very happy when May arrives.
It's Springtime, right? Even some flowers are blooming, so it must be! Except here in Colorado we're still in the middle of winter -- at least for today. Yep, believe it or not, we've been under a blizzard warning all day! Luckily we haven't received any measurable snow, but my son said it is most definitely a blizzard where he lives (30 minutes from here). He said you can hardly even see to drive and there's snow everywhere! Jeepers!
Even though we didn't get any snow, we've had hellacious winds all day. It snapped one of our trees in half! It was about 18 feet tall and 4 or 5 inches in diameter. Even bigger trees have fallen in town -- great big ones! One poor guy had his Suburban crunched by one. Gnarly! Oh, and did I mention that it is FUH-REEZING outside?!
Fortunately this big ol' storm system will be gone by tomorrow when my daughter and I are taking our first road trip in the new car! Fun! :) Hope you have fun Saturday, too!
May, Spring Storms, Wind, Blizzards
Grandfather Clock. Well, to me it is comforting. My grandfather was my hero. But aside from that personal little nugget, consider how majestic they look. 
Have you ever owned one? My sister and her husband had one years ago, and I used to love to just sit there with my eyes closed and listen to its slow, methodical "tick tock, tick tock". It was like listening to a slow piece of relaxing music.
I think I fell in love with the grandfather clock when I was a kid and would go to our old library. They had one sitting front-and-center when you walked in. It actually made sitting there doing research for school or gathering information for a term paper very pleasant. As you can see, I consider a grandfather clock to be much more than just a clock. Not only are they stunning and gorgeous, they're acutally comforting.
Today holds a lot of meaning for me. It is four years ago today that my mother passed away. It has been a very difficult four years to get through. Most of the time I felt like I was climbing uphill the whole way without much of a handhold. I'm stronger now, though. I feel like I am finally beginning to get myself back. I miss her more than I can say, and I talk to her every day. I know she hears me. I feel her all the time.
I was absolutely determined to make today a day of positivity. There has been enough sadness and negativity, ya' know? And I know Mom was with me on that idea, because when I went to the courthouse to pay a stupid ticket I got for having expired tags on the car (we truly didn't realize they had expired!), they told me there was no record of the ticket ever having been submitted to the court, so it would be dismissed. When I turned to leave I looked up to the sky, gave a sly little smile, and said "thank you, Mom". :)
I then went out to lunch with my daughter and her best friend and had a fabulous sandwich and salad with some yummy raspberry iced tea. It was completely perfect. :)
So here's to my Mom -- gone, but always here.
One of two things is going on: either I'm catching a Spring cold or allergies are once again awake and attacking. Both of them make sense. The weather is crazy crazy around here lately. Three days ago it was 91 degrees, but the next day was fifty degrees cooler with an insane cold wind blowing. I was out in both. Whether it's a cold or allergies, I feel poopie.
Now that the weather finally is starting to warm up (albeit for a few winter stragglers in there), my daughter and I have begun our walking regime again. It feels SO good to be out there moving again. Two to three miles a day; it's great for the senses. It feels like I've come out of a deep hibernation, which isn't really too far from the truth. I HATE cold weather, so during the winter you'll usually find me inside with the heat turned way up. ;)
My daughter and I took a couple of the dogs to the pond on the day it was 91 degrees and they had SO MUCH fun! Cheyenne, my Lab, would live in the water if she could. She had pure joy on her face the instant she saw the water. She ran and jumped in with all abandon. It was so cool. :) We had a lot of fun that day.
Hope your days have been fun and joyful, too! :)
Spring, Weather, Dogs, Head Colds, Allergies
Do you remember puberty? How about adolescence? I know, I know, most of us have tried very hard to forget that time in our lives. LOL Well, my daughter is going to be 16 this summer, and she's been dealing with something most of us dealt with at her age -- zits. Oh, and by the way, the person who started the rumor that you outgrow zits is a liar. LOL I still get them once a month, if you know what I mean.
Anyway, my daughter uses Proactiv Solution every day, and it really helps. She's been using it for about a year now. Of course, we all know there is a certain cause of pimples that nothing can fix -- namely, hormones. I've learned a lot about the cause and effects of acne at a website called acne.com. If you or someone you know is having problems with zits, I totally recommend checking out the info on that web site. You'll learn about acne's various causes and effects, types, preventative measures, and common myths and claims. It's actually very helpful!
My daughter and I watched Idol Gives Back the other night, and we were either bawling or cheering through the entire show. It was SO good, and SO heartbreaking. We loved watching the magnificent talent showcased on the American Idol stage, but cried hot tears at the sight of so many people suffering around the world. It really made us feel bad for bitching about stupid stuff. In fact, it moved us to make a deal with each other: if either of us is moaning, groaning and/or complaining about something going wrong in our lives, we will remind each other that we should be grateful instead for what we have and everything that is actually going right! It is so easy to feel sorry for ourselves, isn't it? We lose sight of how lucky we really are in the bounty we have. How dare we complain about such things as not having the right shoes or clothes or car. Shame on us! Next time you go out to buy yourself those new shoes or that new outfit, buy something slightly cheaper and give the rest to a worthy charity. You'll be amazed at how good you'll feel. :) Oh, and yeah, you can click that link up there and make your donation to Idol Gives Back! ;)
Idol Gives Back, American Idol, Charity
So, it's April, right? Spring, beautiful Spring. My absolute favorite time of year. The lilac and honeysuckle bushes are beginning to sprout little leaves, the grass is greening and people are leaving their winter hibernation to finally go outside and play again. And, of course, as is typical in Colorado in the Spring, we're under a WINTER STORM WARNING starting tonight and lasting all day tomorrow! UGH! We could get up to a foot of SNOW by tomorrow night! Oh, and the wind will be blowing like a banshee, too. Joy. So, my plan is to just stay inside all warm and cozy until it's over, like I've been doing ALL winter long! I like being warm, though. I hate being cold, so I enjoy turning up our gas fireplace heater and cuddling up in a blanket in my recliner.
Speaking of gas heaters, have you seen some of the really cool ones they have now? Like these gas fireplaces -- aren't they beautiful? And believe me, they can heat a very large area! It's cool to turn off all the lights at night and have the fire going. Not only do you stay warm, but the ambiance is totally soft and comforting. I love mine -- even in the Spring. ;)
I was sitting here in my living room very late last night when I noticed a bright light outside my window. I could see it through the treetops. It was moving fairly quickly. I knew right away what it was: the Flight for Life helicopter taking off from the hospital. I live only ten or twelve blocks from the hospital, so it's easy to see the helicopter when it's approaching or taking off. Seeing it took me back to when my sister had to be life-flighted to a bigger hospital in Ft. Collins. It's a very scary thing. I instantly felt really sad inside, and began praying for whomever was on board that helicopter, as well as for their family members. I don't know if you've ever been in that situation, but it's one of the most terrifying and helpless moments you'll ever have in your life.
How do you feel when you see an ambulance or a medical helicopter? How about an accident on the roadway? They all make me feel very sad. I feel such empathy for those involved in whatever is happening. I guess going through so much of that stuff with my own family left me extremely sensitive to it when I see it. I actually have a physical reaction. I think for just a moment it takes me back and I feel that same panicked feeling. Memories. They play such a huge part in who we are and how we react to things, don't they.
I don't know why I'm talking about all of this today. lol I guess it just stuck with me.
Memories, Flight for Life Helicopters, Medical Emergencies
I turned 50 last Sunday. I decided a couple of weeks before my birthday to accept the inevitability of that number gracefully. It hasn't been as bad as I thought, but I do admit that I cringe slightly inside when I hear it.
In thinking back over my life -- which I think is also inevitable when you turn 50 -- I found myself really amazed at how much I've changed over the years. In many ways the me I am today barely resembles the me of 20 -- even 10 -- years ago. I'm guessing that's absolutely normal. I'd have to say that the greatest part of those changes have happened over the last ten years, and especially over the last four. My core beliefs have stayed pretty much the same, but those subtle things that make us who we are deep inside have changed enormously. My views of the world, life, love, relationships .... they're all different. My heart and soul have changed forever. It's extremely difficult to articulate. I recognize self-defining changes that sometimes confuse and even alarm me, but I also see what might be considered superficial changes which completely and profoundly affect me. Some of these changes make me happy; some of them make me mad; some even make me sad.
I marvel at them all.
Hubs, Daughter and I have all been down with influenza, as have thousands of others across the country. I haven't even felt like looking at the computer, let alone actually sit here to do anything. It's been really awful. Hope the rest of you are doing much better! Will update again when I'm up to par.
*huggles*
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