Enter confusion - stage left ...

Announcement from Blogger:

An update on Google Friend Connect

December 21, 2015

In 2011, we announced the retirement of Google Friend Connect for all non-Blogger sites. We made an exception for Blogger to give readers an easy way to follow blogs using a variety of accounts. Yet over time, we’ve seen that most people sign into Friend Connect with a Google Account. So, in an effort to streamline, in the next few weeks we’ll be making some changes that will eventually require readers to have a Google Account to sign into Friend Connect and follow blogs.

As part of this plan, starting the week of January 11, we’ll remove the ability for people with Twitter, Yahoo, Orkut or other OpenId providers to sign in to Google Friend Connect and follow blogs. At the same time, we’ll remove non-Google Account profiles so you may see a decrease in your blog follower count.

We encourage you to tell affected readers (perhaps via a blog post), that if they use a non-Google Account to follow your blog, they need to sign up for a Google Account, and re-follow your blog. With a Google Account, they’ll get blogs added to their Reading List, making it easier for them to see the latest posts and activity of the blogs they follow.

We know how important followers are to all bloggers, but we believe this change will improve the experience for both you and your readers.

I am an old woman, and I am not going to TELL anyone what to do to read my blog. I think it is totally uncool to inflict rules on someone who has not signed up for them in the first place. I don't see this as any way to make MY reading of anyone's blogs easier.

So, they are going to remove any non-google account profiles - how 'Hitler' of them. Did we ask? I have been pondering over the meaning of this announcement for a while now and it just goes against the grain. If I accepted these followers and haven't kicked them off for infractions - who are THEY to do that? 

I may have been understanding this whole thing wrong, it wouldn't be the first time, but I am seeing other bloggers loosing their numbers of followers. I could really care less, but it's important to them. 

If I disappear - well, there is nothing I can or will do about it. I have said my piece.

Have a good weekend!

Jack in a bed

Good Morning! DH was off early to do paperwork for next job. Evidently, Jack got cold and joined me in the pre-dawn darkness, managing to get up on the bed on his own. He missed his warm body. I had fallen asleep without even getting under the covers, but he found a spot under my throw. Seems if he has the incentive - he can get on my bed just fine. Jill has yet to get up the nerve.

  Proves that if there's a will, there's a way. Have a good day!

Box of Chocolates

I'm sure everyone has heard about Forrest Gump and his mother's take on life. Today, my box of chocolates doesn't have much in it. I mean to say ... I have nothing going on in my life but some sweet & nuts. Life shouldn't always be exciting or we wouldn't survive. (Yes, I did, I ate all of the rest of that box and it was quite good!)

Nothing left except sweet toffee and nuts.

 I hope you all had a nice calm start to your week!

Birds n Bed

Stalker?

Eavesdropper

 

"Herman, we should have gone south with the wives."

 The dusting of snow we got is melting in the sun. It didn't really amount to much. Nashville got eight inches, the storm simply didn't come down this far. We were on the edge. (Thank goodness!)

Antique Circa?

I'm still in the middle of rearranging my womb. Luckily, the trundle from the day bed fits underneath for odds and ends - when I get a bed skirt, no one will know the junk I am hiding. I think the TV will go on the wall above my desk to keep from getting a crick in my neck - it has a DVD player in it for my movies. Now to bring in my chair and jewelry box and throw a bunch of extra away. It's going to be quite the eclectic womb!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

How I died once ...

The thing about bears ...

John of Going Gently gave us the rundown on 'The Revenant' and got me thinking, er, remembering. 

I, at 8 summers old, am running through the woods, trying to dodge the trees. The autumn leaves crunch beneath my moccasins. I can see my soft leather leggings as I check for a clear path to run. I breathe hard. My heart pounds. I look behind me. I can hear the bear crashing through the brush. Terrified, I try to run faster, yet know there is no escape. One last look. His jaws are open in a roar as he takes his prey.

No, I am not into bears ...

 

Changes in my womb

Yesterday before it all began ...

Cold! Rise and shine! DH up and not happy, me up and excited. He was going to go collect my very old, new to me, bed. At first, I didn't think the sky would be pretty, it fooled me.

DH left early to pick up son for the 2 1/2 drive up near Nashville in the truck (with no heat). I honestly thought when he went out to start it that he said the heater worked. Oops! Meanwhile, I began sorting out my womb to make room for it. How did I collect so much stuff since I brought the daybed in here?

By the time they got back with the bed, the sun had set. They were about frozen solid and I felt as if I had worked on a chain gang for seven hours. DH was worn out too. Naturally the bed had not been torn down and it was upstairs in a very large house. Then they had to take the daybed apart and install the new/old one while I shuffled things out of the way.

Jack and Jill were tickled to see their boy again so soon and tended to get in the way. They couldn't figure out what was going on. The looks on their faces - well, we may as well have pooped on their parade - the daybed was GONE and the new bed was too high for them to jump up on. Jack is still shooting hurt looks of betrayal at me. I 'kind of' made the bed after I refreshed the wrong set of sheets and collapsed into it. That was after I broke a sweat trying to get up into it.

Sometime in the night, I was roused by a hulking dark figure in my doorway (which confused me by it's placement), and then DH said that Jill was pacing the hall, her nails tapping on the wood, trying to figure out where her bed was. We tucked her in beside me and once she settled, she lay there like a person, head on the pillow. Then we both passed out.

Needless to say, I can hardly move today. My muscles are still screaming. The room is still in shambles. I think Jack hates me. I have to find some doggy stairs ... Pictures later.

BTW, the bed sleeps like heaven!

Monday ...Again

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Sunday's early morning visitor. I'm surprised I got a shot at it. First I've seen of her since everything was warm and green.

I'm missing warm and green, BTW.

 We called the owner of the little Tin Lizzy. He pretty much talked us out of it. We would have to fix it so it would start and then it would go very slow. (And we would have to put it under cover for bad weather - and nobody would want to push it) It was kind of fun to dream of it in the front yard, overflowing with my favorite petunias ...

Jack went for his check-up on Saturday. He is becoming quite a regular at the vet's office. He got refill of the one pill, as she said he still had swelling. She also said his bad breath will return - he needs his teeth cleaned. I am a shade concerned about knocking the little guy out again. He's not young anymore. He's pushing ten, but boy has he normally got bad breath!

Later that morning, some guy's coon hounds were heading home and got stalled in our yard. Jack and Jill went bananas. We had howling and baying in the front outside and in the living room inside. Then the neighbor's dogs joined in. Noisy! Everyone says about the peace and quiet in the country - don't you believe it!

I can't sleep. Somebody must be out hunting again and the neighbor's dogs will not shut up. It's getting late here, gee whiz! Guess I will go and try again. Have a good week, folks!

Beyond the sunset ...

It does seem like everyone has someone dying, doesn't it? My cousin Janet informed me yesterday, about my Aunt Martha. She passed away on Saturday. I hadn't seen her in 45-50 years.

 I asked her about the service and she didn't know. While we were on the phone, I looked up her obit on the net. According to the obituary, Aunt Martha has donated her body to science. Well, good for her! I looked into it a few years ago and there was so much paperwork that I decided not to - paperwork drives me up the wall. Besides, my record keeping left a lot to be desired. They don't take just anybody you know. They want your pedigree and everything!

Well, I hope her donation will help science and medicine in some way. Right now, I am a tad upset with NCIS for putting this vision in my head - where delicate Aunt Martha is on a body farm. Oh!

Have a good weekend!

Lawn Ornament ...

Whilst combing the lists for a 3/4 bed, I found this little gem for sale. I have no business wanting this, but I thought it would make a cute lawn ornament. Formerly part of one of the now defunct Opryland park rides. (I, however, do not remember it) It is 2/3 scale and currently will not start. It goes without saying here, that the idea didn't fly with DH.

 I really wanted to use it as a lawn ornament, you know, with flowers cascading over the backs of the seats, overflowing flower pots on the running boards or some such arrangement. You have to allow that it would look charming in the front yard. Oh, well ...

I found out that 3/4 beds can be any size - as long as they are between a twin bed and a full size bed. Of course, we all know that a twin size bed can be odd sized too - I have seen them 33", 36", 39" in width and if I am not mistaken, cots are from 26" to 30". So much for standard sizes, meh. 

I began my search for a bed in earnest and DH has decided to try to go back to work ... There probably will be no bed hauling. Maybe the cost of the little Tin Lizzy scared him. LOL! (I admit, I can be a squeaky wheel about things)

A Frosty Morn

This is all frost - yesterday's snow melted in the sunshine and 34F before the temperature began to plummet once again. Our morning low was 10F and it has already warmed up to a balmy 17F. The poor birds! I'm not complaining, just stating the facts. It's quite pretty out there with lots of sparkles.

Once again, I am hunting for a bed. I gave up last time. Now, most of the 3/4 beds have disappeared. My mattress with the bunky board has gone the way of all things and is so uncomfortable. You see - everyone plunks (and I do mean plunks) their behind smack dab in the middle of it when they come in here. The thing has caved-in so bad that it kills my back. I have the "Aero" bed on it and it squeaks every time I shift, not to mention that it's so cold I have to use a sleeping bag. The sleeping bag is our son's old one from when he was a cub scout and I feel like a mummy. The search continues. I wish my womb was large enough for a full size bed. Jill has abandoned her floor mattress because she's cold too - not enough room for two in my twin sized bed, sigh ...

I hope everyone's week is starting out well. Have a good one!

 

Morning Birds, J n J

Not my best shot, I couldn't get them to line up prettily and all stay in the same line of fire. You can hardly make out any of the ladies either. What can I say?

Jack has been on his medication a week now. He seems better. But. The other night he came in after going outside and he was limping badly, though he was better again in the morning. I'm still having the battle of the pills and I think I have to resign myself to it for the duration. DH bought soft dog food to 'hide' the pills (which doesn't help any) and Jill is SO jealous. She has begun to come around at pill time and those sad eyes of hers watch me the whole time. Well, you know I have to give some to her too. I have no will power when it comes to her sad eyes. It's a bit crazy, but Jack comes to take his torture with a willing wag of his tail. I can only shake my head.

Have a great weekend, y'all!

Of Other Interests

I suppose you have noticed the latest in world events, unless you have your head in the sand. Not that it's that bad of a place to be considering ... Events do have a way of changing things. Today I see the good and the bad going on in the markets - charts are compliments of kitco.com

As DH has most of his retirement in the stock market, I do worry. I remember the stories of the great stock market crash in '29, not that I would believe it would happen again ... but then ...

Remember when having a Platinum Credit Card meant having the best? Hmm, plain, old ordinary gold is going for over $200 more a troy ounce. It is getting to be a topsy-turvy world for sure.

Silver is struggling too, I think I would rather take it with me than to sell for the pittance that it goes for now. LOL!

  No matter what the topic is in the news today, somewhere, somehow, amid the gore, the politics, and the carnage - it all leads back to the money. It's all about the money. No dirty deed can be done without the power of money.

Update on Jack

(Recent photo) Jack is busy sleeping off the pain medicine the vet prescribed. Jack likes his sleep in the first place and I am not going to mess with him for an update.

He seems to feel less pain on the drug and when awake, he's getting around better, but still limping dramatically. He cannot seem to jump well at all although he still tries. He is on pain meds and antibiotic for two weeks. This is the first time, I have been given antibiotic capsules for him and they are difficult to administer to him with his small (clinched) mouth.

I seriously hope that this will fix him and this is not one of those "Let's try ___" if you know what I mean. I wonder when medicine will advance to the point where they do not play games with your feelings and your wallet.

Birds, Vet, Apology ...

Fluffed up to stay warm

DH took Jack to the vet again, early this morning. Might have a tear in something in his shoulder. He seems to have hurt himself jumping off the big chair. He is on pain medicine and antibiotics. Vet said he had a fever besides being in pain. My poor Puppy-Guy.

I have a problem - I seem to have forgotten my password ... I would like to join the new folks on the blog, but - it (that diabolical it that wants to know exactly who I am) will not take my known passwords. When Blogger forgets who I am - I am really going to be up a pole! I would really like to figure this out, but my guru isn't acquainted with blogger and its eccentricities. So ... here I sit. I am so afraid I will get locked out altogether. I've been able to add Blogger folks to my list, even though I can't "Join" in order to keep track of you. Google+ says "Nope." If I can ever figure it out - y'all will be the first to know!

DH drove the old Dodge out to Arkansas for a family reunion to show it off. He sure is proud of it. The drive did take him longer than it usually does, but he is extra careful with it. I will not rest easy until it is safely back in the garage.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!