A year with no winter?

We are in the midst the the most bizarre winter here.  It's mid-January and there is not a hint of snow.  Living on the outskirts of Buffalo, we are in danger of losing our reputation.  Not a single snow day from school.  Our city plow and salt budget has a surplus for the first time....ever.  Today it was 50 degrees, but I didn't realize that until I was sweating inside my wool coat with my scarf tied snugly around my neck.  Out of habit, I'd dressed the way we dress in January.

It's nice but it's also a bit unsettling.  Today I honestly had to think hard to remember the date.  This simply doesn't feel like January.  The weatherman says there may be snow in the forecast, but he didn't seem convinced.  For the sake of normalcy, I hope the snow arrives and buries us soon.

Celebrity Scandals- How much do we forgive?

Scandals among celebrities is nothing new but the internet has certainly added a new element.  "News" is now available in real time; no need to wait for the story at 6:00 or for the presses to release the morning edition.  We have more outlets available than ever and more voices chiming in on each event.  "Insiders" come out of the woodwork to share their version of the facts.

Twitter has added an entirely new factor to the equation with celebrities now speaking out directly.  This can help or hurt them, and we've seen plenty of instances of both.  We've laughed at the celebrities who continue to dig their holes deeper with each tweet and we've admired those with the ability to redeem themselves using only 140 characters.

Some of the notable celebrities that have taken the road from admired to despised:

• Tiger Woods
• O.J. Simpson
• Leann Rimes
• Kate Gosselin
• Lindsay Lohan 
• Charlie Sheen
• Mel Gibson
• Hank Williams Jr.
• Kanye West
• Michael Jackson (RIP)
• Tom Cruise

I'll stop there.  The list could go on and on and I didn't even start with any politicians, although Arnold could be added under either title.  Scandals happen, usually due to a misstep on the part of the celebrity.  Does fame go to their heads to the point that they feel invincible?  Do they really think they can't be exposed or that their special talent absolves them from societal rules of conduct?  

Some celebrities go through a scandal and then manage to redeem themselves.  Brittney Spears is a tentative example. We are hoping her mental health is strong and she will continue to make positive choices for both herself and her children.  Other celebrities just don't seem to stop behaving badly. Does anyone think Lindsay Lohan will ever stop being in trouble with the law and substance abuse?  

How much will the public forgive? We can forgive Bill Clinton for cheating because we don't like his wife?  We can't forgive Arnold (whose last name I can't spell) because we adore his wife?  Our feelings about Tiger Woods are probably not dictated by our opinions on his wife since most of us didn't know her before the scandal.  In that case, we just don't like the fact that he lied to all of us with his 'Good Boy' image.  We've all been cheated on by him and I don't think we are going to get over it.  

Celebrities are people, just like the rest of us.  They mess us, misspeak, make stupid mistakes, and they pay the price.  The willingness of the public to forgive is probably based on how authentic he or she was to begin with.  It's easier to forgive Charlie Sheen when he candidly says that he messed up and he deserved to be fired. He owned his behavior and it's easier to support him. Other celebrities arrogantly continue, as though the rules don't apply to them. It gets easier to despise them. 

Camping..

     Many people are fascinated with the idea of sleeping outside.  Once you get the bug, it seems to grow-- tent- cabin- camper- motor home- and for some, a luxury motor coach.  Those are the ooh-la-la of the camping world with many costing more than a home. Some have a fireplace, a whirlpool tub, and of course, granite counters. 

     As a child I often camped in the backyard.  Later I camped away from home at the State Park. At some point we graduated to renting a cabin. (I suspect it was an aching back to prompted the upgrade.)  We have not camped in a few years now. I don't think we will  be moving along on the camping metamorphosis because neither of us are interested in vacationing without maid service. I don't see a motor coach in our future. 

    Why do we enjoy sleeping in tents, cabins, vehicles- etc?  Why do we spend so much time and money buying and furnishing a home and then spend more money to sleep in a lesser accommodation ?  Maybe it's because you can't build a bon fire in the living room. 

We find a lot of ways to sleep outside of the home. Here are just a few examples:

Something about water

       The human body consists of 55-60% water.  The earth's surface is over 70% water.  Water is essential to nearly everything in life.  We literally could not survive without it.  If you were trapped on a desert island, the first thing you would need to do is to locate a source of water.  It's LIFE.
       We use water for many things- bathing, cleaning, cooking, cooling off, swimming, boating, surfing, etc. etc.

Let's face it, people LOVE water!
       When I am having a tough day, I often drive to the lake to relax.  I am blessed to live near Niagara Falls and I can also drive there for a respite at any time.




Still, my husband and I will spend a great deal of money to go to the ocean for a vacation.  We both agree that we enjoy the ocean more than any of the shore attractions. We have taken several cruises for the same reason- to be near the ocean.  Our eventual goal is to buy a retirement home on the shore of a large body of water, we are not sure which one yet.
       What draws people to the water?  It has a healing and soothing feel to it.  We would never drive 25 minutes to sit and stare at a pile of sand but think nothing of driving to a body of water.  Why is that?  Is it because our body is made up from water? Perhaps it's because we started in the womb, surrounded by water.  I don't know what it is....but I love water.

Summer Time- How do you keep cool?

We have been enjoying wonderful weather here in the North East.  After a wet spring, we have had a series of warm summer days, just like the ones I remember when I was a kid.  Today, lots of families have pools in their yards. We were not that lucky but we did have other methods of getting wet.

What's your favorite way to cool off?  

Country Drives

This morning I ventured through some back roads to pick up my grandfather for his doctor's appointment.  I have been on these roads my whole life but for some reason they looked different to me at 6:20am.   I noticed a few things that I thought would be fun to talk about.

 Roadside Produce Stands
Who doesn't love these stands?  The offerings are cheap and fresh.  Strangely, 90% of them work on the honor system.  There is some kind of cigar box or jar there for you to leave your money in.  People trust that you will do the right thing.  It's crazy- but people actually DO!

Old Trucks--left to rot
Usually there is a point that we decide to get rid of our vehicle and get a new one.  We either trade in or sell the old one.  I can't imagine parking my Grand Cherokee in the side yard and leaving it to be overtaken by weeds.  However, on back roads I see this a lot.  I also remember playing in old cars when I was a kid.

Abandoned Farmhouses
We see boarded up homes in the city but there is something entirely different about an abandoned country home. Often you can still see the curtains in the windows or other signs of life.  You can easily imagine a family living in one of these homes and there is a sense of sadness about them.  Loss.  History.  I have often wondered about the biography of these homes.  Who designed and built this?  Who spent their first night in this home?  What family lived there? Who was the last person to shut and lock the door and then never return....

Flowers that grow without coaxing...
Although I love the look of a beautiful flower garden, I love to see what nature does all on its own.  The chaos and random displays of color make me smile every time I see them.  We can try as hard as we want, nature does it better.




Country drives, on roads that are usually not planned or laid in a grid, are something I really enjoy.  The simplicity of the smallest things can be completely overlooked in urban settings.  When's the last time you drove on a back road?

Happy Birthday to Daisie's MOM!!

 Couldn't decide on the perfect cake so we got you THREE!!  Hope your day is HAPPY and you get lots of fun surprises!!  Love- your IMO Blog Friends!