Well, we finally tried Belt’s Ice Cream and I have to say that we do not see what all the fuss is about. It was really lacking in our books, but the people of Wisconsin have never tried Shake’s (Missouri – the best anywhere in my opinion!) I had the Chocolate Thunder Flurry – not very chocolatey, despite the name.

And Dennis had some Banana Cream something or other flurry – his was prettier, lol. The prices were descent though, especially when compared to Culver’s, but Culver’s is better tasting too.

Have you ever heard of a Tamarind (Tamarindus indica L. ~ Leguminosae (Fabaceae) ~Common Names: Tamarind, Tamarindo, Tamarin, Sampalok) I had never heard of it before our trip to Florida. We stopped at a fruit stand and Dennis was excited to find some. He could remember enjoying it as a boy, a kind of treat in Honduras.

I was hesitant to try it. As you can see it kind of looks like a bean. The outside is hard and rough. Once you break it open it’s gooey inside. You can easily pull some off, it’s very sticky! And each little mound you see is a seed.

So you pop the sticky mess in your mouth and try to deal with your fingers. But take the seed out once you have the goodness off, lol. The taste reminded me of sour candy, like sourheads. Haden loved it, I could handle a small amount but not a whole “bean”. I did keep some seeds and I would like to see if I could grow one of the plants. I’m sure I’ll tell you all about it if I can.

Hosted by Cecily and Life With Kaishon

When I met my husband, January 2002, we had a little turmoil blending our families – 6 teenagers can make life. . .well, pleasant – NOT! And there were moments I was not sure we would be able to be together. We weren’t sure the issues with the kids could be worked out. I’m happy to say they did work out and this May we will be married 7 years.

Now you may wonder what books have to do with any of this. The thing was that during those moments of stress and anguish, when we thought we might have to stop seeing each other I would assure him each time, that I would be ok “I still have my books”. I’ve always been a reader, getting all the reading certificates all through grade school and junior high, earning my lifetime award – uh, yeah, who cares, right. But books have always been a very important part of my life and it was my way of telling him that I would live through it. I wouldn’t like it but I would survive.

Eight years later books remain a little joke between us. Through the years I have read many and we have read many more. You see, I pulled him into my love of books and rather than listening to the radio in the car I read to him while he drives. I think I’m just as excited for our trips because of what places books will take us as I am about the places we’re going.

He’s very good about keeping me stocked in new books, so a few weeks ago when I mentioned my to-read pile was down to just a couple of books he promptly took me on a search to find some new ones. It took a few shopping expeditions but I acquired a nice pile to read alone and to share with him.

Before you ask, yes I have contemplated getting an electronic reader of sorts, it would diminish my need for a book light in bed I assume. But I couldn’t take it in the tub with me, could I? Or to the beach, etc? Are they waterproof. Besides, there’s something I like about holding it in my hands and turning the pages. The only time I hate my books is when we move, lugging 10+ plastic tubs of books is really not much fun, and our teenagers have since grown and moved out – except for Haden and he’s pretty tired of moving my boxes of books around for me, lol.

Oh well, no matter what happens, I still have my books.

We parked in front of this vehicle at the Big Cypress visitor’s center. Too funny!

For the last few years we’ve had a Pur faucet filter on our kitchen sink, our old house had a whole house filter, but this one does not. The first one we bought was the cheapest one and after about a year of use, it began to leak around where it joined the faucet, so we bought the next one up. I really liked that one because it also had a little light telling me when to change the filter and you just flipped a switch for filtered water instead of the flipping the whole filter.

Well, around Thanksgiving, after about a year of use, it started leaking – truthfully it had been leaking a small amount for a while, but it became unbearable. I tried taking it off and using some plumber’s tape but it didn’t help. I was getting more and more frustrated with it and ticked that I would have to buy yet another filter.

So I went to the Pur website and filled out a support form. I was frustrated that the form pulled words I had typed and suggested answers for me, I had to click yet another button to say that, “no the suggested solutions did not help me and yes I wanted to submit my query”. Shortly, I had an email offering more answers and I had to once again click if I still wanted to submit or Pur would consider it solved.

Well I was about ready to just go with Brita, but I clicked the submit it button yet again, silently fuming. A short time later I had a response in my inbox. While the person did not technically answer my inquiry of they are only meant to last a year, they did promise to send me a coupon. At this point I felt better, I did not know what the coupon would entail but I decided to hold off on my switch to Brita until the coupon was in hands, “within 3 weeks”.

Tick-tock, tick-tock, a mere 3 days later I received an envelope in the mailbox from Procter and Gamble.

I did a little happy dance!  And with my coupon I was able to get the nicer faucet filter that also holds flavors.  Do I use flavors?  No, but that’s not the point!  No more leaky faucet and P&G took care of me, even if the whole process was a little tedious.

After blowing the driveway we had to get out and look around.  Love the bright berries buried in snow.

Check out this sign, it looks like the snow is trying to push it off the building.

I think soon the sign may just say “Bug”, lol

And Hallmark’s Gold Crown appears to say “Cold Crown” and emphasizes the fact with some dangling icicles.

Just one of four piles in this parking lot.  I know, the day was still dreary so it’s hard to tell, but the pile is already as tall as some of the nearby buildings and this was our first snow!  All through the winter you will find these piles in each parking lot, getting added to each time the lots are plowed.

I’m not sure what the total was for the night, I’m sure we got at least 8″, although our yard had more like 10″ from all the drifting.

The crow is more buried. lol

I love how the snow piles everywhere!

The wind must have really blown across our patio!

The swirl on the roof, makes me think of the curl on a baby girl’s head. Maybe I should climb up and stick a bow in it, lol.

Come on birdies, come and eat, oops, maybe we should clean the feeder off first.

The snow plows had been by before we went out, about 8am!  They sure are on top of it!  So, the guys cleared our driveway, photos to come, then we ran out to Starbucks and to look around!  What a glorious morning!