Alabama is Closed

They did it!  The weather people finally hit it on the nail.  Yes, we are having SNOW!  So far about four inches of it and it's suppose to snow all through the night.  It's ever so pretty!!!!  Like we are living in a story book, pretty.  I can't wait to wake up in the morning to see just how much we are going to end up with.  We have been invited over to the BNOE to go sledding and to build a snow man.  Winter Fun!!!!  too be continued............

Ice, Snow and Cold Temps.....

As all of the " up north" states are covered in ice and snow all we have had is cold temperatures and a little dusting of snow.  Even just as far north in Huntsville, the roads and Interstate were closed because of the ice that was covering them.  The only ice we have had here at Brambly Pines is in the bird bath  and the chicken's water container freezing.  Chuck has been taking warm water down to the chicken coop, three times a day to give them a drink.  They sure are happy when they see him coming with the " real water".  Soon all this cold weather will be over and everything will be blooming for Spring.  It will be time to wash all the windows, Spring clean the house and plant the garden.  Spring is the treasure you get when you put up with the cold weather all Winter.  It is soooo well worth it!!!!

Lazy Winter Days

Here is how George spends his cold winter days.....in the sun room, sleeping and watching the birds come to the feeder at the window.  I tell him all the time how he has come up in the world from being born in the woods, living in a card board box the first winter we were in the house, to sleeping in the basement at night and now spending his days in the house since he's the only kitty here at Brambly Pines.  Boy! is he one lucky kitty for sure.  I think he kinda knows it though.

Buttons and Bows

Our little Vivienne Pieper has a button nose and is wearing little girl bows already.  What a wonderful Valentine for our family.  Yes, she will be dressed as " girly" as any little girl can be between her Mama, Grandma and special friends and family.  Thank Heaven for Little Girls!

Teeny Tiny Vivi

Happy Birthday Miss Vivienne Pieper Eck!

Passing the long, long hours of labor

Grand Daddy and Daddy playing the waiting game.

6 lbs 10 1/2 oz......19 1/2 inches long 

Just minutes old.....

Mama, Daddy and Vivi

All cleaned up and her first bow of many to come, in her hair.

She's FINALLY here!!!  Teeny Tiny Vivienne Pieper Eck.  Our third grand daughter.
   Chuck and I left the house at 5:30 am on Feb 12 and headed to Nashville.  Michelle was checking into the hospital at 7:00 am to have Vivienne.  After all the dead stand still traffic outside of Nashville Friday morning, we finally arrived around 8:15 am.  With Michelle all settled in her room, the waiting game began.  The Dr induced Michelle and the pains came mild but quickly.  Over the hours the pains became more intense as we all sat around in conversation and me with my hand embroidery work in my hands.  Hour after hour went by.  It seemed like everything was sorta at a stand still so the Dr and Michelle decided it was time to "break the water" to see if it would get things on the road again.  It did help and after around three hours of intense pains, it was time for the epidural.  At least it gave Michelle some rest from the pain.  We just knew the baby would be born that night on her due date.  We guessed wrong!!  As the night progressed, it was time for Michelle to start pushing...and she pushed and pushed and pushed some more.  Little Miss Vivi had her head in the wrong position to get out.  The Nurse would move her head to the right place but "little Miss Stubborn" would put it right back where it was.   The last resort was for the Dr to use " the vacuum".  A device that attached to the baby's head with wires and a handle on it.  Something they use instead of the dreaded " forceps" they used to use.  It took four tries and a lot of pulling on the Dr's part along with 7 different nurses in the room with us and the most forceful pushing on Michelle's part, but FINALLY out came Little Miss Vivienne at 6:35 am on Friday the 13th....almost 24 hours later  ....with the loudest cry ever for such a tiny thing.  She was handed to the two " baby nurses" to get cleaned up a bit and get weighed.  Of course the picture taking began.  Everyone is sooooo glad that it's over with and that we have Little Vivi here to join our family.  She is one lucky little girl as we are one lucky family!!

New Addition

Limited Edition 

Drawers with numbers on them 

Each tray has double sections (front and back) to hold the skeins.
That's why there are two rows of numbers on each tray.  

Perfect fit next to my 1800's sewing rocker

A couple of days ago we made a trip to Walmart after buying chicken food at Tractor Supply so I could buy a couple of DMC embroidery floss for a project that I'm working on.  Our Walmart doesn't have the fabric section any more but they do carry a few sewing things....like DMC floss.  Of course, they didn't have the two colors that I needed though.  So, after Chuck buying oil and what not for the explorer, we headed home.  Chuck asked if I wanted to stop at Gillespie's  since it's on the way.  He never has to ask.  Of course the answer is going to be YES!  You never know what you are going to find in there. It's a true treasure chest of " stuff".  Well, as we walked in the door, the first booth ( which is always my favorite) had this little cabinet that looked like an end table.  I didn't pay much attention to it but Chuck did.  He saw the metal DMC sign on the bottom of it, so he opened it up.  There they were....drawers and drawers with numbers on them.  The drawers were divided to hold DMC embroidery floss skeins!!!! The numbers were the number of color for each skein.  He called me over to look at it and all I could say was ..." OH MY GOSH!".  He just said....yeah....OH MY GOSH! and laughed.  I asked Mike what the best price he could give me on it so he called the lady who owned it.  She came down $15 from  the asking price to $50!!!  Chuck shook his head " yes" so I told Mike it was " sold"!  We thought it was funny that I started out to buy two 39 cents embroidery floss skeins and ended up coming home with a cabinet to put them in.  I just love living up here.  You never know what you are going to find and for a great price.  There is a sticker on the back of the cabinet that says  " Limited Edition...made in 1999.  It's numbered 1039 out of 2000.  Chuck got on line and looked it up.  They sold for $350 in 1999.  There was one for sale on Ebay for $400.  Of course, I'm sure that it was full of  embroidery floss when new.  One day, mine will be full too.  I just have to buy a few at a time, until I have all the colors and the drawers are full.  What a fun addition to Studio 22!!!

Sharing Puzzles

Another Winter Puzzle has been keeping us busy.  Although this one was sorta hard, it wasn't as hard as the "bird" one.  Funny thing is, a couple of months ago, I was over at the BNOE's house and Charlotte was working on " the bird puzzle".  When I found it at the Thrift store, I was excited to find the same puzzle as she was working on.  Thought it would be fun.  Come to find out....it WAS the same puzzle.  Charlotte was the one that took it to the thrift store.  We laughed on how I paid 99 cents for her puzzle.  She said next time, she would just give us her puzzles.  We are passing on the recent "cat" one to her.  We passed the "bird" puzzle on to Charlie to give to his friend who enjoys doing puzzles. Since there is another six weeks of Winter, I guess there is time to do just one more puzzle.

Happy Ground Hog Day!

So Mr. Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of Winter.  That is fine with me.  Just means more time to stay inside ( unless it snows) and work on projects that you don't have time for once Spring comes and you are outside, planting the garden, mowing the yard and planting summer flowers.  We haven't had any snow to speak of yet this Winter.  Had flurries for about five minutes this morning.  Sure was pretty when it was coming down.  Ya didn't dare blink or you would miss it.  Not that I want to have feet and feet of snow like my longest friendship friend, Kathy has in Maine but it would be fun to have about 8 inches again like we had a couple of years ago.  It just can't happen until our little Miss Vivienne is born.  We've GOT to be able to get to Nashville at a moments notice.