Just Simply Holly

Although Fall just started, that honestly doesn’t mean much here in NW Ohio. It’s the 23rd of September and the cold, harsh reality is that in about 2 months, there will be snow on the ground. And if this winter is anywhere close to last year, snow wise, I’m going to have absolutely no choice about buying a pair of winter boots. I put it off last year, mostly because I couldn’t afford it, but also because we ended up with so much snow that there was no way I was even going to leave the house, unless I had absolutely no choice about it!

I used to have the most awesome winter boots in the world. Several years ago, I broke down and bought myself a pair of UGG Australia that were almost identical to these ones

I LOVED my UGG’s! They were so comfortable and kept my feet warm and dry so well! Unfortunately we either lost them in one of our moves or one of the dogs chewed them up (I think it was a dog, but everyone in this house adamantly denies it). I can’t afford to replace them, and I’m so stinking picky about shoes that I won’t buy anything cheap just to get by…LOL! I’m this way because I have bad feet and if I buy cheap shoes or boots, they end up making my feet hurt, thus making it a waste of money to buy something that isn’t what I really want. So I’ll just wait until I can afford another pair of UGG’s! And no, they’re honestly not that expensive, but with us having nearly zero income right now, anything is expensive.

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After going through 3 bouts of pouring water coming in through the slider door the beginning of the week, and finding out that my husband hadn’t yet called the landlord about it, and hearing that we had more storms coming in overnight and today, I took the situation in my own hands last night…LOL!

I found a tube of indoor/outdoor silicone caulk last night and we put that in the thin gap at the top of the door as well as partially down the sides. Then while I was talking to her on the phone, my mom gave me a heck of an idea. She said something about finding a way to affix a tarp to the house above the slider door in a way that the water couldn’t come through the top of it, instead it would just run down the tarp as it laid down the side of the house over the slider door. While that was a great idea, I couldn’t deal with the thought of totally blocking the view and the light that comes in through the door.

So what we ended up doing was cutting a piece of heavy plastic sheeting that was a little wider than the slider door and about a foot or so long. We then cleaned off the siding above the door and used some white duct tape to attach it so that the water couldn’t come through up at the top, then simply let the remainder of the plastic drape over the slider door on the outside.

I woke up around 9 to heavy rain hitting the bedroom window, so I came rushing out here to the family room to see if our “quick fix” worked and was THRILLED to see the rain running down the outside of the plastic sheeting we hung over the door rather than pouring in like it did the beginning of the week. I know this is just a temporary fix to the problem, but with more storms coming in today, at least I won’t have to deal with major flooding in the family room! I need to call my mom and tell her thank you!

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Yes, I know that warm temps are part of summer, but come on, it’s not even summer yet! Yesterday we had an actual temp in the upper 90’s with “real feel” temps over 100 degrees. Those type of temps just aren’t my cup of tea, not at all!

I’m glad that I thought to have my husband put in the air conditioners last week because if I hadn’t I sure wouldn’t have to worry about having to take any type of diet pills in order to lose weight. With as high as the temps have been, my extra pounds would have easily have melted off. OK, so maybe putting in the air conditioners wasn’t that good of an idea LOL!

From the looks of the weather forecast, today is the last day of really really high temps and humidity. We’ve got another chance of strong storms later this afternoon and this evening, but considering the last two basically skipped right over us, I’m not going to worry too much about them. UGH, they just came on the news and said the current temp is already 90 degrees, and it’s only noon. Sounds like a great day to stay inside and keep cool, well, except for when the dogs have to be let out that is!

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My daughter was so bummed out when she didn’t make the basketball team this year, but she didn’t totally give up on sports completely. She decided she’d try out for the track team, which I think was a good idea seeing how she’s always loved to run. To say it’s been a challenge for her is an understatement though. I get to school early to pick her up from practice so that I can watch her and offer tips. She cruises around the track like it’s nothing more than a brisk walk in the park. But she puts so much into it that when practice is over, she has nothing left.

By the time we get home she’s ready to take a shower and eat dinner and anything after that is pretty much a moot point. Trying to get homework finished or get her to bring her dirty clothes and/or dishes out of her room often turns into an argument. Thankfully she gets most of her homework done during her study hall period at the end of the school day and we’ve found that it’s easier to just let her fall asleep after dinner then get her up early in the morning to finish up her homework from the day before.

Yesterday was supposed to be their first track meet and she was a big old bucket of nerves yesterday morning. But the weather turned ugly in the early afternoon and the rain and winds came in, so they postponed the track meet until Saturday. After watching the news this morning I’m thinking they didn’t look at the weather forecast very well because they’re calling for colder temps and heavier rain for Saturday. Not my idea of a fun time at all! I’m hoping they postpone again because I really don’t want to sit outdoors in the cold and rain all day!

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I wish the weathermen around here would make up their minds! Yesterday morning they were calling for significant snow in the storm that is heading my way, as in 6 to 9 inches. Then during the evening news last night, one weatherman changed that and said we’d get no more than two inches of snow. This morning, all the local news stations are saying we’ll get anywhere between 5 and 9 inches of snow, and possibly more. Does Mother Nature not realize that it’s supposed to be spring now? Heck, even the frogs are out and croaking, so they’re thinking it’s spring as well. Maybe Mother Nature has a bad case of forgetfulness this year and forgot that it’s March? LOL

The house is still quiet right now with kids as well as dogs still sleeping, so I’m enjoying the peace and quiet while I can. Once the kids are up and moving, life will get interesting. Brat gurl is still sick, when I checked in on her this morning she was coughing and sniffling in her sleep, so I’m certain she’s going to be grumpy today…LOL! I did get the chance to talk with my hubby for a few minutes this morning before he left for work. Poor guy is still VERY sore from getting hurt at work the other day and because of how sore he is, he’s been having a hard time sleeping, so he’s also exhausted. He was honestly hoping they wouldn’t call him for work today, but they did.

We talked about things to do over spring break with the kids so that we’re not sitting here at home day in and day out. He said was almost relieved about the thought that we weren’t going to take a vacation this week. Besides the cost of the actual trip we’d have had the expense of kenneling the dogs, buying the various travel supplies that we would need as well as the price of gas right now. As much as we really wanted to go, financially it just would have been more than we could afford! So we’ll just come up with fun things to do locally!

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Good morning and happy first day of spring! Spring has arrived on this chilly, frost covered morning in NW Ohio and although today is supposed to be a decent day (sunny and in the low 40’s), it’s not going to last. In true NW Ohio fashion, we are expecting a fairly significant snowfall over the kids spring break from school, which starts this afternoon.

As you’ll see from the image below, our weather over the next 10 days really isn’t going to be that bad. But the two days that are in the red box (Friday and Saturday) they are calling for snow, not just a little bit, but anywhere from 6 to 9 inches of SNOW!

I’m just so over this winter, and ready just to pack up and move somewhere that it doesn’t snow! This image shows the top 10 snow records for the Toledo area, with this year coming in at #10 with 50.4 inches of snow BEFORE the snow that is expected tomorrow.

Now, if my math is correct, if we get 6 inches of snow with this storm, that will tie us with the #7 record, if we get 6.5 inches of snow, we’ll tie with #6 and if we end up getting even more, well, you can figure the rest out yourself because I know you’re smart!!

So, I guess today and tomorrow I’ll spend my time making sure I’m stocked up on the essentials so that we’re prepared for any of those “just in case” situations that come with bad weather scenarios. At least I won’t have to worry about getting grumpy boy and brat gurl up and moving in the mornings after today! They both start their spring break at the end of the school day today. Well, grumpy boy does, brat gurl is home sick today with a lowgrade fever and a VERY sore throat. I’m just watching the time so that when her doctors office opens I can call and get her in today and make sure she doesn’t have strep throat.

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OK, I GIVE UP! It’s March, we have had decent snow amounts all winter, so why are we now getting slammed with snow storm after snow storm? Last week we had two different snow storms that gave us well over a foot of snow between them. Tuesday night we started out with freezing rain that turned into an ice storm that turned into 4+ inches of snow and another snow day for the kids from school. Then this morning I’m seeing on the news that we’re once again in the path of another significant snow storm, this time they are calling for anywhere from 5 to 9 inches of snow, depending on which weather man you listen to. BUT, if the path of the storm forges North just a little, my area could possibly get as much as another foot of snow!

Honestly people, I’m SICK of snow, I’m SICK of ice and I’m REALLY SICK of cold weather! Yes, I know that I have the option of moving somewhere that the weather is not cold like it is here, but my husband has a good job and we really can’t take the risk of moving somewhere and him not being able to find comprable employment. On top of that, my oldest child is in high school and we really don’t want to change his school right now, we want him to be able to finish out high school where he’s at!

I just, well, I’m just really frustrated with the weather this winter! I’m so ready for spring to be here and I’m also ready to stop being cold all the time! Maybe I should think about hibernating the rest of this carppy cold weather away…LOL!

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OK, so lets talk about weather, shall we. Last week, as you know, we received two significant snow storms where I live. In one we ended up with basically 9 inches of snow, and in the second one we received an additional 4-5 inches of snow, giving us a grand total of over a foot of snow in a matter of a couple of days. I don’t mind snow, I’d much rather have it than ice, and last weeks snow was beautiful, as you seen from the photos I shared!

Saturday through Monday we had much warmer than normal temperatures and by Monday afternoon all of our snow was completely gone. Monday afternoon it started raining and between the melted snow and the rains, we were at risk for some fairly significant flooding! Late Monday evening our decent temperatures plummeted and we ended up with cold temps and ice by Tuesday, but it wasn’t bad enough to delay/close schools OR keep voters away from the polls, which is a VERY good thing!

But by 3:00 yesterday afternoon it was raining pretty good again, but it was a rain/sleet mixture that was making the roads slick and slushy. When my husband got out of work at 4:00 he told me that the drive home would be very slow going, which was a total understatement. A drive that normally takes about 45 minutes ended up taking him more than two hours. By this time it was no longer raining, what was coming from the sky was straight ice!

With all of the events that were being cancelled for last night, I went to bed feeling sure that schools would at least be delayed today, if not closed. I woke up this morning around 6:00 AM to the phone ringing, it was an automated message from my daughters school letting us know that her school was closed for today. Closed at 6:00, NOT delayed, just closed! The roads were horrible and many counties in the area were under snow advisories, with two of the advisories actually being level 3, meaning you were not allowed on the roads at all!

By 8:00 AM not a single school in the area was open today. Now, I actually do not mind snow days, the kids and I generally have a pretty good time when they are off school and try to find fun ways to occupy our time. But this morning, these kids already have me at my wits end! They’re arguing and fighting with each other and when they’re not doing that, they’re getting the dogs all worked up to the point that the dogs are running around and jumping and making stuff fall off the tables and shelves. I swear that when I see another saying Branson homes for sale, I’m going to click on it and find myself somehwere FAR FAR away from here to live if these kids don’t STOP SOON!

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Yup, that’s what we say here in NW Ohio! If you don’t like the weather we’re currently having, just wait a few hours because it’s sure to change! And today is the PERFECT example of that! Overnight last night, our temp was near 40 degrees. The current temp is almost 50 degrees with sunny conditions, with a forecast of near 60 degrees by lunch time. From there, it goes down hill BIG TIME!

Around 1:00 this afternoon it’s supposed to start raining, with the potential of heavy rain. Now, if you remember, over two snow falls last week, we received right around a foot of snow, give or take a couple of inches. With yesterdays temperatures above 40 degrees and todays temperatures even warmer, all of that snow is melting. With the potential heavy rain that is coming this afternoon the entire area is under a flood warning. But wait, it gets even better! Our near 60 degree temps are expected to plummet over night and the rain is expected to turn to freezing rain and the water that is laying will also freeze. And yes, there is even more! That rain/freezing rain is expected to turn to snow, with a potential right now of as much as four inches of snow.

So, over the next 24 hours we’ll go from sunny and near 60 degrees, to cooler and heavy rain, to cold and freezing rain, to cold and snow with the coldest temperature in the next 24 hours being half of the high temperature….LOL! But, that’s Ohio for ya, not happy with the weather, stick around a few hours because it’s sure to change!

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For the past couple of days the weathermen have been telling us that we were going to get a decent snow storm overnight last night. They kept varying the amount of snow from 2 to 6 inches, but also kept saying that it would depend on the direction the storm took once it hit our area. Apparently the storm took a turn and came at us with dead aim because we got HAMMERED overnight and it’s still coming down! As of right now, the measurement for my area is averaging at least 6 inches, but the measurement from my own deck is showing 8 inches, and we’re about to get hit again with more snow that could make our total around 12 inches!

I can’t tell you how long it’s been since we’ve gotten this much snow in one storm! And it’s SOOOOOO pretty! It is a wet snow, but it’s light and stuck to the trees! I took some pictures and thought I’d share them with you!

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