SkyWatch Friday 021926

Happy False-Spring in Michigan!

This has been our view for the last 3 days. 

Along with the fog, I'm currently also getting thunder & lightning! 

And it's 3pm and the parking lots lights are on at my work.

I took this yesterday afternoon around 5pm.

On the plus side - it's been warm enough to melt a lot of the snow around here! 

linking up at Skywatch Friday

Thanks, Alan!

Here's a pretty pic of my favorite tree.  

A HodgePodge Gem

I'm a day late for the HodgePodge this week! Jumping right into it.

1. The Hodgepodge lands on Ash Wednesday, which is the first day of Lent. Do you mark this season in some way? Will you be giving something up or adding something to your life in this Lenten season?

My family grew up Catholic-ish, (never saw Dad in a church except for weddings, christenings or funerals) but when it came time for me (the youngest of 5) to do catechism, Mom had gotten into an argument with the priest about one of my brothers, so I never took the classes and therefore I never had my "official" first communion. I'm not even sure if I worded that correctly! But I have been baptized - it was a spontaneous decision after an outdoor church service. July 4, 2010. In a lake!

As for celebrating Lent - No. We get silly and say we're giving up committing arson or homicide, etc. Don't get mad at me for that!! I fully respect those who do try to make their lives better.

2. Pancakes...are you a fan? Syrup or no syrup? Plain, blueberries, chocolate chips, bananas, or some other add in? Are pancakes on your menu this week?

No pancakes that I know of this week. I met up with my sisters 2 weeks ago for Sunday breakfast and the little diner we went to had pineapple coconut pancakes and also red velvet pancakes on their specials menu. Sis1 is not adventurous and got her usual pecan pancakes - they were thick and plate-sized. Sis2 got the pineapple ones - and they were giant puffy "German style" that were simply amazing, swimming in yummy, really sweet juices. I got the red velvet and they were a regular sized & shaped stack, with strawberries and cheesecake on them.  No syrup required!

There's a restaurant that the Spouse & I like to go to that has a lemon ricotta pancake and it's phenomenal. The place is called First Watch and I also like to get a beverage called Cinnamon Toast Cereal Milk - it's got rum in it. 😁

3. Tell us about a time recently when you felt 'spread too thin'.

It was just recently - November / December. We had just gotten our first snow here in SE Michigan and the Spawn (who does NOT have a good track record with winter driving) hit some black ice and wrecked her car. So I had to rearrange my whole schedule - get up crazy early and work from home for a couple hours (like online at 6am), stop and take her to work and grandson to school. Go into the office. Couldn't stay late since I had to get grandson off the bus after school (they don't let kindergarteners walk home alone). Then had wait a little while then had to go pick her up from work (she works at a daycare so the granddaughter goes with her) and then try to do household stuff / make dinner, etc.

She bought a new-to-her car right before Christmas and that was the greatest gift ever. She said it was her gift, but I benefitted from it, too - FREEDOM!

4. What's your favorite jewel or gemstone? In terms of your wardrobe would we find more gem tones, pastels, black and white, or primary colors?

My favorite gemstone is tanzanite. Back story - many moons ago - I went on a Carnival Cruise with the guy who is now the Spouse and several other couples. This is when he proposed - we had been on an excursion in Cozumel - horseback riding thru the jungle. He'd only been on a horse once before (also because of me!) and I had turned around in the saddle to see where he was, since they let us go as fast or as slow as we wanted and of course, I had to gallop down the trail. I was surprised to see him come trotting up, looking like a pro - and that's when he asked me to marry him. Yes, I almost fell off my horse leaning over to hug him! Anyway - he hadn't gotten me a ring yet since he knew I would want something other than a diamond, something unusual. And he was 100% correct! So, I went shopping on the ship with all the ladies in our group and I came home with the tanzanite ring that I'm still wearing today.  This July will be our 20th anniversary. 

I tend to wear a lot of black, but I do like jewel tones, too. I'm slowly getting more colored clothes.

5. What responsibility do you think is hardest about being in charge?

Discipline! I'm pretty close with my manager and I've seen her before she had to fire someone (multiple counts of breaking rules) and also when she had to let someone else go (one of several let go for cost-cutting) and I wouldn't want to be in her shoes at all!

6. Insert your own random thought here.

I hate clothes shopping! We can wear jeans at work and one day last week, I got a random tear on the front of my thigh! Not on a seam or anything! So now I have to find a new pair for my rotation.  Ugh.

Linking up over at From This Side of the Pond,

Thanks Joyce!

Valentine's "Gala"

This the is 3rd year that my search & rescue team have been included in the annual Emergency Services Gala.  It just happened to fall on Valentine's Day this year.

It's an evening of "appreciation" with a nice dinner, dancing, raffles & drawings and let me tell you - the people watching?  **chef's kiss**  LOL!  They also give out awards for patrolman of the year, corrections officer of the year, dispatcher of the year, EMT of the year, etc. 

This is a super cool challenge coin. 

Around the outside, it says "going out to make a difference, since staying home is not an option".  

The blue stripe is for police, red for firefighters, yellow for dispatch and white for EMS. 

The back side is black with the name of the gala and the year.  

Last year's had the First Responder's Prayer, which is very nice. 

Dear Lord, Upon this robe, I carry the pain, sorrow and fears that I've encountered on the job.  I am challenged to bear its weight.  As I lift it from my shoulders and place it upon the cross, I pray for those who have suffered.  Please heal my heart and strengthen my will, so that I may faithfully serve you.  Amen

The Spouse & I

I wore this dress 2 years ago, but didn't have anything on underneath. I'm sure the back of my bra was hanging out, too.  I'm very self-conscious about my arms & shoulders so I had a shawl on most of the night.  So this time I bought the sheer black shirt and it was much better.  I could see my bra when I looked down, but when I looked in the mirror, it was fine. 

It's had to see, but my earrings say LOVE.   

There was one other guy from the team there, but we couldn't find him for the photos! 

without the significant others

I was/am pretty excited about this - I won the lottery tree! 

This giant board is literally wallpapered in scratch off tickets! 

You gave them $20 and you got to choose a playing card.  Then you tore the card in half, put one half in the bucket and kept the other.  

When they did the drawing, they said it was a red card - and I thought they meant hearts or diamonds, so I tossed my half onto the table, and it slid under my program.  Then they said it was the 6 of spades!  I had the 6 of spades!!  So I grabbed the card back out - the back was red!! 

I don't know if I've won any $$ or not yet, since we haven't scratched any off yet.  The Spouse & I did take them all off the board and removed approximately 623 thumb tacks that were holding them on. 

Hopefully we'll get a little something!

Reading back over this & focusing on the words to the First Responder's Prayer - it feels like it means even more now.  One of my SAR teammates passed away yesterday.  

In the grand scheme of things, it was sudden (guess he found out last fall that he was sick) so it actually wasn't unexpected.

My heart hurts and I have so many thoughts that I can't put into words because they feel selfish compared to what his family is going thru. 

So, any prayer warriors out there - please say some words for Jeff and his wife (and his K9, Amber).