Here's a picture of the moon at 6:31 a.m. CST this morning. It was hiding behind the evergreen trees in the back yard. Kind of hard to get a good shot through the limbs.
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Here's another picture of the same moon at 7:03 a.m. CST -- it finally moved away from behind the trees but that stick poking up makes it look like a lollipop. I love this picture!
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Sunday, January 31, 2010 - When I got up this morning, the moon was going down in the west. I took quite a few photos to get a couple of good ones. It was so hard to get anything and I sure wasn't going outside in 12 degrees. Brrrrrrrrrrr

As I was typing the description under the first picture, all of sudden, everything stopped! What's going on? Then I realized that the batteries in the keyboard had died. How weird.

Obviously, I got two new batteries, put them in and voila! Back to work. Remember my advice to go to Home Depot and get that pack of 36 double A batteries. It's the BEST bargain around.

It's still cold so maybe I'll get some more coffee....and pour it on my feet. ha! bye, djb

Here's the view out front at 6:48 a.m CST this morning. It was just starting to snow a little bit.
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Here's the view out front at 7:07 a.m. CST this morning. It was snowing a little bit harder but it's difficult to see the individual flakes in this picture, but I saw them in person.
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Saturday, January 30, 2010 - By the time this weekend is over, it'll be February. Seriously, can you believe that?! January is supposed to be the longest month. It went by so fast, I think my head is spinning -- unless that's just the buzz I get from too many platelets. haha

After I had the situation last night where I couldn't drive when I wanted to because I can't see very well at night, I decided that I'd better get into the optician in Wheaton and get some glasses. This is ridiculous.

Plus, I still remember how well I could actually SEE for the first time in a long time when she put the lenses in that contraption. Too bad I can't wear contacts. Whenever I think of contacts, I always remember Jarrett sitting in the chair at the eye doctor's office and having a vasovagal response to having the lenses put on his eyes. That was so weird. But he eventually got over it and wore contacts the next year.

I'd better go do something productive. Not sure what that might be but it will likely involve going into the crawl space and putting the Christmas decorations away. If I ever built a house, I would NEVER have a crawl space. In fact, I always apologize to any of the guys who have to go in there. It's a real crazy idea. Why would anyone want to crawl around in a confined space???

snow ya later, djb

Here's what the boys' candles looked on Sunday, January 24th at 7:15 a.m. The temperature outside was around 40 degrees so the deep snow had begun to melt.
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Thursday, January 28, 2010 - It is COLD here. This morning, it was 4 degrees when I got up -- that was outside. It was 58 degrees in the house....although I do think that it was warmer than that in the garage. What a hoot.

Everyone is sick of this weather. BUT, it is warmer -- make that less cold -- than it was a few weeks ago when it actually got below zero. Besides, remember where we live NORTHERN Illinois. It gets brutally cold in the winter -- if you don't like it move to Florida. Oh wait a minute, it's cold there, too.

It's time to get some more coffee. Oh, that reminds me. The other day, I bought two bags of what I thought was "ground" coffee. WRONG! It was beans. Oh brother. There is NO way that I'm going to grind beans at 6 o'clock in the morning.

I thought about taking them back to the grocery store but instead I decided to grind the entire bag of beans and then I put the grounds back in the bag. It smelled soooooooooo good. French Roast. Perfect for a coffee lover like me.

cafe ya later, djb

Here's how the driveway looked at 7:14 a.m. CST - it is shiny, isn't it. You can see Andrew and Jarrett's basketball hoop on the left. I could beat Jarrett most of the time in horse with my granny shot.
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Saturday, January 23, 2010 - I'm not sure if I mentioned that I got a prescription for glasses from Dr. Lee when I saw her last Wednesday. Apparently, I have severe astigmatism which causes the world to look kind of flattened and dull.

She had this huge contraption that looks like BIG Rube Goldberg glasses which she put little discs into that duplicated my prescription so I could see what the world actually looks like to a normal person. WOW! It was weird, yet very crisp and clear.

I haven't gotten it filled yet because I'm going to need three different pairs of glasses: regular glasses, sunglasses and the yellow-tinged night vision glasses that cut the glare. That probably totals up to somewhere around a grand. Yeah, that's a bit much.

Of course, I looked online for "cheap specs dot com." Let's see, I've already spent a fortune and countless hours seeing 14 different ophthamologists so why would I go cheap on the glasses? Good question. Probably not a good idea.

My thinking was that I just wanted to get an inexpensive pair to try them out just in case things change. The last time I got prescription glasses and sunglasses, my eyes changed in two months -- of course, that's when I had cataracts. But, I was stuck with $600 worth of worthless glasses.

I'll figure it out. Probably need to go to a smart person. Yeah, that would be Wheaton. That's where I got my Maui Jim sunglasses which pretty much allowed me to go out into the sun without putting on TWO pair of regular sunglasses. Sometimes, you gotta pay for the good stuff.

I think my mother told me that. Yeah. Thanks, Gran. see ya all later, djb

Here's a picture of my "good eye." This self-portrait was taken at our Berg get-together on January 9, 2010.
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Tuesday, January 19, 2010 - This morning, after reading about the earthquakes (posted on the other blog), I remembered that I wanted to check on optical migraines. Well, guess what? It wasn't an optical migraine, it's actually called an ophthalmic migraine. Who knew?

This is what I found when I did a search. It's very interesting and informative.

Ophthalmic Migraine

Ophthalmic migraine is quite common. Patients usually experience visual symptoms of seeing bright zig-zag type lines in their central or peripheral (side) vision. These bright lines may have associated flashing light sensations and sometimes can interfere with vision. There are many variations of symptoms. These symptoms usually resolve spontaneously after several minutes but usually less than one hour. Often, rest in a darkened room can be helpful during a migraine attack. Medical treatment is usually not necessary.

Sometimes, there can be a headache after the visual symptoms resolve. This is called migraine headache with visual prodrome. Some people get migraine headaches without the visual symptoms. Some people get the visual symptoms without the headache. This is called Ophthalmic Migraine. The cause is due to a temporary spasm in the blood vessels behind the eye called "vasospasm" similar to a spasm or cramp that you may have once experienced in one of your leg muscles (Charlie-horse). Usually, this resolves without treatment and many people never have another episode. Some people may continue to have them. An examination of the eye is important to rule out any other causes for these symptoms.

In the rare instance that these symptoms continue to recur on a regular basis and interfere with one's quality of life, then treatment is available with pills that both decrease the frequency of attacks as well the severity of the attacks. Treatment is usually started in consultation with an internist, family physician, or neurologist. We usually reserve treatment for those patients who have symptoms regularly and it interferes with daily living because the medications used to treat migraine can have side effects, just like any medication. ~from the website of Eugene (Oregon) Eye Care

This is what I was told the first time it happened to me. There isn't a whole lot they can do for it, prevent it or predict its occurrence. Although, I read somewhere that if medication becomes necessary, it can be worse than the migraine. Gee, haven't heard that before!!!!!!!!!

SEE ya later, djb

This is what the big evergreen tree across the street looked like this morning. You can see Jarrett's tree on the right. It's not quite as frosty today as it was yesterday.
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Monday, January 18, 2010 - Forecast for today: A cloudy, foggy start with a Freezing Fog Advisory in effect for northeast Illinois. Say what? Not again!!

From Tom Skilling's weather blog: Hoar Frost Sunday Morning (yesterday). Away from Chicago, hoar frost formed on branches, plant stems and wires - creating a beautiful wintry scene. Hoar frost - a deposit of interlocking ice crystals - forms in a similar way as dew except temperatures are below freezing, and the sublimation process changes vapor directly into a solid phase. ~from Chicago Tribune (January 18, 2010)

This is really something to see in person. It is so exquisitely beautiful. You can't believe it. A simple photograph just can't catch the ethereal beauty. Unless, maybe a person had one of those $16,000 cameras with the big, huge lens. hmmmm

Better go. I just had a great idea. Before the ice melts, maybe I can get a good picture of Andrew and Jarrett's trees in the cemetery. okie dokie, see ya later, djb

It isn't my camera -- this is what it looked like this morning out the living room window. Foggy and hazy with a slight drizzle. You can't see Elburn at all!
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Saturday, January 16, 2010 - It's been a quiet day today. I don't really have anything to say but I wanted to put this picture on here.

Oh yeah, I'm having trouble publishing my Andrew-Jarrett website to Yahoo. I'm going to have to call one of yahoos and have them help me. Today, it wouldn't do anything at all. And I saw a typo or braino or mis-stroke in a word on my journal. Yikes!!!

Better go check on my laundry. see ya later, djb

Here's me holding baby Kylie. This was taken the Saturday after she was born -- only a few days old. She's so sweet. Can't believe she's 15 years old!! Yikes! That means I'm really old.
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Thursday, January 14, 2010 - I knew I had a picture of Kylie and me around here somewhere. There's another one with Andrew and Jarrett in the picture -- not too sure where that one is. For some reason, I have a million photos around this house. Okay, maybe only half a million, but it's a lot. My filing system has gone astray over the years.

The temperature is above 32 and I hear big icicles falling off the gutters. It's very exciting. see ya later, djb

Here's Bryar posing for me at Rosita's on Friday night. We met the girls, their guys and Bev over there for dinner.
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Sunday, January 10, 2010 - Yesterday morning, I was so busy getting ready for my guests that I didn't put any pictures on here of our impromptu get-together with Bev, Krissy, Brian, Karen, Derek and Bryar over at Rosita's.

Of course, I have more than this one photo but I just wanted to put it on here because she is Andrew and Jarrett's cousin. One of the few family members to see them alive in February 2003. She was only 5 months old, so she might not remember a lot.

It's so nice to have Bev here visiting from Florida for a week. They're planning to come over this afternoon to see us because we still have lots of food -- correction, make that, "lots of delicious food." Plus, I've kept the Christmas decorations up....well, I do that anyway but no one needs to know that. haha Crazy person alert!

Now, I have to go vacuum the powdered sugar off the floor. Everyone loved those Russian tea cakes but they do leave an evidence trail. Remember: use margarine, not butter. later, djb

Here are Andrew and Jarrett's candles at 6:48 a.m. this morning. If you look really close toward the bottom of the picture, you can see the fox's tracks. Wonder where he was going? Correction: Once it got light outside, I could see that it was actually a deer that walked in front of the house. I know those were fox paws in the driveway, so I'm not sure where the deer came from?
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Friday, January 8, 2010 - Happy Birthday to Kylie -- Andrew and Jarrett's cousin. She turns 15 today. It just hit me, the same age Jarrett was when he died.

Wow! I remember when she was born. We all went over to see her. I got to hold that little sweetheart. And I said the reason I remember it so well is because I recently saw the picture that someone took of me sitting in the rocking chair with baby Kylie.

She always loved to be around Andrew and Jarrett. In fact, I also saw some photos of young Kylie when Grandma and Grandpa Burkholder were here at our house. The boys were sitting on the floor playing with Kylie. It was so sweet to see them play with their little cousin.

When she got older, as soon as she'd walk in the door, she'd ask, "Where's the boys?" And I'd always say, "downstairs." Of course, they'd hear me say that.

I didn't know until after the boys died that sometimes Jarrett would hide behind the door in the computer room and scare her. Something like "boo." Of course, no one told me anything.

Several years ago, she was here at our house and I mentioned that something she wanted was in the computer room. She didn't want to go in there because it was too scary. Then, I found out the truth. Those darn weasels!

Memories. All I got left. Happy Birthday, Kylie. Love you! later, djb

It's not raining but it's snowing. Here's a cool picture I took this morning. We're supposed to get a foot of snow....more or less. Probably more!
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Thursday, January 7, 2010 - It started snowing some time during the night. It's that very fine, sneaky snow. The kind that sneaks up on you and creates havoc.

Hey, the big yellow school bus just went by. That means they're having school today. I'm sure the kids were hoping for a "snow day." I'm sure the parents were hoping NOT.

Yesterday, when I went into Elburn, I wanted to drive by Andrew and Jarrett's evergreens but the road in there is very iffy. Just wanted to check on them and whack the snow off Jarrett's bottom limbs. Oh well, there will be a lot more snow on them today and tonight.

It's coming down pretty good right now. Oh boy! snow ya later, djb

My outdoor thermometer is finally transmitting the temperature from the frozen tundra into the house. It needed two new AAA batteries. I just put some in it not that long ago....
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Tuesday, January 5, 2010 - This morning, I was thrilled to see that the thermometer is still working. Although now that I think about it, that's kind of crazy because it's so COLD and who really want to know that? Me, I guess.

And then last night, I heard that we might get 4-6 inches of snow on Wednesday. What? That's not even funny. Apparently, it's going to "warm up" a little bit so it can snow and then another Arctic blast is coming in on Friday. Yikes!!

Hopefully, the weather in Florida will begin to ease up a little bit. It's just WRONG for it to freeze down there. The Florida thermometers shouldn't even go down that low!

It always breaks my heart to see the tropical foliage get whacked. Last year was particularly brutal down there. At least, the red passion vine on Bergs' fence came back. If that dies again, I'll probably have to go down and help them cut off the dead vines because it's my fault since I planted it there.

Oh, I do have a picture of it. I'll have to put that on here. After it froze last year, we thought it was gone forever --- NOT. That thing is like an alien from outer space.

It's time to go. Stay warm, you all. bye, djb

Yesterday (on Jarrett's birthday), I went to the grocery store to get stuff. While I was walking past the bakery I saw a little birthday cake -- so I got it.
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Monday, January 4, 2010 - It was nice and comforting to my soul to hear from so many people yesterday remembering Jarrett's birthday. Poor kid. He was always overlooked on his birthday because it came so close to the holidays -- and in this case, New Year's Day.

When he was young, we'd always have his birthday party on New Year's Eve. After that one year where there were shenanigans, we stopped doing it. Plus, the kids were older and they really didn't want to spend the evening with the old people hovering around them.

I'll never forget you, Jarrett. All my love forever and ever, Mom

P.S. Your cake was delicious!

Say ahhhhhhhhhh. Here's Jarrett showing his pearly whites so he can join the Crocodile Club.
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Sunday, January 3, 2010 - Happy Birthday, Jarrett. I almost typed 2009. Isn't that funny? It's going take a while to get used to typing twenty-ten.

It's very cold still. This is not right. And I just heard that it's going to warm up to 20 and then get even colder this coming Friday. Oh boy! Can't wait for that.

Wish you were here, Jarrett, so I could take you out to dinner or cook your favorite meal. It used to be salmon. I wonder how long you would've stayed on the salmon kick. You read something somewhere that said fish was good for your body and especially your brain.

After you died, I found a bunch of salmon that I had bought at Aldi's. I think it was part of the food that got unfrozen when the freezer stopped working. Yeah, that was really smelly and gross. yuk!

Happy Birthday, sweet Jarrett. I miss you. Love and hugs, Mom

Here's Dr. Nick sitting on the love seat in the living room yesterday -- you can see Skye in the photo on the desk and also there's a photo of Andrew and Jarrett next to her photo.
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Saturday, January 2, 2009 - Here's another picture of Nick that I took yesterday. It's so nice that he comes over to visit with us. We used to see a lot of Andrew and Jarrett's friends but now -- NO ONE comes by our house any more. Although we do see the girls in DeKalb so I'm not dissing them at all.

It could be that Nick was friends with both Andrew and Jarrett over the years. He was always very chatting and friendly with me when he'd come to visit our house. In fact, don't tell anyone this but he mentioned that we "might" be getting a McDonald's quite a while before they came to town and long before the commercial explosion occurred on the northeastern part of Elburn.

I'm not sure if he told me about the first stop light at 47 and Keslinger or not. That could have been common knowledge because the Illinois Department of Transportation was involved and they NEVER do anything in a timely manner. It's always waaaaaaaaaay dragged out forever.

Better go. Have to put some weather info on the other blog. One word: brrrrrrrrrr later, djb

Here's the full moon setting in the west this morning at approximately 6:30 a.m. The sky wasn't actually that dark. It kind of looks like it has a ribbon tied on it. Pretty cool. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Friday, January 1, 2010 - This morning, when I came downstairs to get started putting my three different eye drops in my right eye, I saw shafts of light on the floor. Ah ha! The moon was still in the sky -- good for me. Over the years, I've taken a lot of pictures of the setting moon. It looks so awesome.

Another thing I noticed this morning was that we had no degrees. It was ZERO. Yikes!!! As of 9 a.m, it was up to 1 degree. Whew -- a heat wave. I haven't even gone out to get the newspapers yet because it's just too cold. Besides, I can read a lot of the news online anyway. I like the actual paper so I can do the crossword puzzle.

Time to go. Yes, I will TRY to stay warm. HAPPY NEW YEAR!! see ya later, djb