One could liken the non-stop parade of tantalizing goodies to a snowball rolling downhill, accumulating a little more snow as it picks up speed.
Hopefully you did not pick up a few more inches around your waistline from holiday treats!
Think about it … it’s not just the treats from the year-end holidays, but it all begins after Labor Day when cider and donuts are rolled out, then caramel apples and pumpkin goodies are the preferred fare. Soon you’re into the Halloween candy, sneaking a mini bar here or there – the more the merrier. You might even loosen your belt after the Thanksgiving feast, but then it’s on to Hanukkah or Christmas gatherings, finally culminating at New Year’s Eve with the charcuterie board or a fabulous array of canapés and more fattening goodies. Groan – loosen the pants, or better yet, look for sweatpants.
Christmas Present.
Yours truly is writing this post after swigging down custard eggnog and finishing off several kolackes that my friend Ann Marie dropped off for me yesterday. I was outside shoveling the drifts of snow and running the car when she pulled up in her red sleigh, er … car and handed me a festive Christmas gift bag. We chatted a few minutes in the sub-zero temps, then she hopped back into her car to continue on her journey dispensing Christmas goodies to her friends.
Inside the gift bag were treats and this cute little squirrel, a bookworm with his/her book and oversized spectacles. I took a picture …
… then set this sweet squirrel on my corner cabinet and the treats I kept for today and through the holidays.
I laughed when I got my Christmas card from Ann Marie because I think it is Ann Marie in disguise.
I borrowed again from the Avanti website as the lighting was not so good for my photo above.
Christmas Past.
I first met Ann Marie at Council Point Park and we walked together a few times before she moved to Southgate, a nearby city. Although Ann Marie makes a “drop” at all the holidays and my birthday, she usually hangs the gift bag or plate of goodies in a bag on the fence, then calls me from her car. I’m usually home and at work by that time. We had not connected in several years until this past Thanksgiving when I was returning from walking and there she was, exiting the car and ready to make that day’s drop of turkey cookies; then, as you see from her sticky note with my name on it, there would be other drops, with other friends’ names, who would similarly munch turkey cookies made with love.
Here are some Christmas treats from recent years.
Ann Marie is my holiday angel and since I don’t bake, I can’t “pay it forward” as that expression goes … that is, unless you want to count doling out goodies to my furry and feathered friends. This year I didn’t do a Christmas squirrel goodies post because I recently had similar posts for Halloween and Thanksgiving. But I have some suet and walnuts for a special treat once this weather gets a tad warmer and I can get there to visit them. I am sure during this brutal weather, the squirrels huddled together in their nests and the birds did likewise.
Fat-bottomed squirrels you make the walking world go ‘round.
Okay, so I tweaked the title of rock group Queen’s song title “Fat Bottomed Girls” just a bit.
I took a few shots of my furry friends as their behinds blossomed throughout the Fall months. Yes, they still come over to see me, begging along the path for peanuts and sunflower seeds, pretending they don’t see those piles I put in the usual places. I don’t take all the credit for that weight gain. Mother Nature helps them out with thicker fur and growing a layer of fat to insulate them when food is scarce and Winter weather is fierce. Squirrels can add 50% to their body weight in preparation for this season.
Please know that their scamper has turned into a waddle. 🙂
A little mirth at their girth … let’s have a look at my furry friends.
How to wrangle a corncob.
The black squirrels seem to remain lithe … even petite, unlike their counterparts. This squirrel dragged a corncob away from the Safe Haven Tree to the grass to gnaw on it.
So, would you agree that having skipped the butter and salt, he/she was having a healthy meal?
So, for this cutie pie, unlike many of us come January 1, 2023, there will be no atoning for food sins committed during the past four months.
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
I don’t see my squirrels up close, so I’ve never noticed weight gain before winter. I’ll try to pay more attention next year.
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Well you know what Anne … your squirrels might not get chubby like my squirrels do because it is not as cold there as here. I’ll bet your NY squirrels were roly-poly. Mine have gotten even chubbier since I took these photos. They definitely move slower going up and down a tree!
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Very interesting. I wish I knew a squirrel expert down here.
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Last week we had a raccoon in the Park. It was sleeping right in the middle, no bushes or trees around. That was a first. It was there two days and the second day it was in a different spot, but now it’s gone – not sure if it left on its own volition or not.
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Amazing.
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I saw a plump squirrel running around my yard a couple of days ago. How nice of your friend to deliver treats to all her friends. I am glad you were able to chat with her this year. Yes, we all put that dreaded weight on our waist during these back to back holidays. It is hard to get out and walk in frigid temps and snow. I love this post – thank you for sharing – it gave me several laughs. Here is to 2023 Linda.
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Peggy, these squirrels have even packed on more weight since I took these photos. They are very roly-poly now. I hope that stored fat is being put to good use as I didn’t make it to the Park today. I was leery as roads had not been plowed or salted (too cold for salt to work) and I figured it might be dicey on the pathway as well. It felt balmy after the past three mornings when I was out running the car. It is easy to put on weight at all these holidays. It was nice to see Ann Marie, now twice, after all this time.
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Think those rolly polly squirrels need all that fat in snowy weather. Better safe than sorry when road conditions are bad.
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I agree Peggy. I think they will be okay. Yes, I’m no getting any younger and don’t need a slip and fall.
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It must be from our ancestors that we also, just like animals, bulk up for the winter cold. At least that’s my story and I’m sticking to it! 🙂
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Kate – I will adopt that as my mindset going forward too. They are very roly-poly right now! In the past I have done before and after photos of them. 🙂
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I am indeed more prone to wear stretchy pants than I have in the past! Between being sick and traveling my normal running routine has taken a hit this fall. I feel as plump as the squirrels in the photos. My son is an excellent cook and I have been indulging while we visit. Plus Atti and I had to make cookies for “Santa”. The cookies your friend brought you look delicious! Enjoy them. We can always buckle down after the new year!
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Hi Laurie – I remember once you told me all your sons were good cooks, so this one must be exceptional. I’m glad you and Atti made cookies for “Santa” and I guess you both tasted them so Santa didn’t get sick. 🙂 Yes, they were delicious treats from Ann Marie and custard egg nog – triple calories! I made my 2022 walking goal a week or so ago, but like you my walking took a hit … four days in a row with no walk due to the extreme cold and high winds. Tomorrow I will try for my Park critters’ sake. Hope you feel better soon – too many kisses under the mistletoe?
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I am still trying to avoid sugar (it affects my cholesterol levels) so I didn’t taste any cookies, but Atti tasted plenty.
Congratulations on meeting your goal! I thought you were ahead of last year’s peace when you gave us an update a little while ago. Hope your park excursion went well today. It’s snowing again here in CO. Beautiful, but I’m glad we don’t have to drive in it or shovel it!
I had Covid and pneumonia (not at the same time) earlier this fall, but I am fine now! 🙂
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Laurie, I remember now – you did a post about how you wanted to avoid cholesterol-reducing meds and so you just cut out sugar and got your cholesterol down to a safe level and your doctor was pleased.
It always looks so pretty with the snow, but getting around in it, like you found driving in the mountains once on your trip home was not so great. We were supposed to get more snow than we got. I had a lot of drifts in front of the garage so I needed to shovel to run the car, then we got some snow Sunday. That part was not bad, just the brutal cold. I did get to the Park this morning – the squirrels and birds were ecstatic and I saw pawprints at the three spots I regularly feed them. Tomorrow I’ll take some suet and walnuts – I wasn’t sure how bad the roads were to walk this morning, so I didn’t open the packages up. I like to stir it up for them, otherwise it goes untouched.
I am sorry you had the Covid and pneumonia and I have mentioned you and Bill to various people saying that you two travel everywhere and have not had Covid, yet here I am worrying about going into a crowded event, even masked up. Glad you’ve gotten over both. I guess between the altitude and snow in Colorado, your running regimen will be at a standstill for now. I was happy to meet my goal early – you’re right, I was ahead when I last “reported”. Next Sunday I begin anew!
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I saw always running the ground. Beautiful your friends squirrel. You like all animals.
Wonderful you share this post. I like. Wonderful all photos.
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Glad you liked the photos rajkkhoja. My squirrel pals have plumped out even more since I took these photos. They are quite chubby now. I do like squirrels and in Winter when I don’t like to drive in snow and ice, I will have more photos of them in snowy scenes.
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Most welcome, Linda.
Very nice you capture more of snowy scene . I like.
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Snow is pretty to look at rajkkhoja – for me, driving in it is not so great though.
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Love the treat photos! Beautiful baked goods! The squirrel pictures are fabulous. I’m resembling the gray squirrel, ha ha. Exercise equipment will be on sale soon. Ha!
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They were delicious Jessica and I could have probably justified eating most of them at one time if I had walked, but due to the brutal cold and high winds, I didn’t walk, so no free pass. 🙂 I was amazed at that gray squirrel too – they get a little chubby, but that one was really huge. Yes, the ads for Slim Fast and exercise equipment always start on January 1st!!
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get a scale and put the treats on it. Get one that can record weights.
I bet it would work as they stay still when eating.
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It would be fun to know just how much weight they gain Wayne. One year I posted chubby squirrel photos and did a before and after of Parker … he was skinny in the Summer and was a chubbo by late Fall. I’ll bet they wouldn’t even notice the scale and hop right on if they saw peanuts or seeds … they are all about the treats. I feel badly I didn’t go down to the Park today, but it was zero degrees, but at least no wind. I was concerned as the streets were not plowed nor salted, so I’ll try tomorrow. I think they likely stayed in their nests. End of the week will be 49 degrees!
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I bet a squirrel researcher could tell you!
I found this………The truth is that squirrels can increase their body weight by up to 50%. Fall, coming before the harsh winter season, is the best time to do just that. Contrary to popular belief, squirrels don’t hibernate during winter. They systematically hide their food stashes near their home for the winter.
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Wow – Wayne, thank you for that info. I am going to edit my post now – hopefully no one is reading it while I do that. I must have had old stats. I have heard that they don’t hibernate and will stay up in the nest curled up with their whole family. I watch them eat one peanut, bury one all Fall. Sometimes as colder weather settles in, they take two peanuts at a time in their mouth and carry them off. Thank you for this info Wayne – I will update it now.
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I also found this…………….https://www.science.org/content/article/here-s-how-hibernating-squirrels-live-months-without-water
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That was interesting Wayne. I had no idea they could do that. I have to say I have never seen squirrels take a drink, even on the hottest days of Summer. I always wonder where they drink at the Park because there are no low places in the Park where water gathers, no fountain and the Creek is down below the walking path and thus nowhere for them to sit to drink without falling into the water. That always perplexes me in Summertime, so now I know about Wintertime too. I wondered how long they stay up in the nest … I was pretty sure they were fine up there the entire four-day period of the worst part of the storm. Today I saw the entire Creek was frozen over, not even a single open area if they would go and drink from the icy surface. I’d like to get a look at them up in a nest, curled up together. Thank you for the article.
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get some of those hamster bottles and hang them up in the tree near a nest
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I feel bad for them in Summer – remember when I tried to give the little black squirrel a ice cake? I think she was afraid of it. that’s a good idea.
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Cute post Linda….and those are yummy treats! Those squirrels are really quite plump!
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Glad you liked it Joni. I had intended to do this post right after Thanksgiving as I had all the photos ready and would include the turkey cookies, but I put it off as I did posts with a Christmas music theme. I knew I could use it after Christmas or in the new year. They are delicious … have you ever had a kolache? Some people spell it kolacky. They have different fillings, like raspberry, apricot, prune, poppyseed. My mom made them years ago and we bought almond filling by Solo at a Hungarian market. Mom and I were not Hungarian but friends of the family were and that is how they made theirs. Were you able to find the Diamond walnut and pecan pie shells?
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No I’ve never had a kolache? Is it like those pouski donuts they have before Lent? I didn’t look for the walnut or pecan pie shells, but I bought a graham cracker intending to do a cheesecake some day and did not see them. You have way more selection of food products and different brands than we do. I haven’t done much Xmas baking. I made my no-bake chocolate-PB-oatmeal cookies and gave some away, froze some and ate some. Those are my favorites. And my neighbour brought us some fruitcake she made and some apple-mince pie which we may have later tonight…or tonight. I’m still full of turkey leftovers and have tons left over still to make a stew tomorrow or a turkey pie or both probably.
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No, not like a donut as they are a soft and flat pastry, even flaky, with preserves in it. And powdered sugar on top. They are tasty but not too sweet. I keep forgetting about our brands – more variety. But my mom liked some of the Canadian brands we could not get over here. I told you my mom used to have my grandmother getting Shirriff lemon pie filling as it was stronger lemon taste than our pudding and pie filling. And other brands that were more flavorful. You did good with that turkey breast. We always used to have some left over too. I remember that fruitcake from your post. It looked tasty and like it had a lot of fruit in it.
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Fun post, Linda, one we can all commiserate with you on, I’m sure! I don’t want to attract squirrels to our property (no trees yet) because my dig Brodie loses his mind. He already barks at the poor birds I’m feeding! Too many treats myself and I’ll be back to WW next week!
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Terri, glad you liked the post. I guess all the feasting fun will stop on January 1st. We had no squirrels on our property when we lived in Canada because it was a fairly new sub with zero trees and at the end of the street was a woodsy area – still no squirrels. The only time I saw squirrels were the black ones in Toronto where my grandmother lived and they were a novelty to me as a kid. We have them all over here. They’ve chewed the telephone wires and caused my landline to go out several times – maybe they’re bored?
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My celebrating doesn’t end until after my birthday on the 5th and then my husband decided Sayklly’s chocolates (the best chocolates I’ve ever had) would be a good birthday gift so there is a two-pound box of assorted chocolates on its way. I do plan on getting back on the yoga track soon so hopefully I don’t need to go shopping for bigger pants. LOL!
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An early happy birthday to you Ruth and I agree … might as well wait, not only for your birthday, but after you polish off the Sayklly’s chocolates. I had never heard of that brand, so I Googled it. I see they are made in Escanaba … guessing your husband first bought them when working there. I remember discussing that with you a while back. I saw all the sticks of butter on the Sayklly’s website – no wonder the chocolates are so tasty. There was a big story about the last Downriver Sander’s Ice Cream Parlor closing on December 22nd – it is/was in Downtown Wyandotte and there are only three Sanders stores remaining in the state. They closed because they could no longer get ice cream toppings and other Sanders treats, leaving customers disappointed. I have to get back to walking – I finished my goal earlier this month and did not walk for four days due to all this brutal cold and windy weather.
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The Sayklly’s chocolates he brought home were a Christmas gift from the company he worked for. I happy to hear you finished your goal for the year. I did really well with yoga until I went on vacation in May then got sick after returning from vacation. (it was probably covid but by I never got tested) it did drain me for a couple of weeks. Then with all the summer activities I never started the yoga again.
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I thought that might be how you tried them. They sound delicious Ruth. You may not have returned to yoga, but you are so busy tending to the farm (and chickens), plus you go non-stop while harvesting and putting up your garden produce … you are on the move!
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Cute photos! and what a great friend to bring you treats, Merry Christmas!
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Thanks Susan. Yes, Ann Marie is a great friend and it was nice to see her in person twice after a lapse of several years. Those squirrels are waddling around now … their layer of fat sur helped out during this brutal weather and they likely stayed up in the nest curled up against one another to preserve body heat. Merry Christmas back at you!
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“Fat Bottomed Squirrels” is great! They really are quite roly-poly. How nice to have a friend bring home baked goodies by for the holidays. I went to my first-ever Christmas cookie exchange party and brought home a load – and they’re gone already! Now there are boxes of chocolates and I’m trying to turn a blind eye, oh my.
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I think that sentence worked well Eilene! They have plumped up even more since I took these photos in November. My friend makes regular holiday visits to many people with her treats which is really kind of her. I had intended to do this post right after Thanksgiving and opted for the Christmas song posts instead. Cookies tempt me more than chocolate, but I eat a couple of squares of dark chocolate every day for heart health. Just this week, an article on the news made me stop and take note re all the cadmium and other dangerous minerals in dark chocolate. I buy the Ghirardelli squares and they apparently are safe – whew!
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I admire anyone who takes the time to bake at Christmas (especially the frosted sugar cookies). It’s not so much the baking itself but rather the time given to a task that represents gifting to others. I’d say your friend Ann Marie has her Christmas season priorities in order.
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You are very right about that Dave. This happens every Christmas and I am just one of many on her list. A gift from the heart, the best kind at the holiday season.
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Yummy!!
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Yes – Ann Marie is a good baker Pam. Me … I reach for Pepperidge Farm.
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😂😂😂
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Hello, happy Christmas and happy new year! Lovely squirrel photos at the park. Your Christmas food looks amazing!
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Thank you Marian – it is nice to hear from you. I thought I recognized the blog title when I approved the comment, but clicked onto your blog to ensure my memory didn’t fail me. It has been a while hasn’t it? I am sorry to read about the loss of your father to pancreatic cancer. I don’t know a lot of people, but the few people I know all have relatives or good friends battling cancer in one form or another. I also see you have an author site. Congratulations – you had been writing your first book as I recall. Take care Marian – don’t be too hard on yourself for taking a break after your dad’s passing. That was a good idea to start writing a post every day to get back in the swing of things.
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Oh, my so many treats to read about and think about! That’s so kind of Anne Marie, she’s a gem for sure. You know me and that I’ve ditched all the sweets and grains, so I’d gladly take the fatty treats including butter and salt over all of the sugary treats. This year I only had 3 cookies and my comfy pants still fit 🙂 Those squirrels are adorable, I didn’t know they plumped up that much for the winter, but it makes sense!! What a fun post, Linda, nice job!
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Glad you liked this post Shelley – everyone is eating some type of treat and while I feel badly that I fat-shamed the squirrels a little, they ARE roly-poly thanks to Mother Nature. They waddle now and they start getting plump in October already. I hope they don’t try any daredevil stunts to go jumping from tree to tree, especially the Fox Squirrels. Ann Marie is as sweet as her treats she brings.
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‘Tis the season for sweet treats and tales to giggle at!
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Unbelievably, I have jotted down some fun things for Christmas 2023 and beyond that I was thinking about this morning. On social media I saw a video about a Carrie Underwood song about “stretchy pants” she did a year ago. I wish I’d known about that video. It was funny and for sure I would have shared it in this post.
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Aw, planning for Christmas of 2023!!! WOW, again, I’m impressed. There are so many videos out there, I’m also impressed you remember so many that would work for your posts!
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Thank you – maybe I am a little nuts thinking that far ahead, but some ideas came to me for the next few years, so I’ll be set. When I’m retired, (whenever that is), I’ll put up a few more decorations and maybe do a post on the old decorations. I have a shoebox of photos under the bed – I cannot reach them and have jigsaw puzzles packed under the bed … I have to find a place to put them until I can do them. My mom did a lot of jigsaw puzzles that she never got to. I hope to not be online 10 hours a day like I am now. Have to clear clutter before I can even find where I could do puzzles … a small house makes it problematic.
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Nah, that’s great that you’re planning for a future that continues to involve blogging!
My MIL would come and help you find the puzzles…she loves doing them! I often think that Mr. and I should do puzzles too, but then I remember the cats and how they may enjoy pushing off the pieces to the ground and carrying them off. I’ll add puzzle-doing to my TBD list for retirement too.
Clutter makes ALL houses feel small. You’ll get through your stuff one way or another in the time that it’s right for you!
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Yes, that is true … good to think ahead. I need to have a cupboard or shelving to put them in/on. Just no room for that either … how did two people and a bird live here I ask you? The photos are in a shoebox. I never thought to look for the box when I spent the entire four-day Thanksgiving holiday 2017 scanning in photos. I also have magazines under the bed … I will likely never read them. We subscribed to “Reader’s Digest” for years and they are in shoeboxes under the bed to keep them clean. I tried poking around for it with a mop handle but no luck. I admit it is dusty under the bed and there is carpeting, so not easy to move. I USED to move everything under the bed twice a year but that is low on my list of priorities … I barely get the things I really need to get done as it is. As to the puzzles, you can get the roll-up mats. You work the puzzle, when done, it rolls up and ties … think yoga mat. I found my yoga tape I bought two years ago while looking for my scissors I use to cut my hair … no clue where they are and not buying new ones.
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Trust me, Linda, you’re not alone in having boxes and hiding spots that have not been dusted or overturned in decades. It’s just Mr. and me here now and I wonder to myself, how did we have the two girls here too?!
That’s right about the puzzle roll-up mat. Maybe I should do that? Hmm…thanks for the reminder about them.
Looking for your scissors may be A Walk in Linda’s Home as a future blog post. 🤔😊
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Whew – I feel better about that Shelley. I don’t think about the dust and I should – I’m allergic to dust. (Yes, that’s a real allergy.) That’s funny because you have to figure that the two of you have encroached into all these extra rooms, just like me. When I had a canary, I used the closet in my mom’s room to store all his stuff (I had two cages to swap out when I took him to the vet to be able to clean the other one), but extras of everything (favorite toys), cage accessories, food, treats, not to mention extra heavy blankets and battery-operated fans in case the A/C was broken or we lost power. I have to look again tomorrow for the scissors before it does become a post … hmm. I didn’t even leave the floor today due to the fog/rain and didn’t go out to run the car as it’s at the shop.
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Ah, yes, dust allergies happen. I know when we spend time going through things that haven’t been dusted in a long time, we’re both sneezing and stuffy. Yes, we encroached on all the available space.
Pets, do have lots of stuff too. We’ve been having issues with our cats not using the litter box to 💩, instead they would go on the floor or the rug. They’ve shared one box their whole lives, and now we had to get two so that they’d use a second one instead of the floor or rug. So far, fingers crossed it’s working.
I hope you found your scissors while you had the extra inside time. I hope the weather is better too. It sure has been crazy weather!
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Sorry to hear that as Mom can’t be around all the time to catch the “drips” like you did that one time. That’s odd that after all these years, they’d quit sharing the litter box … what brought that on I wonder? I have not found the scissors and refuse to order another pair from Amazon, though I admit I looked to see what I paid for them and saw they don’t sell that style anymore. I had them in a big Ziploc bag with a comb and a square mirror, so how do I lose three things in a bag? I will look this weekend again. I have wanted to cut it since October. Our weather was crummy again today, though thankfully it stopped raining when I walked to pick up the car. It will be sunny three or four days next week – yay, I forgot what the sun looked like!
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It’s hard to tell what’s going on with the cats. They’ve been better about hitting the boxes now though.
I hope you found your scissors. That’s a creative hiding spot you found 😉
The weather has been rough here…the sun is shining for the last two days, even though it’s been in the single digits, without the wind, we’ve been able to get outside for walks! I hope you’ve been able to get out and enjoy the weather.
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Hmm re: the cats – they want to try your patience. I looked and could not find the scissors, but wanted to trim my hair so I looked in my mom’s knitting bag which no one has touched for 25 years at least. She never knit again after her last carpal tunnel surgery, brought on in part from knitting and using her cane. Anyway … I found something interesting – brown pipe cleaners. Now my mom would not have used pipe cleaners for anything so I wonder if she/I bought them for repairing Joe the Monkey’s tail. So I could have saved some money since I had to order a large pack. I use pipe cleaners for other things anyway, but I thought it was odd. My mom just had kid’s scissors she used to trim wool while knitting, but looked in my sewing basket (also not visited in 25 years) and found a pair … not for haircutting, just from when I used to sew. Cut it – looks better, but needs layers.
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Brown pipe cleaners for the win. What do you use them for? Joe’s tail is going to be mighty strong.
Yay!!! You found some scissors. Our hair enjoys being cut, even if it’s not perfect. I’ve been cutting my hair for over 5 years now! You can order cutting shears on amazon…. 😉
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I use pipe cleaners out in the garden all the time as I do not have real flowers, just silk flowers. I ordered hanging baskets of red Geraniums and pink Bougainvillea, plus I have a country-type wooden container filled with Bougainvillea and some other white silk flowers which are peonies (I think). So every Spring I use the foot-long pipe cleaners (which I have a package in a ton of different colors, but had NO brown) and I secure the rope hanger on the hanging basket to the shepherd’s hooks and the other wooden planter, I secured to a white rocking chair and I attached it to the fence with small bungee cords. So I have been doing this since I started walking … they look realistic and no work for me to do. But I secure them so if it is windy or stormy, they don’t blow away. I also have a wreath for the gate and some slate and country doo-dads, all attached to the fence with pipe cleaners. I think Joe needs four or five pipe cleaners for his tail. The regular scissors worked and I have to find those haircutting shears though – I got them from Amazon a few years ago. I am also missing the mirror and a big comb and some butterfly clips I used to section my hair. SMH.
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Very clever uses for the pipe cleaners! I’m taking notes…especially if the critters won’t leave my live plants alone this year. I’d miss the butterflies though…hmm. 🤔 But, I do like the idea of less work.
I’m sure you’ll find the missing scissors when you get new ones. 😂
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I first did that in 2012 Shelley as I had spent too much time watering/weeding/deadheading and didn’t want to do that after starting a walking regimen. I saved the net bags from oranges and bought a bag of rocks and stuffed rocks into the net bags and tied it shut with pipe cleaners. Then I tied pipe cleaners to the bottom of the artificial flowers that I bought for my own planters. I had a resin pair of Wellies that I put flowers into them – they never blew away … I occasionally tipped them over to drain them, then a week before I would take the yard ornaments, planters, hanging baskets into the garage I left them under the patio to dry out. I didn’t have to get new silk flowers for seven years. But two years ago I went to put my white children’s rocker and weathered wood wheelbarrow away and picked them up and they fell apart. I meant to get new ones last year and looked on Amazon in the Spring, but didn’t find anything I liked. I have a light blue pout chair I painted and stenciled about 20 years ago and when I put it out, I worried it would be ruined, so every night I put it under the patio. Same with the milk stool I painted … so I may wait until I have more time to fiddle with the garden. I loved my butterfly garden and intended to replant it when retired and I had more time to mess with it, but I don’t think so now due to the erratic weather – I hope I didn’t lose any bushes from that -24 wind chill. That Polar Vortex of 2013-2014 wiped out my entire butterfly garden. The bushes/perennials were hardy for my Zone (6). Now I have to deal with the back yard garden where it was burned black. Those scissors, mirror and comb are somewhere and Amazon doesn’t carry the scissors I bought, so I won’t need to cut it for a while – maybe they’ll turn up.
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You sure know a lot about your garden and what to do and what not to do, I’m impressed! I better start studying before Spring and it’s planting or not planting season for me. 😅
I hope your back garden recovers from the burned status, generally grass does recover.
I’m sure you’ll eventually find the scissors. I think I have stuff like that to find in my house too. 🙂
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At one time, (hard to believe now), I was obsessed with my garden – front/side/backyard … got up at the crack of dawn to hand water every morning, weed and left for work on the bus around 7:30 – 8:00 a.m. Weekends out there as well. First the neighbor leaving the dog outside 24/7/365 caused rats in 2008 and he eventually moved, then the Polar Vortex destroyed all my perennials in my butterfly garden and the butterfly bushes. The roses almost died, but I brought them back. I had all the butterfly paraphernalia – houses for them, sunning rocks, puddling dishes. Was outside taking photos of the butterflies. And birdfeeders, birdbaths – looked like a paradise – no longer looks like that and the grass is so sparse, (even before the fire), I really should get a new lawn.
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Wow, that sounds like a beautiful garden. I have a friend with a garden like that. She has purposely planted flowers that mix well together and all she has to do is maintain the walkway. I bet now that she’s retired, she’ll maybe do more in the garden? I dunno though, the has RA so maybe not. For me as I look out at the dark cold winter, the don’t wait to do what you love is a motto I often think I need to pay attention to more. We always wanted a pond and a path but had dogs that we were convinced would get into it and create a mess. Now, it sounds like WAY too much work! LOL.
With all your experience and ideas, I’m sure you’ll find a way to keep/get the yard looking as you want it in no time.
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Well the difference between our two backyards is yours is huge from what I can tell in your posts. My yard is very small, not really much grass at all since I have perimeter gardens. As to the walkway, I liked that idea and have a photo I saw and tucked away a few years ago. It is a mulched pathway and the rest of the yard is pretty much wildflowers and perennials. Do you remember the post I did on an open butterfly garden walk? I looked and you saw the 2019 walk … I also did an earlier walk/post. The woman has a big backyard and has converted it to a butterfly garden, plus one corner of it off her deck is a pond with Koi. But that is what she has – all gardens and a mulched path. I imagine it is a lot of work to be honest. Before Covid, she had the event every August and the price of admission was something for an animal shelter. She was going to have two events a year and have one for only Monarchs, but cancelled all her events until 2022 due to Covid. The mulched path looks great – I would consider that … maybe. The erratic weather worries me as to putting a lot of money into such a venture.
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Our yard is about 1.5 acres in size, it takes my hubby about 45-1 hour to mow it on a riding lawn mower. I laugh when I think back to when we first moved there and had a push mower…it took a LONG time to cut it back then.
I’m impressed with meticulous gardens. Something I won’t ever master – too many critters and hot sun in our yard to have a beautiful sanctuary type garden. It would be fascinating to visit though.
I hope the woman you wrote about was able to maintain her garden and is ready to share it this year.
I worry about the weather too, Linda, it’s what we do!!
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That is a huge backyard Shelley – I can’t imagine it … my whole property including the house could fit into your backyard. I really did put a lot of effort into the garden and fretted over every rainstorm so used to bring everything under the patio roof, including yard art around the yard and on the fence. I wanted it perfect. It was a labor of love – I don’t think I could ever make it look the same again.
Yes, we are weather worries to a T!
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It is hard for me to imagine mowing our lawn or snow blowing our driveway. I’m glad Mr. does it.
I hope you find a happy balance in your yard efforts when you retire. For now, just let the grass grow back.
The weather coming up this week is going to be messy! 🙄
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I will use the push mower sometimes for exercise as the front/side is very small. I think you’re right Shelley – simple is having it streamlined and easy to maintain … I’m content to keep is simple for now … I can always make it fancier later.
We’ve gotten through half of January already – yay for that (as long as Winter doesn’t linger into mid-April – ugh).
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Yay for simple. 🙂 I used to do the push mower for exercise too. We still have one…I should offer to do the mowing in our fenced in area now that there isn’t much of doggie poop to avoid! 😉
Yay for 1/2 of January already gone. January is usually the coldest of months for us. I hope the end of the month doesn’t shock us!! I’m ready for Spring!
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My front yard is small, but the one side has more grass and is in better condition than the other side. This is because Marge’s son was fertilizing and seeding their front yard years ago and he went ahead and did my side too – but he didn’t do the other side, so by Summertime, I could skip the one side for a week or two where the other side I could do twice a week. It is good exercise though. I’m still hearing we will get hit with cold weather and snow the end of the month and it will be back to reality again – ugh.
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Yay for exercise and time out in the sun for Vit D!
I’m seeing/hearing the same forecast 😫😞 We’re supposed to get 4-8 ” in the next two days and then it’s going to drop temps throughout the week. UGH is right!
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I won’t complain about our weather then Shelley. We are getting a lot of rain Thursday a.m. and afternoon and more thunderstorms, maybe some snow Sunday. It was gorgeous today with the sunshine. I would not be enthused about 4-8 inches of snow and bitter cold either.
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I hope you enjoy the sunshine while it lasts. The snow storm arrived and did its dumping… And today it is cold and windy. SIGH!
Stay warm!!!
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Ugh – I hope it’s clear enough you can get out for a walk this weekend Shelley. We’re getting just enough snow to make it slick for walking. They rarely salt or plow at the Park and if we get a wintry mix, it often makes it slippery, especially on the Creek side. On the bright side, two months from today is Spring … on the calendar. You and I know the real Spring could not arrive until April 20th.
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We did get to walk, the new snow filled in the ruts in the driveway and it’s cold enough to keep things from forming a melting mess. For now.
YES – 2 months and we’ll be darn good and ready for Spring!
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After our snow today and Wednesday’s 3-6 inches of snow, I am more than ready. I feel like I shouldn’t whine since we only had .02 inch of snow in January and are a foot behind, but I whined anyway.
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It’s okay to whine, Linda! I completely understand!
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I shall whine then Shelley – they said our area will be hit the hardest. I’d better get out for a walk tomorrow morning then. I shoveled this morning and the driveway’s clear, but we had a wintry precip and my front door was stuck closed this morning – that is a new one.
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Oh, man…frozen door! Yikes. We had a tiny bit of snow yesterday, a peek of the sun, and then just plain ol’ gloomy skies. SPRING can’t come soon enough!
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I’ve not had that happen in a long time – thankfully it was okay in the afternoon. My father could not get to work one morning as the snow drifted in front of the side door and the front door was frozen. We had to have the neighbor across the street come and shovel the snow away from the door to get out of the house. It was fluffy snow, now like this stuff coming tomorrow – heavy and wet.
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It’s so scary when we get snow that blocks our exits! Glad the neighbor was able to help your dad.
I don’t like the heavy wet snow either…………..we’re supposed to get snow today.
I hope the storm isn’t bad by you!
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Yes, I don’t recall that door ever icing up before but it was sealed shut – sigh. What happened was the man took the bus at the end of the street and left at exactly 7:00 a.m. Monday – Friday. He caught another bus which took him to his job, so in order to make the connection, you could set your watch to him. My father left earlier. He wanted my mom to call there (she and his wife were friends), but my mom said it was too early to call and so she (Mom) would stand at the front door and when she saw him leave, call him. She opened the door and called and waved – he didn’t hear her and waved back and went on his way. 🙂 I hope I didn’t make a mistake not going out in between this a.m. and tomorrow a.m., but it was snowing so heavily and was heavy and wet so I didn’t. We have an Alberta Clipper this weekend and it’s going to dump 2-4 inches and another cold spell.
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That’s sweet that your mom and dad kept tabs like that.
We didn’t go out yesterday, and it snowed all day, so more to try and figure out how to shovel without a plow. 🙄😫😣🤐
Stay warm, and safe, Linda…this will eventually melt!
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Oh, that’s brutal still having no plow with all this snow – you won’t be heading out, down the driveway much if you had heavy snow like we had yesterday. We had a wintry mix last night, so there was ice dripping off the bushes, so it was pretty and I almost went inside to get the camera, but no sun, very gray, so skipped doing that. We have snow squalls headed our way within the hour. I think I can get to the Park on Saturday, Friday morning I will have to shovel again – grrr.
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Thankfully we ended up with light fluffy stuff that was easy to pack down by driving on it. I’m thankful to not have to go anywhere for work, but I do need to get out of the drive way on Saturday…we’ll see if I get stuck or not!
I hope the storm wasn’t too bad for you!!!!!!!!!!
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The light fluffy stuff is not a problem, it is this snow that feels as heavy as lifting cement – yikes! Having taken the bus for many years to Downtown Detroit and being at the mercy of Mother Nature with her torrential rain, freezing rain and blizzard conditions, I am happy to work from home the last 12 years. I will keep my fingers crossed you make it out of the driveway on Saturday. I am glad the storm is over and now await this second mess we will have on Saturday into Sunday. More of a wintry mix than big-time thumping snow coming down.
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Let’s hope that this last week in January is just to say we’ll see an early spring!! I agree, with bad weather, working from home is a true blessing.
I did make it out of the driveway on Saturday! We even had a delivery truck make it in and out of the snow-packed driveway. It’ll be solid for a few days due to the bitter cold temps we’ll have. 🥶🧊🥶🧊🥶 I hope the storm missed you!
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Yay – you got out of the driveway when you needed to. It was great yesterday, cold (18 real feel) but clear – I don’t count the Park as they rarely plow down there anyway. We had a wintry mix overnight which turned into freezing rain – lots of accidents on the black ice. I stayed tucked inside and did some decluttering … one room, well … 3/4s of one room and shut my eyes to the rest of the house. One room each weekend for now.
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Yes, it was so cold the snow on the driveway cracked as I drove.
YAY!!!! I’m glad you were safe and that you got some decluttering done too!!! YIPPEE!
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The day went by too fast when having to do housework or yardwork on the weekends as you well know. We are in for bitter cold temps this week – it is cold in the house now. I’m thinking Michigan is becoming a Wisconsin wannabee!
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We need to somehow win this battle with the cold! Will the groundhog come to our rescue? 😏🤔
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Well our groundhog, a female named “Woody the Woodchuck” says it will be an early Spring … she gives more accurate predictions than Phil. I’m happy for that … this below-zero weather has to go!
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Yay for Woody’s predictions!!!!
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Give Woody the Woodchuck a big treat! (And maybe a kiss and a hug too!)
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🤗🥰
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Those little guys plumped up!! But they exercise a lot so it’s all good.
Anne Marie sounds like a lovely friend with talented baking skills. How fun that she stops by with treats for the holidays. I wish I could bake well too to share my goodies with friends.
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Yes, they are so roly poly it is fun to watch them waddle – it is definitely a waddle for the Fox Squirrels and even the Eastern Gray Squirrels. Yes, Ann Marie is very nice and always stops here for each holiday and my birthday with treats. Once for my birthday she baked a huge cupcake, brought it over in a plastic box with a candle inside the box. Very thoughtful. I am not a baker, so I’d be afraid to share anything I make with anyone.
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I am the person you mentioned in the last sentence of your comment. lol. It wouldn’t be a treat.
The cards she got you are so you!
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People would be scared to eat what I gave them. 🙂 My mom used to make plates for various people, but not to the extent Ann Marie does. We had elderly neighbors, the gas station attendant (who used to pump the gas), people at work.
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Chris tells me that baking has to do with precise measurements but that’s the one thing I can’t do. I eyeball here and there and improvise. Result: a lump of whatever just jumped out of the oven.
I will try again since Ellis loves to experiment in the kitchen and Elliot is our brave taste tester. They used to both help me in the kitchen and it was absolute chaos.
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Oh, those pesky details, like measuring. Sigh. I once burned slice-and-bake cookies. How is this possible?
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It’s totally possible! I also have a bad habit of substituting ingredients.
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First, 3 cheers for Ann Marie!. Second, think how extra-warm we well be this winter with the extra padding. 🙂
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Yes, she is a sweetie who goes out of her way to ensure everyone has something special for the holiday season. You have a point there JP … we could just leave off a layer or two and still be warm. I like that theory!
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Good to see your squirrel friends are nice and fattened up for the bitter cold ahead. Maybe the black squirrels look thinner because they are black? After all, wearing black makes you look slimmer. Your friend Ann Marie does sound like a holiday angel, what a sweetheart. The squirrel Christmas card is adorable! Sounds like you had a good holiday and soon you will be walking off any extra pounds you might have accumulated. 😉
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My squirrel friends are waddling these days Barbara and it is funny to see them running toward me, sometimes after me. I like that concept why the black squirrels appear to be thinner. 🙂 Ann Marie is a holiday angel for sure, for each of the holidays and my birthday – she is very thoughtful. I really liked that card too, a squirrel bearing treats – I have gotten a big cupcake for my birthday from Ann Marie as well.
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What a nice friend Ann Marie is and I think feeding your outside pets is definitely paying it forward Linda!
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Yes she is Diane – she made kolackys like you make (my mom did too). I think you’re right Diane. I think they like their peanuts and seeds and Nutter Butters better than if I made them treats. (Those baked treats, they would only eat to be polite!)
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😀
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Hi Linda, those furry friends look HUGE. I have a good feeling they’ll make it through winter 🙂
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They are real chubbos Jeanine. And not all from my treats – an extra fat layer and heavier fur, but yes, grabbing up all the peanuts they can too! I saw squirrels both days at the Park this weekend and they are doing well and will make it. When we had that Bomb Cyclone with the -24F windchill (-31C windchill) I am sure they never left the nest, but stayed curled up against one another to keep warm. That’s what I’ve heard.
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