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Good morning!! I love snow!! A big fat fluffy snowball to all of you!

Good morning.
Do I wish I was there right now. Get out of this darn sunshine in California. I'll be home in a few days and enjoy the rain and snow.

HEI HEI from SUOMI!

Old Fireplace

Good morning everyone. Still waiting for the first snowflakes of the season to fall...nuttin yet...but it sure is cold and windy here this morning.
Still holding out on turning on the furnace ;) My, we Michigan women are a hearty bunch, eh. :)

The first snow of the season is arriving here in southwest Michigan as I type. Pretty sloppy right now, but temps are supposed to continue to drop and accumulations are predicted!

Hello to all in pasty land. We're back from our trips to honor the men of the Edmund Fitzgerald. We were at Whitefish Point on the 10th. As some of you observed, they had a very moving ceremony.It always brings me so mucher closer to my father than ever when I go there. And to touch the Bell is like touching the Fitzgerald or my father. We went to the Dosseun Museum on the 12th & met alot of people.I spoke with Capt. Erickson(he went out to look for survivors on the Clay Ford that night). I also spoke with a 82 year old man that worked on the building of the Fitzgerald. I met so many interesting people who have been fascinated with the ship for years.On the 13th my family & I went to the Mariner's Edmund Fitzgerald Service at the Maritime Church in Detroit. The men would be so grateful to be honored in the way that the Mariner's Church does it. They have a large contingency of Captains of the Great Lakes represented, bellringers, the choir from the church, bagpipes& drums, Bishop Ingalls, Rev Ingalls, altar boys.On the altar is placed a large model of the Edmund Fitzgerald with a huge wreath in fron of it. We , family members rang a small bell in the Call to the Watch when they read off the names of the crew. Then another bellringer rings the church bell that chimes outside for everyone in the city to hear All of the people that crowd into the church & outside is really overwhelming. We sang the Canadian Natl. anthem, United States Natl anthem, Amazing Grace, along with other beautiful songs & they played "Tapes" which always brings tears to my eyes. My heart is filled with such love & respect to Bishop Ingalls for being the 1st to ring the bell 29 times to remember the crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald when he heard of the tragedy.These 29 ordinary working men are part of history & known & respected by many people throughout the world because of his actions & Gordon Lightfoot's song. I thank everyone who were thinking of me & other family members during this time. You really don't know how much it means to us. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. And may God Bless You.

Cheryl,
(((((((((((((((((HUGS))))))))))))))))

Cheryl:
I had tears in my eyes when I read your post. It must give you comfort to know people world wide remember the Edmund Fitzgerald and pray for those 29 crew members who lost their lives.

Cheryl: I saw you on the internet broadcast last week. Very moving ceremony.

Cheryl~
Your pain, courage, and most of all, love, made me cry. Today you touched a stranger's heart.

Trigal,
There are no strangers on this site. We are all one big extended family. At least that is the way I see it. I know when I haven't noticed a post from someone in awhile I wonder about them and hope all is well.

Hi hi..my first link .. something went all wrong!

This is perhaps better.;

http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/wi/oneida/postcards/ppcs-oneida.html

Cheryl, thank you for the descriptions of the cermonies honoring your Dad and all the other men who lost their lives. Lorelei is right we are all a family of people united by a common bond.

These wonderful snow scene today made my day!! My son and I are fervently hoping we will get snow this winter. I already bought my bottle of Chili powder--at the first hint of snow there won't be any to be found in the stores!!! Hi sdc,ferndale!

japei....thank you so much for the interesting links...I look forward every day to them...keep it up!

Cheryl, I wrote the words to the Edmund Fitzgerald on my board. They may be Texans, but they'll know something about the Gitchee Gummee and boats on the waters if they're exposed to me.

Lorelei that's how I feel too. We all have a special feeling for the UP, the county, Copper Country and esp the Big Lake. I care if we haven't heard from some of our regular friends. And enjoy meeting new folks and hearing their stories and memories. I wonder what came of the trucker from Ok.,Shelly from Houston,others from 2 years ago when I had just discovered the PastyNet.

Sur5er, I broke down and turned my heat on this morning for the first time this winter. I'm not a yooper but I always hang on as long as possible before turning the heat on.

Cheryl, Thanks for sharing your trip north for the memorial. I remember the day the Edmond Fitzgerald went down. My thoughts and prayers go out to you and all the other families.

I, too, feel that this is a family even if I don't write all that often. I enjoy reading everyone what everyone else has to say.

Snow is beginning to stick to the ground this evening. I guess winter is really on the way.

Fran in GA ... what the heck do snow and chili powder have in common? (Other then it being cold enough to make a big pot of chili???)

Well Cindy, it seems that here in N.Ga whenever the S word is mentioned or even hinted at people rush out and buy milk, bread, beer and chili powder!! I am not joking.They plumb clean the shelves!

I guess I should add that they are afraid they will get snowed in!That has happened only 2 times in the 40 years I have lived here. Shoot it all melts in 2 days so why worry.

Charlotte,
Yep, I broke down and turned on the furnace this evening, when the thermastat in the house dipped below 58 degrees...at the urging of hubby ;) I am like you, every year, I try to see how long I can go before turning it on, because once it is on, it is on for the long haul. It also is a reminder that the cold is here...and time to put the bathing suits and shorts away for the season ;)

Miss Fran, I still am really confused about what chili powder as to do with snow. Perhaps for making chili, to keep warm?
The first year I moved to Indiana, I got the biggest chuckle out of how people would run to the store and stock up on supplies as soon as the forecast mentioned 'snow'. I would tell my neighbors, "Michiganer...deep freezer and pantry have been stocked since September...and yes, you can freeze milk." :)

KIITOS TOM!

Hei jAPEi, don't know what you had in mind, but your first link worked fine for me as a contrast to the refined, mahagony clad fireplace of today's pic: a roughly put up primitive fireplace in an old logcabin. Reminded me of the times we went cross-country-skiing in northern Finland (south of Ivalo) and rested in places like that. Although most of the cabins had small iron ovens with may be two or three small logs in them, not an open fireplace anymore.

Sur5er,I think it is a tradition to make Chili here when snow is forecast.We often lose power from ice storms and so everyone rushes to get their pot of Chili made.Like you coming from Mich I have enough food around here I probably could survive for a mo! LOL We do keep a coleman stove on hand.

There was an interesting anomoly with jAPEi's first link above (Old Fireplace). I found in both Firefox and Internet Explorer, the first time I clicked the link it went to a small ad for "myphotoalbum.com", but if you click several times, it brings up the picture of the old stone fireplace.

HELLO - I dont know why this link goes different place .. .as I snatch its in internet so it works but moment after it goes elsewhere..SORRY!

Cindy M. Archibald (Cindymay):
"... what the heck do snow and chili powder have in common?"
If you sprinkle the chili powder on the snow it'll melt the snow! J

I think of pasties as comfort food so therefore, I find pasty.com my "comfort zone" and I feel very at ease with everyone and their posts. A nice place to visit every day.

Fran,GA, Hello! If you or anyone else would like a really quick and good chili receipe, let me know. I'll share my hubby's 4 time award winning chili receipe. He calls it Cheater Chili because its so easy and fast to make. He made and froze bags of it to take hunting. I'm sure by now its all gone between him and the other guys.

Sdcferndale,
Can you please post the chili recipe? Thanks. :)