Hobbit-ish Potpurri: Ups & Downs & All Arounds

Hey Humble Readers,

I hope you're all well and thawed out if you have been in the deep freeze for the past week.  We didn't get Tilly the Toyota started until Saturday because it was so freaking cold around here.  Ginny and I stayed snuggled up in the house all week, but I feel for anyone (like my Beloved's nephew... putting up/repairing power lines) who has to work outside.  It looks like we're going to get a respite for the next week, but then temps are expected to dive again.  Gotta love life on the Canadian prairies!

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I (and many other bloggers) have a favour to ask of you all, or at least those of you who use Blogger and have your comment form embedded below your posts.  For the time being, can you change your settings to 'pop-up window' or 'full page'?  Google has acknowledged that there is a problem with their new comment system and because of that, blogs are freezing up when configured with an embedded comment form.  (Have you noticed that you have had a drop in comments this past week?  This is why.)  Google is trying to fix it, but who knows when it will be working. 

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Ginny has been walking a whole lot more lately.  As in, only crawling when she's underneath the kitchen table or has just had a bigger stumble and is unsure on her feet.  She thinks she's all that... walking around with her arms flung wide and a big grin on her face, as if to say "Ta-da!  Look at me!"

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Sadly, we lost a family member yesterday.  My Beloved's Uncle Jack, who was 85 and had been frail for quite some time, passed yesterday morning.  We knew it was coming, but his loss will be felt keenly at all our family gatherings.  He was a funny old soul, and was always getting himself (and anyone around him) into mischief.  He was one of the first of the extended family that I met when I came into the family, and I loved him instantly.  Of course, it didn't hurt that he loved my cooking.  :) 

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In church news, our congregation is one step closer to a full time pastor.  It has been a long time for us to go without a regular pastor (Pastor J. left in February of 2010).  Our interim, semi-retired fill in pastor has been good, but it has had an impact on our congregation to be without full-time leadership.  The candidate will be coming early next month to preach and for a meet and greet with the congregation.  My Beloved has been on the call committee, and this has been a challenging journey.  I'll be glad if this potential pastor is a good fit, not only for the benefit to our congregation, but also because it will be one less set of meetings my Beloved will have all the time. 

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I am in desparate need of a haircut.  Not just a trim, which is what I've been doing rather infrequently over the last couple of years, but a full on 'give-me-a-new-look' haircut.  The only time in my life when I have truly liked my hair was around the time when my Beloved and I me, were dating, and got married.  But at that point I had the expendable income to see my long-time trusted hairdresser every six or eight weeks.  I would get my hair coloured and highlighted regularly.  I know I can't/shouldn't colour my hair right now, but I NEED to do something.  My biggest frustration is trying to find hairstyle pics for plus sized women.  I don't want to cut all my hair off... I want it to be something easy but cute, and can still be put back in a clip or a pony for everyday.  I'm not demanding, am I?

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Please stop by my friend Alana's blog and offer her some love and support.  She experienced a miscarraige earlier this month and is facing some hard decisions.