Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 4:30 a.m. in "The City", where the current temperature is only 14° and the "Real Feel" temperature is a mere 5° with a slight wind out of the southwest @ 5 mph.

The NWS has continued that Small Craft Advisory until 9:00 a.m. this morning, from St. Joseph to Manistee, with winds of 10 to 20 knots and waves of 3 to 5 feet in height. The sunrise today will be @ 8:01 a.m. and sun set @ 5:55 p.m.

Lest you think I'd forgotten that "Baseball is Life!", pitchers and catchers begin to report to FL and AZ, for pitchers and catchers on February 15, and February 20 for all position players for the Red Sox, the Tigers, and the Cubs. Yes, my friends, I'll be born again, there will be new grass on the field. Remember this tune? I sure do! Centerfield

I had another P/T session yesterday, with progress measurements taken for my orthopedist appointment today. I am now at 119° of bend for my left knee, and I can nearly flatten that same knee out completely.

Is my knee still weak? Of course, but as compared to six weeks ago, I am in heaven.

We have resumed ear-reading that book from a couple of weeks ago regarding the witches of Springfield, MA. We ran out of time during our last checkout, but it has now returned to Mary's Libby library account.

Mary is continuing her cross-stitch project, adding another to her "Work", and she has started another ear-read of her own.

I've started a new print read by James Patterson.

So, with the current cold conditions, other than that orthopedist appointment, I have no plans to go outside. It is likely that I am just suffering from the blahs that come with my post-surgical life. As I said earlier, I know that I'll be born again when baseball returns, like springtime and Persephone. 

Ginger is still my Hallmark Channel bed buddy. Last night, we watched another great movie.

That looks like enough for this blog. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 2:15 a.m. in "The City." While the actual temperature under snowy skies is 25°, coincidentally our overnight low temperature, the "Real Feel" temperature is 15° with a wind out of the northeast @ 11 mph.

The NWS has continued their forecast for a Winter Weather Watch until 10:00 a.m. this morning, with total accumulations anywhere from three to eight inches, dependent upon your location here in central south-central, southwest, and west Michigan. Naturally, the areas closest to the "Big Lake" are likely to receive the larger amounts of snowfall.

In addition, the NWS has also continued their forecast for that Small Craft Advisory until 4:00 p.m. today, from St. Joseph to Manistee, with wind speeds of 15 to 25 knots and wave heights up to five feet.

The sunrise over GH today will occur @ 8:03 a.m., with sunset @ 5:53 p.m.

We had a good day yesterday, although I slept through much of the afternoon. I did finish more of my book, we collectively ear-read more of Tallgrass. In the evening, we watched what turned out to be a very lame Hallmark Channel move entitled Love in Glacier National Park. Sadly, the scenery shown was not very reminiscent of that found in Glacier national, nor did we find ourselves caring about any of the characters in the movie. Oh well, as much as I generally like these movies, I cannot say that I enjoyed this one.

Mary accomplished more cross-stitching and meal preparation. Lunch was a pizza with mushrooms and banana peppers, prepared in our air-fryer. I had baked potato with all the trimmings for my dinner and Mary had a salad with a side of macaroni salad. Redundant? Probably, but she liked it as much as I liked my dinner, so it was all good.

Before I settled in for my afternoon nap, I spent some time in my music studio playing and singing. Mary was downstairs and doing that voodoo that she does so well.

Today, I have no plans until late tonight when it's time for ukulele playing @ 9:00 p.m. I honestly cannot say that I'll cede any time to the NFL.

Mary and I will continue our collective ear-read and I'll finish the weekend crossword puzzle. It is likely that Mary will continue to cross-stitch and take care of Ginger. I wish I could help, but I am as yet unable to sustain myself in the ice and snow when Ginger needs to go out. 

Fortunately, we have that service for the snow removal, so that's something that neither of us needs to tend to.

That looks like enough for this blog. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 2:30 a.m. in "The City."

The NWS is showing a current temperature under cloudy skies of 30° with a real feel temperature of 21° due to a wind out of the west @ 11 mph. 

That wind speed is caused by the Small Craft Advisory from St. Joseph to Manistee that will remain in effect until 10:00 a.m. today. That Small Craft Advisory is due to wind speeds of 15 to 25 knots with gusts up to 30 knots propelling waves up to eight feet in height. 

That Small Craft Advisory will be superseded by a Gale Watch also from St. Joseph to Manistee, that will last until 7:00 p.m. tonight, with wind speeds of 20 to 30 knots and possible gusts up to 40 knots, that may produce waves up to 12 feet in height! 

We also have a 90% chance for an additional snow accumulation of up to one inch. 

Sunrise today will occur @ 8:05 a.m., while sunset will happen @ 5:50 p.m. IN between, the NWS is forecasting a high temperature of 37°, with an overnight low temperature of 25° sometime later in the evening.

Yesterday was another day of P/T for me and a grocery run for Mary, along with more ear-reading, cross-stitching, print-reading, and retirement.

Today, I hope to get to still more strengthening exercises, music, print-reading, collective ear-reading, and staying warm. That last one is easy, as we have a service for the snow removal.

Mary is still ear-reading, cross-stitching, organizing, overseeing the kitchen, and tending to my basic needs, although that last activity is needed less and less each day.

That's enough for me. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 5:15 a.m. in "The City", where the current temperature under cloudy skies is 31°.

The NWS has forecast snow showers after 6:00 a.m. this morning, well before the sunrise @ 8:07 a.m., and also well before sunset @ 5:47 p.m.

In addition, the NWS has added or continued three watches or advisories to their forecast. 

First, is a Winter Weather Watch, for Muskegon and Ottawa counties until 4:00 p.m. today, with additional snow accumulations of one to three inches.

Secondly, there is a Small Craft Advisory already in effect from St. Joseph to Manistee until 10:00 a.m. Friday, with predictions of wind speeds of 20 to 30 knots and possible gusts up to 35 knots, propelling waves up to eight feet in height before that Gale Watch goes into effect. 

Thirdly, there will be a Gale Watch in effect from St. Joseph to Manistee from 10:00 a.m. Friday until Friday evening, with wind speeds from 25 - 35 knots, with possible gusts up to 40 knots, which may propel waves up to 13 feet in height! At any rate, the surf will be up!

We had a good day yesterday. I got up to my office/art studio/music studio and organized some things and played my guitar for about one-half hour. While not lengthy, it felt good to lay down some tunes and sing along. I also solved some crypto quotes and crossword puzzles too.

Mary spent considerable time cross-stitching, doing laundry, and ear-reading along with listening to a podcast. That was in addition to our collective ear-reading of Tallgrass. 

Plus, Mary took my meal suggestions to heart and took over her duties as chief cook and bottle washer, as she turned my meal suggestions into reality. For our luncheon, she caramelized some onions, added those to some vegan cheese atop tortillas that she placed into our air-fryer. To say the least, the resulting quesadillas were delicious. 

Terrific!

In addition, she took another suggestion and made tofu cubes in the air-fryer and added those to garlic and olive oil spaghetti noodles for dinner. Sadly, I am now all out of suggestions.

Otherwise, last night after Jeopardy, I watched another movie on the Hallmark Channel along with some inane TV fare.

Today, I have more P/T and more reading. Mary has more stitching and more ear-reading too. Ciao. 

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 4:45 a.m. in "The City", where the current temperature is a seasonal 31° under cloudy skies. The "Real Feel" temperature is 25° with a slight wind directly out of the east @ six mph. 

The NWS has issued another Small Craft Advisory from St. Joseph to Manistee effective from 1:00 p.m. today until 10 p.m. tomorrow night, with wind speeds from 15 to 30 knots and waves from three to five feet in height. In short, another day in paradise.

Today's high temperature forecast calls for 35° with an overnight low of 31°. As January approaches February, the forecast calls for chillier temperatures and more precipitation. If that doesn't come to pass, I'm okay with that possibility.

The NWS has also forecast snow showers starting this morning @ 6:00 a.m. with scattered snow possible, but little accumulation. We shall see.

The sun will rise this morning @ 8:07 a.m. and sunset will be @ 5:47 p.m.

P/T went well yesterday. I am moving better and my range of motion in my knee is better each day. I wish that it was all over, but every source I've consulted shows that full recovery can take up to one year. However, since I am just passing five weeks, Eric, my therapist, says I am doing great. Easy for him to say, but I know that he is right.

I asked about having both knees done at the same time, and his answer was based on my unique physical size, well unique by the mythical standard for US males, of six feet tall and 170 pounds. I haven't been that size since grammar school. 

More times than I care to remember, when I was much younger, women I dated always thought I was smaller than I am, why I don't know, only to discover that clothing that they'd bought and thought would fit me, looked like it came from the children's department when I tried things on. That's both a curse and a blessing, I guess.

Otherwise, I finished that Stephen King novel, and I am trying another by Scott Turow, but it is not to my liking. I'll give it a few more page turns, and then it will probably end up in the return pile.

Today is a day to get up to my art/music studio/office and do some organizing. I have a hankering to do more than just sit around and I can use the trips up and down the stairs to add to my rehab activities.

Mary has several different cross-stitch projects either newly completed or ready to start. However, as this is a "hobby" that often requires counting and concentration, I don't know where she is at with some of them. Another example of hobby skills that improve with time. I just don't have that level of patience.

That's enough for one blog. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 2:15 a.m. in "The City", where the current temperature is a seasonal 31° under cloudy skies with a "Real Feel" temperature of 25°, with a six-mph wind bowing out of the northwest. 

The NWS has issued yet another advisory, a Small Craft Advisory, that will go into effect @ 1:00 p.m. today and extend until 1:00 pm. Tuesday, from St. Joseph to Manistee, with wind speeds of 20 to 30 knots and waves up to nine feet in height! Yes, the Surf will be up!

The sun will rise this morning @ 8:08 a.m. and set later @ 5:45 P.M.

It's official: 

The Jacksonville Jaguars fell to the Kansas City Chiefs, 20 - 27. Chiefs' QB Patrick Mahomes suffered an ankle sprain early in the game that limited his mobility, making the game much closer than it should have been.

The NY Giants were walloped by the Philadelphia Eagles, 7 - 38. Buh Bye Giants.

The Cincinnati Bengals took one from the Buffalo Bills, 27 - 10, in a stadium experiencing the usual snowy winter-weather in Buffalo NY. Apparently, the only people who didn't seem to know that it snows in Buffalo were the entire Bills organization from the ownership on down. Buffalo QB Josh Allen and the entire team never got it going, while the Bengals QB, Joe Flacco, easily found receivers as his running backs gained yardage on the ground with ease. 

The Dallas Cowboys managed only 12 points to 19 by the San Francisco 49ers, in a battle of the kickers. 

Next weekend, the 49ers face the Eagles for their conference championship and a shot at the Superbowl. The 49ers are favored to win. 

The Bengals face the Chiefs for their conference championship and also a shot at the Superbowl, The Chiefs are favored to win, but the injury to Mahomes may make that prediction iffy at best.

Here at the manse, Mary is moving closer to getting our living room the way she wants it. Our Christmas tree is down and packed along with the other decorations and ready to go to the man-cave for another year's storage. 

The new end tables have found their respective homes, and now we await the call telling us that our new chairs are ready to be delivered. for a final revamp of our living space. 

We sidelined one ear-read and replaced it with another, Tallgrass, by Sandra Dallas. This is a historical fiction tale of the internment of Japanese citizens in Colorado during WWII. I like this book much better.

I am nearing the end of Fairy Tale by Stephen King, but I can't tell you anything about the story due to certain restrictions here on the palatial estate.

Today, Ginger has an appointment at the veterinarians for her annual Bordetella vaccination, a technician's visit versus seeing the veterinarian. 

I have no plans other than reading, while Mary will be taking Ginger to her appointment, cross-stitching, ear-reading, and tending to her clumsy husband. 

I am more ambulatory than yesterday and hopefully less than tomorrow, when I have my next P/T appointment, and that is a good feeling. I have to be cautious as I am not now, nor have I recently been, as stable when walking as I was when I was younger, irrespective of my recent knee replacement. Getting older is a challenge, to say the least.  

I think that's enough for one blog. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 5:15 a.m. in "The City."

The NWS is reporting a current temperature of 33° under cloudy skies, although the "Real Feel" temperature is only 26° with a slight wind out of the west @ eight mph. That 33° looks like it will be our overnight low and thus, the early morning temperature as the sun rises @ 8:10 a.m., yet well before the sunset tonight @ 5:42 p.m.

We have no watches, alerts, advisories, nor warnings in the forecast at this time. Today's high temperature will reach 34° before an overnight low temperature of 32° sets in. Like yesterday, there are snow showers in the forecast too. 

We had a good day yesterday. Mary and I assembled our new living room end tables and also did more ear-reading. I even assisted in the laundry. I am walking more without my quad cane, but I am still using it to navigate in the early a.m. hours. 

My physical therapist, Eric, says my goal should be to walk into my next doctor's appointment on January 31, and not need the cane. We shall see.

Like with many activities, time seems to get away from you. So, we partially disassembled our Christmas tree along with that laundry and the end table assembly. We thought we should get on the list of approved assemblers for furniture in a box, as we did quite well with those end tables. But then, we recalled the extended and assisted efforts to assemble my easel and Mary's desk a few years ago, so we will not be joining that list after all. 

Today, we'll get that Christmas tree finished, sort out the living room, read more, avoid any additional heavy work, and do more ear-reading. If I've forgotten anything, I beg your pardon. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 3:45 a.m. in "The City", where the current temperature is 36° under cloudy/windy skies, although it feels like 24°, with a strong wind out of the east @ 23 mph!

The NWS has issued yet another Small Craft Advisory from St. Joseph to Manistee, with predicted wind speeds of 10 to 20 knots, with gusts possible to 30 knots, that will only produce waves up-to three feet in height. 

The sun will rise this morning @ 8:11 a.m. and it will set later @ 5:40 p.m. In between the NWS is forecasting a high temperature of 42° with rain likely leading to an overnight low of 33°

You may ask yourself why I am up at this hour. The answer is that Mary sent me down a movie wormhole by turning on the movie Contact, starring Jodie Foster, which was produced in 1997. She fell asleep, while I watched until the end. 

I had another P/T session yesterday and that went well. I am up to 118° of flex on my surgically repaired knee, but I still need to add more strength and flexibility, necessitating still more P/T today and over the next two weeks. At some point, I'll have to work on my own, but I am determined and so I will get better each and every day. As always with P/T and recovery in general, sometimes the process is excruciatingly incremental and sometimes you make giant leaps.

Otherwise, not much is happening here at the manse. I am still reading Stephen King's novel, Fairy Tales, and as with most of King's novels, he is a masterful storyteller. I have many pages to go, and I hope I don't get overwhelmed by the story, because also as usual, King's books are very lengthy. I am also reading the newspapers and working the crossword puzzles too. 

Mary is still hard at work on her latest cross-stitch project, a fern leaf that looks great. She continues in her role as chief cook and bottle washer too. I plan to help with the laundry soon, as I am more willing and mobile after four weeks.

That looks like enough for this early morning. Ciao. 

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 4:45 a.m. in "The City", where the skies are cloudy/rainy, with the NWS forecasting that the rain should end soon. However, the rain may return later in the day. 

The current temperature is 46°, although it feels more like 40° with strong winds out of the southwest
@ 13 mph. The NWS has also continued that Small Craft Advisory until 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, with wind speeds from 10 - 20 knots and possible gusts up to 25 knots producing waves up to six feet in height from St. Joseph to Manistee.

It looks like we are about to enter the "Real" January, with colder temperatures, snow showers, and more winter-like weather conditions.

The sun will rise this morning @ 8:12 a.m. and set later @ 5:37 p.m.

I was excited to hear that once again, Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers went down to defeat, this time at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys, 14 - 31. I am so tired of Tom Brady. Face it folks, while he is only 45 years of age, he is no longer the wunderkind of his youth, and he no longer has the support of his previous offensive line nor his coach in New England. Nuff said.

Given that it is now Tuesday, and the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday is in the rearview mirror, I'd like to add a few words of my own regarding the legacy of that great man. 

He would have been the first to tell you that he was just a man, albeit a flawed man, one who had no superpowers. However, his message about what mankind needs to do to be more open and accepting, to be truly egalitarian, transcends the few words that the politicians, especially those on the wrong side of the aisle, like to quote.

Dr. King knew that the "Arc of the Moral Universe is long, but it bends towards justice." He said those words knowing that the journey had already been long and that it would be longer still. He knew that until all men and women could enjoy the freedoms promised in the Constitution, that no woman or man would ever be truly free. 

Dr. King's life cannot be distilled down to a few quoted words, nor can he be consigned to a place for men who said much but did little. He needs to be placed high atop his proverbial mountaintop and his words taken in their entirety. He was a man who embraced peaceful resistance, a man who fought for a world without war, a man who prophesized his own death, and a man who put us in a path that we need to follow. 

So, on this post MLK Jr. day, let us renew the promises and pledges made by our slaveholding forefathers in the Constitution, and let freedom ring from the mountaintops, the halls of our capitol, and in every city and town in this country, let us be sure to follow the words left by Dr. King and "Let freedom ring!"

An endnote.

I had an epiphany recently that my baby, Sugar the Weather Dog, had visited me and left me with a few thoughts. 

We both knew it was her time to go, and she said, "I thank you for letting me go even though it hurt you so much." "It hurt me too." "I left you in good paws, with my little sister, Ginger." "Take care of yourselves and be sure to take extra special care of Ginger." She was and is a very special little sister and a very special part of our family." Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 8:30 a.m. in "The City", where the current temperature under clear skies is a very seasonal 31°, although it feels more like 18° with a wind out of the southeast @ nine mph.

Per the NWS, we will have a Small Craft Advisory going into effect starting at 1:00 p.m. today and continuing until 10:00 p.m. tomorrow, from St. Joseph to Grand Haven. Wind speeds will be from 15 to 20 knots with gusts possible to 25 knots, producing waves from one to three feet in height. In other words, to borrow from the Bard, "Much ado about nothing."

The sun rose this morning @ 8:13 a.m. and it will set this evening @ 5:35 p.m.

I finished the novel recommended by Mary, The Cat Who Saved Books, by Sosuke Natsukawa, and I enjoyed it very much. We also finished our collective ear-read, The Book Woman's Daughter, by Kim Michelle Richardson too. However, we still have to listen to the author's notes to close out the book. Now we have the task of finding a new book to collectively listen to, never an easy thing.

There were a couple of NFL games televised yesterday, but I paid no mind, since I didn't have a dog in that race. 

I also walked up and down the stairs that lead to our regular bedroom on the second floor. I am making progress on that front too. 

I received my new cardigan sweater yesterday from that Big-Box e-tailer, and I love it! It is now time to retire my previous cardigan, whom we'd named Fred, after Mr. Fred Rogers, and we have named this sweater Roger. 

I finished three crossword puzzles and the crypto quote yesterday, in between sleeping in and taking an afternoon nap. All that while Mary cross-stitched her latest project, for which I assisted in the color selection of various shades of green, no small feat for someone with a slight degree of color-blindness to reds and greens. Her efforts are looking great.

Mary and Ginger took a stroll around our fair city yesterday afternoon and somewhere in there, we listened to a podcast hosted by MSNBC's Chris Hayes. All in all, a not too busy day in retirement. 

Today, it looks like reading, cross-stitching, more indoor ambulation for yours truly, more outdoor ambulation for Mary and Ginger, and that's about it. Oh, if I am awake, I plan to participate in my Sunday night ukulele session too. Ciao. 

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and around the world. It is just past 6:30 a.m. in "The City." 

The current temperature is 31° under cloudy skies, but a wicked wind out of the northeast blowing @ 16 mph makes it feel more like 20°, which has caused the NWS to issue a Small Craft Advisory from South Haven to Whitehall until 4:00 a.m. tomorrow, as winds from 10 to 20 knots with gusts possible to 30 knots will propel waves up to six feet in height. Not really surfing conditions, but dangerous nonetheless to small craft. I've wanted to use the word nonetheless for a while now and this was my big chance.  

The sun will rise today @ 8:14 a.m. into those cloudy skies where it will stay until sunset @ 5:32 p.m. this evening.

Well, I've started a new novel, The Cat Who Saved Books, by Sosuke Natsukawa, a Japanese author. This book was recommended by Mary, and yes, it is a translation from the original Japanese. I'm up to page 50 and so far, so good.

I had another P/T session yesterday and I am still doing well. I am using my quad cane more and more. Mary says I am walking too fast, she's likely right, but the feeling of freedom from the walker is one that is hard to ignore. I'll have to be more careful.

Otherwise, not much is happening around the manse or the palatial estate. Mary and her wing-gal, Ginger, will be going to the grocery store later today, which will allow them to take a walk in Duncan Woods beforehand. I'm not certain, but if Mary wears her long coat and hat, not to mention her gloves, and as long as she dresses Ginger in her new coat, they should be fine. I'll be staying home as I'm not ready for prime time yet. 

I anticipate that I'll be reading, working more crossword puzzles, and awaiting the arrival of a package via UPS. It will be a surprise to me, as I don't know what it is.

Mary has been contentedly cross-stitching on her latest project, a fern-leaf, after having finished my Christmas gift, a watercolor paint box. That project till requires some finishing, but the overall finished product is great!

Today looks like a good day to stay indoors for me with that brisk wind and that chilly wind-chill forecast. 

Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 8:15 p.m. in "The City."

The skies are cloudy, as if you can tell in the dark, and the current temperature is a balmy 44°, although it feels more like 41° with a slight wind out of the west @ five mph. According to the NWS, we will see temperatures in the mid-thirty to low forty-degree range for the next 10 days before we fall into the more seasonal low-thirty to upper-twenty-degree range. What's not to like?

Tomorrow's sunrise will be at 8:14 a.m., with sunset at 5:32 p.m.

Today was another day of P/T and I did well. I am progressing nicely, and my knee is now able to achieve 110 degrees of travel, or is it flexing? I don't remember, but my therapist, Eric, is pleased with my progress. By the by, I am ambulating using my quad-cane throughout the daytime hours.

Mary and I are still ear-reading our shared book, The Book Woman's Daughter, by Kim Michelle Richardson, and we are totally engrossed. I am eye-reading a pulp-fiction novel by Janet Evanovich, Going Rogue, and I love it too.

In case you didn't hear, the Horned Frogs of TCU, who took out our own Michigan Wolverines on New Year's Eve, were routed by the Bulldogs of Georgia Monday night, 65 - 7. I'm not sure what this says about the defense of the Wolverines, but it can't be good.

Tomorrow is a day of indoor chores, more P/T, and more dog walking by Mary and Ginger. Earlier today, they walked down to the waterfront, where Mary, in her role as our Senior Staff Photographer, took this great shot of the channel looking west towards lake Michigan.

Terrific contrasts between the water, the clouds in the sky, and the empty docks.

Otherwise, we are mostly staying indoors, reading, working crossword puzzles, solving crypto quotes, cross-stitching, and recuperating.

That's all folks. Ciao 

Good morning or good evening, wherever you maybe, across the nation and across the world. It is nearing 1:00 p.m. in "The City", where the NWS is reporting a current temperature of 37° under partly cloudy skies as the sun makes occasional appearances on yet another winter's day here in the Tri-Cities area.

With a wind out of the southeast @ 15 mph, it feels more like 28°. The sun rose this morning @ 8:16 a.m. and it will set this evening @ 5:28 p.m.

As proof that the days are getting longer, I offer the following. Tomorrow, the sun will rise @ 8:15 a.m. and set later @ 5:29 p.m. While incremental, the daylight hours are growing longer, and the dark hours of the night is growing shorter.

Yesterday was an interesting day in the sports world. The Chicago Bears dropped yet another game, this one to the Minnesota Vikings, 13 - 29, to make their 2022-23 season record a dismal 3 - 14 - 0. If there is a light at the end of the tunnel, it is that that loss combined with the win by the Houston Texans over the Indianapolis Colts, gave the Bears the first pick in the upcoming NFL draft. 

On a side note, former Bears, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, University of Illinois, and Texans head coach, Lovie Smith, was fired by the Texans after only one season, following the Texans 3 - 13 - 1 2022-23 season. I suspect that he will be back before you miss him.

The Bears have had the first pick twice before, but the Bears never really saw any benefits from those picks in 1936 and 1947. Given the Bears penchant for failure with draft picks, anything is possible. 

On a positive note, the Detroit Lions defeated the Green Bay Packers last night, 20 - 16, to knock the Packers out of the playoffs and allow the Lions to have a winning, 9 - 8, 2022-23 record. Still not make the NFL playoffs. At the risk of redundancy, "Wait till next year!"

Today, Mary and I once again fought the good fight, and I came away from the morning with new respect and love for Mary and a positive outlook for my P/T appointment this afternoon. Oh, I am mostly using my quad cane for regular ambulation now.

We are still listening to our shared ear-read, The Book Woman's Daughter, by Kim Michelle Richardson, a sequel to the Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. We liked the first book and this sequel too. 

Tomorrow looks like a day of renewed retirement and that is fine with me. I tried that new book recommended by Mary and I just couldn't wrap my head around it. Too many twists, turns, and characters and cities with difficult to pronounce names for me. 

I'm on to a quick read, Janet Evanovich's Going Rogue, featuring Evanovich's heroine of this series, Stephanie Plum. Yes, I know that these books are what some call pulp fiction, but sometimes you have to add one of these genres to your reading list.

Okay, I'm done. Ciao. 

Good morning or good evening wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 5:45 p.m. in "The City."

The skies are cloudy, and the current temperature is a seasonal 34° with the NWS forecasting an overnight low of 27°. The "Real Feel" temperature is a brisk 30° with a wind blowing directly out of the north @ four mph. We have no additional watches, warnings, alerts, nor concerns at this time. Mary just returned from a safari with Ginger.

The sun will rise tomorrow @ 8:15 a.m. and sun set will be @ 5:27 p.m.

It's been a slow day for me at the manse. Mary has been extra busy laundering, baking bread, and helping me with my activities of daily living. But I am walking more with my quad cane and that has made me more mobile than in the very recent past when I was confined to using my walker. 

As fancy as my walker is, it has all the bells and whistles, it is still a large piece of equipment to maneuver around the house. 

Yesterday, I asked Mary to bring my traveling guitar, Abagael, down from my music studio along with my traveling music folio and that allowed me to play for about 45 minutes. I am rustier than I expected, but I did okay.

Tomorrow, I plan to watch the 8 - 8 Detroit Lions engage the 8 - 8 Green Packers @ 8:20 p.m. with hopes of a run in the playoffs. I have no illusions, but I'm sure that the Lions will give it all they have. A lot depends on how well the Lions front four gets after Packers 

QB Aaron Rodgers tomorrow night. 

Da Bears? Well, they have visions of watching the playoffs from their respective couches during the playoffs. 

Otherwise tomorrow, I have to sit still while Mary trims my hair and then I can repair to the powder room to trim my beard etc. 

It has been interesting to watch the elevation of Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy, over the last several days. Sadly, the dysfunction of the GOP majority causes me to have concerns for the future of the legislative branch for the next two years. 

I finished a long, large-print novel early this morning entitled Plum Island, by Nelson Demille. I was unable to sleep and so I sat up and polished off this lengthy tome. 

I've started a new book that was recommended by Mary, but the jury is still out on this one. It is by an author that Mary saw interviewed on a blog recently. The book is entitled The City & the City, by China Tom Mielville. I;ve read more books during the Covid-19 pandemic and my convalescence than ever before. To borrow from myself, "What's not to like?"

That looks like enough for one blog. It looks as though I'll be an every other day blogger for a while. I realized that I started this blog several years ago and so I've blogged over 1,000 times.   

Here's a pic Mary took of our Major Wheeler earlier today, just because. It was one week ago that this entire area was under the snow.

Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 4:25 p.m. in "The City."

The skies are cloudy, and the current temperature is 34° with light snow falling across the Tri-Cities area. It feels more like 28° with a slight wind out of the east @ seven mph. The NWS has forecast that snow to end @ 5:00 p.m. 

Tomorrow's sunrise will be @ 8:16 a.m. with sunset @ 5:25 p.m.

We got back from P/T @ 3:15 p.m. and while it was grueling, I am making progress and that feels good. I have good range of motion in my new knee and my therapist, Eric, feels I am doing better than expected. That's allowed me to progress using my new quad cane to walk around the manse more and use my walker less. What's not to like?

Otherwise, not much is happening around here. I am still grateful for Mary's above and beyond assistance with my basic needs. I guess I expected that the replacement of my knee would be a trying experience, but I'd never have done this well without Mary. 

When we go to P/T, I am now able to get myself into and out of the car by myself, something I was unable to do in the first two weeks. Once again, what's not to like?

On one sense, winter is a good time for joint replacement, with the exception of the snow and ice, I have no need to be out of the manse with the exception of the P/T appointments. I'm good with that. Mary has to take Ginger for walks, but when the only weather-related issues are cold temperatures, she doesn't mind those safaris.

I hope to return to a more regular blog schedule in the near future, but at some point, in March, I'll be out of circulation once again when my right knee is replaced. We have summer plans, so I should be good to go by then.

My camera awaits, as do my easel, my paints, and my colored pencils, which are calling out to me. That's not to mention a need to bake some cookies. I have plans to live many more years and so some pain now will make those years better.

That looks like enough for today. Ciao.

Hello again everyone, I'm back! 

I'll begin, as always, by saying: 

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 6:00 p.m. in "The City."

Yes, my loyal readers, I've been out of the blogosphere for a couple of weeks due to much-needed knee replacement surgery on my left knee. The surgery and the ensuing recovery and rehab have not been pleasant experiences, but the pain in my knee was not a pleasant experience either.

I saw the surgeon today and my prognosis is excellent. I have more rehab to go and one more knee replacement sometime in March. But once I am past that, I'll be even more bionic and ready to walk pain free for the first time in several years. 

I have to thank Mary for her love and steadfast devotion to my care. She has always been our chief cook and bottle washer, but in the past, I've been able to assist with the cooking, cleaning, and laundry. Now, all of those things and my post-surgical care, including chauffeuring me to P/T, have fallen on her shoulders. She has done great, and for that I will be eternally grateful. To paraphrase Eric Segal in Love Story, love means being there for someone when they are in need. Mary has been my love, my best friend, and my rock for nearly 50 years. 

In addition, most of you may know that in West Michigan, we had a blizzard over the Christmas weekend that made history and also made getting to rehab sessions very difficult in the ensuing days. Mary also made those visits possible too.

Just because I can, I am going to include what little I know about sports. 

Last Saturday, the Wolverines of Michigan dropped a game to the Horned Frogs of TCU to end the Wolverines season with one loss and no college championship. As Wolverines' QB, J. J. McCarthy said in a post-game interview, "We'll be back!" Here's hoping.

Last Sunday, the Detroit Lions took the Chicago Bears to the woodshed and kept the Lions slim playoff hopes alive. Of course, the Lions defeated a mediocre Bears squad, so...

I can't predict how often I'll be blogging, but I can predict that I'll be here as often as possible. 

Mostly, I've been watching movies on Hallmark and sleeping. 

I think that's enough for my first blog of 2023. Ciao.