Just beat the rain…

while out visiting some garage sales today.  I found more books, a lovely casserole dish complete with lid, DVD kid’s movie for my daughter for her kids at church, etc.  It was a fun morning.  I came home and washed 2 loads of clothes and now I am exhausted.  It was very cold here this morning, upper 30s and I wore a winter coat and hat to the garage sales.  I am so ready for spring to decide to come back.    Another month and it will be summer and it will be hot and the temps will soar.  Just Illinois weather.

Lots of sales in the nice part of the city today.

These beautiful flowers (many shrubs) were all along the driveway leading to the house.  The lady having the sale said she was moving to California.

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And speaking of Illinois, it is said to be the most hated state in the USA.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2014/04/30/half-the-people-in-illinois-hate-living-in-illinois/

I don’t hate Illinois. so I must be in the 50% that doesn’t hate our state.    It was a pretty good state before a few of our governors, most notably Ryan and Blagojevich got their greedy hands in the political pot.  I was brought to Illinois from Missouri as a small child so I have virtually lived here all of my life.  There are two parts to Illinois, Chicago and downstate.  I have always lived in the downstate half and I have never thought the division of state monies was distributed evenly.  Chicago getting 3/4 and the rest of the state 1/4.  Just my way of thinking.

That is enough political meandering for today.  It is pouring down rain again and I am tired so I am going to rest for awhile.  I will catch you all later.

Stay safe and be happy!!

Beth

 

I love a sunny day…

and that is what we are having in central Illinois today.  The temp is 38 degrees right now to climb up to the mid 60s.

And speaking of Illinois…I just hate it when our state is pronounced ill-a-noise instead of ill-a-noi’.  Very irritating.  Some commercials are being run now on television by our local gas/electric provider for central Illinois.  These commercials are supposedly telling us how Ameren IL is helping its customers to save money on their utility bill.  That is all fine and dandy but one lady pronounces Illinois with the noise ending.  I probably shouldn’t let it irritate me but it does.  My own thought is lady, you don’t live in Illinois if you can’t pronounce it so why are you in this advertisement?

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Il·li·nois ² (ĭl′ə-noi′) Abbr. IL or Ill.

A state of the north-central United States. It was admitted as the 21st state in 1818. The area was explored by the French in the late 1600s, ceded by France to the British in 1763, and ceded by them to the newly formed United States in 1783. Springfield is the capital and Chicago the largest city. Population: 12,900,000.

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Il′li·nois′an (-noi′ən) adj.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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And this is my rant for Wednesday!  Thank you all for the birthday wishes for my son and the very nice comments about my brother in law and niece.

Have a spectacular day!  Stay safe and be happy!!

Beth

Sunshine and 50 degrees…

on this Friday afternoon in the heart of Illinois.  Yes, where I live is called the heart of Illinois.  Has a nice ring to it doesn’t it?  We are under a winter weather advisory for Saturday afternoon and evening for freezing rain changing to snow.  Oh Yuck, I just got my car all cleaned off from the last snow.

I have been busy this morning.  I can’t seem to stay away from the grocery store.  I try to limit myself but I get carried away.  At Food Depot this morning my cash register receipt showed that I saved over $35  on this shopping trip.  I was surprised to see that Food Depot is still carrying all kinds of Green Giant canned veggies for 49 cents a can.  I don’t use many canned goods and I am pretty well stocked up.  I also got the large size box of Post Raisin Bran for $1.67.  I thought that was quite a bargain and that was without a coupon too.

There is not much news around here today.  Several of you asked for updates on my sister and my niece.  My sister is doing well except that she has caught a cold.  I am hoping that is all it is and not the flu.  My niece came home from the hospital today and she is doing well.  Thank you all for your kind thoughts and prayers.  I do believe that prayer can move a mountain.

I hope you all have a great weekend.  Stay safe and be happy!!  Don’t forget the tips for avoiding the flu.  And if you haven’t got a flu shot yet, what are you waiting for?

Beth

Did you ever…

start a post only to have it go into the big cyber space in the sky, never to be seen or heard from again?  I started my post and had to leave the computer for awhile and now my brilliant post is gone.  So being the good soldier I am I will start over again.

Want to know who’s corrupt?  Illinois ranks third in the nation according to a University of Illinois study released Wednesday. http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/political-fix/study-finds-illinois-third-most-corrupt-state/article_e5038a26-5812-11e1-bf8d-001a4bcf6878.html\”Illinois .

“The study which looked at public corruption statistics and data  the U.S. Department of Justice has gathered since 1976, also listed Chicago and its metropolitan area as the most corrupt federal district in the country.”  Now isn’t that something to be proud of??  If only the Chicago area didn’t weigh the rest of the state down.  lol

Well, I have lived here most of my life and unless something unforeseen happens I will die here too. 

And speaking of that, my doctor visit yesterday was good.  I passed my stress test with great results.

While my daughter and I were out on her birthday we stopped at McDonald's for a drink before we went to lunch.  We were sitting at the back near the rest room area when a lady walked by and started talking to the couple in front of us.  She told them that she hadn’t noticed them on her way to the rest room.  She said she came to this particular McDonald’s because it was out of the way and she thought she wouldn’t run in to anyone she knew that would bother her.  She then proceeded to yak away for awhile until which time the gentleman seated told her that was why they came to this place too.  OH, she said, sorry, and just hurried away like a house on fire.  I couldn’t help it, I burst out laughing.  I am a people watcher and I had noticed that this couple looked a bit mismatched, he being older and she appearing much younger.  Rendezvous??  lol

Only 32 days left till Spring.  Break out the bathing suits.

In the meantime, I am off to pay some bills.  Stay safe, be happy, and have a great weekend!

Beth