This post was inspired by a small exhibit my mother had at the library a few years ago titled Winter Fun. My mother often paints her memories, but many of our favorite winter activities have been popular forever.You can never build too many snowmen….Real or…..….on canvas. Outdoor skating party – 1902 – photo courtesy of the county archives. In an area blessed with lakes and rivers skating has always been popular, although it must have been difficult to skate in a long skirt and coat. I remember my dad saying he had saved up $5 to buy a pair of skates towards the end of the Depression. He was thirteen. My mother recalls a boy she liked asking her to go skating with him but she didn’t have any skates so she stayed home. Later that afternoon he went with another friend and drowned in the river. No wonder arenas are so popular here, especially now that the river never freezes over. The city used to have an outdoor rink but any dad will tell you how much work they are to maintain, especially during a mild winter. Skating on Lake Chipican – a small inlet off Lake Huron – photo 1961. The same lake today – but not quite as busy. Sometimes you see games of pick-up hockey, but often it isn’t cold enough to freeze other than a small patch near the shore. (My photo – 2022) Hockey on the Pond (2015) – with the family dogs. When I was a kid we used to skate on the pond behind the barn with my cousins. The boys would play hockey and we would pretend to be figure skaters. Me at age 6 – and are those corduroy pants? I remember being upset that I had to wear black boy’s skates, but by the time the arena opened in town I had white ones. The nicest thing about skating in the arena was listening to the music – all those great 60’s hits blaring over the loudspeaker. Note the wide open fields – once we skated all the way to the bush at the back of the farm when a layer of freezing rain/ice had formed on top of the snow. Another version of Skating Behind the Barn (2016)The Barn in Winter (2005) – behind the house was a large yard, where we would play fox and goose in the snow (google the rules) and build snow forts. I only remember the bus being cancelled once for a snow day….it must have been an exceptionally bad storm as we were off school for 3 days. Tobogganing was another popular (and sometimes dangerous) sport if there was a steep enough hill nearby. When I was a teenager I broke my tailbone on the slats of the toboggan when my neighbour who was pulling us with his skidoo went too fast and we hit a bump. After I had almost passed out from the pain, I ended up on the couch and missed a whole week of school. Winter Fun (2017) I remember an after-school tobogganing party in grade 8 in a gully with trees – it horrifies me now to even think about it. A small man-made hill in a nearby park (with a gentle slope and no trees in sight) still attracts a few kids. Including this little one with the neon-pink-glow-in-the-dark sled. Not sure who was having more fun, the kid or her parents! Horsing Around (2014) – On the day my mother and her family moved to their new farm in the country, it was snowing and bitterly cold. Looking out the window, she saw my dad and his brother coming up the lane with a team of horses to see if they needed any help setting up the wood stove. (The year was 1944, and tractors were not common yet, nor furnaces.) They were both 18 and eventually got married. I guess you could say she married the boy next door! On The Way to Gramma’s House (2014) – After a day spent outdoors there’s nothing like a cookie and a warm welcome at gramma’s house. How many more days until Spring Thaw (2005)?
I am relaxing with harp music and your snow scenes before turning in for the night, Joni, so soothing for this old woman with a stuffy head cold. Flonase and Musinex to the rescue, accompanied by hot lemon Echinacea tea. And harp strings.
I hope you’re feeling better today Jo! I haven’t had a cold since pre-pandemic days but I know there are lots of them circulating as it’s been a bad year for viruses. Take care of yourself!
Thank you, Joni. I had assumed that I was immune from all those viruses! Now Hubby is down with a sore throat. At least the sun is out bright today, even if ole Punxsutawney Phil is lurking about somewhere. We always experience several more weeks of winter whether he sees his shadow or not.
No ~ This does not feel like COVID. I had it that first year, and since then we’ve been triple vaccinated and boostered. This is more the old-fashioned bad head cold.
I just wondered, as the symptoms seem to have changed for the newer variants. My friend thought she just had a sinus cold at Christmas, but on day 4 she tested, at my suggestion and it was Covid. More nasal symptoms, congestion and headache, some sore throat with the newer variants and of course fatigue. She was triple vaccinated and boosted with the bivalent booster too a month before, which possibly made it milder, although she is still complaining of fatigue. I didn’t know you’d already had COVID! We have managed to evade it so far. I hope you feel better soon!
Thank you, Joni. The cold-type symptoms have lightened on this third, and I’m breathing on my own w/o nasal spray. No fever. Up walking, waiting on Hubby who has stayed in bed today. Neither of us has fever. We’re not missing out on anything important this first week of February; plenty of food and liquids in the refrigerator, and the house is comfortably warm. For a couple of old fogies, we’re managing.
That’s good to hear Jo. I guess if you have to be sick February is a good month. We’re well stocked too – I was just reorganizing the freezer – lasagna, beef stew, turkey pie, meatloaf, chili – it’s chockfull of leftovers! When I have a cold though all I want is Campbell’s Chicken Noodle soup!
Thanks Neil! I did – I love old photos and belong to a facebook group where they post old scenes. I feel like I’ve neglected my mothers painting career since the pandemic, but a museum came this week to pick up a couple of paintings for a 2 year loan as part of an agricultural exhibit, one of which was the Hockey on the Pond, so that served as the muse for the post.
I find it kind of sad my kids won’t have black-and-white photos as memories (even though they can create “fake” ones with their phones). Maybe changing fashions will distinguish their old images from new ones when they look back someday. I love the shot of you on skates as a child, and the story of how your parents met (meant to be!)
Thanks Dave! I fear if the whole computer system crashes some day, no one will have any photos period…..but maybe young people don’t want that kind of printed stuff anymore. I know I have tons of photo albums to store…. Yes, my parents had a meet-cute story, although they didn’t actually get married until they were 26, as my dad’s parents were older and unwell. They both died the same year so I never knew that set of grandparents.
Sounds quite familiar, as my Daddy’s parents died before I was born. In fact, his mother died during a Typhoid pandemic (or epidemic?) long ago. I have old photographs arranged in an album, along with other albums. How anyone can keep up with digital photo albums is beyond me! I much prefer a choice selection pasted in an album that I can leaf through on winter days when it’s dark and gloomy.
My digital photo albums are a mess now that Microsoft will not allow me to create a new album when I import photos off my camera. So frustrating and no IT person seems to know how to fix it? So now I have to throw everything into Pictures and then try and move them (drag and drop) into individual albums…..it seems printing and sticking them in a photo album was much easier!
PS. It’s hard to believe that people used to die of typhoid, but they did. I used to dispense the odd Typhoid vaccine for people who were traveling to exotic areas.
Me too…..although I do force myself to walk everyday, with a bribe of hot chocolate after. Today was a beautiful winter’s day, and even though it was cold, there was warmth to the sun which stayed out all day, and I was thinking it was a perfect day for outdoor activities. I realized I forgot to include skiing, but my province is very flat….no hills around here.
The “Outdoor skating party – 1902” photo is charming. It shows a world just like I’d imagine it. I remember skating on ponds as a kid and that they were never smooth. I also remember kids with toboggans, but I never had one. Just a one person sled for me.
What a fantastic collection of memories in paintings and photos (except maybe the one about the boy who drowned). I had a lot of winter fun growing up, except sledding – face first into a tree! I stuck with saucers after that.
PS. That Florence puzzle was an enjoyable challenge – it took us 6 days to finish it, as all the buildings in the middle and the rooftops were dark brown. My mom doesn’t have good lighting in her dining room, so it was a project for sunny days with the drapes open.
This is a delightful depiction of cold weather activities – such as we never experience – along with a bit of family history. I have enjoyed reading this post.
Thanks Anne! I enjoyed putting it together – I love old photos, and I feel like I’ve been neglecting mom’s artwork. A museum recently asked for a loan of the Hockey on the Pond one for an agricultural exhibit, which sparked the idea of the blog.
What a fun post Joni. I love you mom’s paintings. This brought back lots of childhood memories. We had a large sledding hill on my grandparent’s farm and the neighbor kids would often come over and go sledding with us. Making snowmen, snowball fights and one year my dad bought an old snowmobile and I learned how to drive it. Oh, and bundling up in all those clothes then coming in and having to find a good place for the mittens to dry before we could go out again. I wish I enjoyed winters as much as I did when I was young.
I thought that too about snowball fights but have recently heard about large snowball fights on college campuses. I’m glad they have not been outlawed.
Here in Ottawa we are still waiting for skating on the Rideau Canal. Can’t wait!
I love winter, so you won’t hear bellyaching about snow from me. (Rain in winter, yes. I complain about that.) Today I’m going to enjoy a winter walk in the woods. There is nothing better.
That sounds lovely! Esp. when there is snow. I manage to walk every day, except the really frigid ones. Maybe the canal won’t freeze over this year???? Next week is all rain here and back up to 40 F again.
This was really a fun post Joni and how nice to see your mom’s artwork for the season. I did see several snowmen as I was driving around the neighborhood giving the car a run in the bitter cold weather. I was surprised to see those snowmen, but then again, the kids here had two days off as a result of the January 25th snowstorm.
I remember tobogganing as a kid as well and I have a photo either in the photo albums I digitized or used on the blog of me sitting on it on my knes. It was over here in the States and there were really no sledding hills around here. In fact, when we moved here and mentioned the toboggan, no one knew what it was … the kids were big on sleds or saucers. Sorry to read you broke your tailbone – ouch!
I remember my first pair of ice skates … I really would have liked a pair with double runners and I might have felt safer, until I got the hang of skating, but it was like when I went from a tricycle to a two-wheeler, with no training wheels in between … both were said to be “unnecessary” according to my father. We had a rink in the City of Oakville and I remember going there on a weekend afternoon with my father. They had a concession stand that only sold hot chocolate and red licorice sticks. Funny how you remember little details like that years later.
The neighbors who used to live across the street from us had four children, all about a year apart. Every year he had wooden frames and he would create an ice rink for the kids. It was interesting because he would use all that water to create the rink, but told his wife to collect the dishwater and washing machine water into pails to water her perennial garden.
You make Winter seem fun … it was not fun yesterday when I was out in a “real feel” temp of 1 degree, but today was 43!
Several dads in my neighbourhood had backyard rinks and it was always nice to look out the kitchen window and see the kids skating, esp. at night. But they are a lot of work to set up and maintain. I like an outdoor rink myself, but I would be afraid to skate now as my last bone density test was so bad. I’m very careful not to slip and fall. My friend did last year and spent a month in hospital with a broken pelvis. Not fun and a long recovery period. I seldom see any kids out playing in the snow anymore. I was able to walk today as it was milder. A lot of the snow melted. ACG&S was good tonight – at least we know what happened with the housekeeper and her son and husband.
I am behind responding – wow, two days and still hopelessly behind in Reader, despite hours and hours spent there over the weekend. I have never skated on an outdoor rink – the one in Oakville was an ice arena in town. I have not worked in Downtown Detroit for many years and they now have revitalized the business district to include a huge ice skating ring every Winter. Campus Martius looks nice when I see the photos of people skating there, but I’d never try it now. I was too unsteady on skates when I was younger. I am afraid of falling too. They are pricey there though – adults $12.00; children $9.00 and skates $6.00, so not a cheap afternoon of family time.
At the Park I have been walking on the snow since they never bothered to plow after the January 25th storm, then we had the freezing rain 2X which made it a slick mess. Takes longer to heal now that we’re older so too risky to try the pathway. I don’t see kids playing out in the snow either, so I was surprised to see all the snowmen in the neighborhood. Maybe the adults made them?
I thought Sunday’s program was good too – I had Googled once to find out what happened to her husband, maybe when she first met Gerald. But I wasn’t clear on what happened with her son. I wanted to bop him the way he was disrespecting her, but glad he had a change of heart about the cookies albeit too late for her to hand them to her.
I finally finished my book this morning as it was freezing rain so didn’t walk. It had gotten boring with lots of facts and figures where they went and history lessons from the past … but I persevered and finished.
I thought the housekeeper’s son was an odd looking fellow – and so was the young kid who followed Sigfield around – wonder why they cast them? I found it very hard to follow her speech – she either needs to speak louder or stop mumbling. I started reading Spare – Prince Harry’s autobiography – only about 50 pages in – it’s readable but not riveting. There was a section on him killing a stag at Balmoral that just made my stomach turn so badly that I almost quit reading it. I guess hunting is a British way of life….
I was about to shut down and saw your comment. That kid acted rather old for his age and what kind of lunch did he bring? I couldn’t see it and Siegfried said he had them. I thought he said mayonnaise sandwich. (My grandmother used to say when she was young, the kids, (she was one of 9 kids), had apple butter or ketchup sandwiches they took to school). I wish they’d use subtitles sometimes. Some of the farmers especially as they’re usually doing some type of work and their head is down muffling their words – that Yorkshire accent is hard to follow.
Interesting about “Spare” – I would like to read it eventually, but would wait until paperback. (We used to say that in buying books – we’ll wait ’til it comes out in paperback, but now paperbacks are ridiculously high.) That would sicken me as well. The fox and hounds and pomp and circumstance of hunting life. We had a client who was big on hunting and my boss went to his office one time, first time he’d been there and didn’t know about his hunting expeditions he went on in Africa and around the world) and he told me there were heads covering the walls and other “prize trophies” – not my cup of tea either.
It’s difficult and I’ll finally get used to interpreting it, then it’s off the air until January. I am late tonight – I’ve been doing much better getting seven to seven and one-half hours of sleep. Tomorrow we have severe weather again, with 55-60 mph winds. Already worried about it after the windy night in December.
Yes and so far so good. No power outage so far and spent three hours on the phone from 3:30 to 6:15 with Ron who finally finished configuring the Windows 10 laptop by adding a VPN and Office 365. I really only need Word, so if I keep this Windows 10 laptop, I will cancel it and just get a download of Word on my own. The winds have been raging most of the day and supposed to die down by midnight. We also were to get freezing rain and did not thankfully. Finally the Park lost all the ice and snow – I was surprised it melted so quickly. We are having a cold night tonight, so I expect some black ice in the morning, especially the one side of the Park that runs parallel to the Creek.
My computer shop told me Windows 10 will be out b 2025…..but then your boss will be retired by then right??? We didn’t get freezing rain either, it was really windy around supper but now it’s died down again. It felt like spring this afternoon, no snow, the sun shone for a few hours and I managed to get a walk in.
My wireless keyboard started acting up about a half-hour before I left work. I put in new batteries and took the wireless plug in/out, but every so often it repeats letters. Good thing I have a back up so I hope this one lasts all evening. I don’t know what happened to the brand-new keyboard I bought for the Windows 10. The Windows 10 will not accommodate Windows 11 … interesting about Windows 10. I hope he retires before 2025 (starting to wonder???) I would consider getting a Mac as they have so few problems. I really like Windows 7 … still have my first Windows 7 laptop bought in 2009 and it works fine, but no battery and missing a couple of keys. It was ugly yesterday – glad the wind finally died down as I was worried about that dead tree. Not looking bad for the near term. One of the meteorologists I listen to said we are not done with the snow yet.
I have Office 365 – once a year they auto-renew and charge me….I think it’s about $90. I only use the Word part too, but I didn’t think you could buy it alone?
I had no idea how much the renewable license for the entire suite was. On Amazon, you can get a download and it is a lifetime “one-time only” download for $139.00. That is what I got for this laptop (as to Word 2010) and the real old laptop (Word 2007) and asked Ron to do that and he said “but we have a license.” Sigh. I should have gotten it myself and had Robb reimburse me, rather than wait since June 2019 for this to be done. So, this Microsoft download includes Office 365 Word, PowerPoint and Excel and is “Home/Student”. The lower version of Office 365 suite is $39.00 or $49.00, but the new version of the same suite for “Home/Student” is $139.00 (Amazon) as mentioned above. That is a good deal and I would not need the latest version of Word as I only use it for blogging. That is what I’ll do when the license is over (and hopefully retired). There is also the Apache Open Office suite. It is similar to Word and is a free download. That is an option since the only personal use I have for Word is blogging as I draft the posts in Word and transfer it over to WP.
I must be mixed up then, as I think what I am buying/renewing annually includes automatic updates for Windows, but I could be wrong. When I bought my new computer in 2016 and I was just going to have the computer guy transfer over my older version of Word and he said no I had to buy the new one with the annual renewal fee, or maybe it was just an annual fee? I could be wrong though as i was 7 years ago.
I think you’re just paying for the annual renewal of Microsoft Office and that’s what I am hoping to avoid since I only want Word, so I’ll buy a lifetime copy of it (download or disk). I would think you still have to do the Windows updates. I’ve been doing the Windows updates on the Windows 10 computer since 2019 about every 2-3 weeks. Sometimes there are none and sometimes there are one or two updates that take hours and hours. I don’t like that. I changed them to automatically download overnight. If I download them during work or while I would be sitting here, that is fine, but they take a long time. I don’t know why they changed it to be honest. My Word 2007 and 2010 are very similar and this week due to more computer issues, I had to type on my own computer using Word 2010 and it transfers back into Office Word fine. I’m really not keen on using that Windows 10 laptop except for the larger screen. But, if I have an issue on this laptop remoting in, I can now remote in there and send files to myself at this computer. It’s all too much sometimes! It was a beautiful day – I walked five miles and took the car in for its latest tire monitor system issue first.
Linda, I get automatic updates when I go to shut the computer off, it will ask Update and Shut Off, or update and restart, but it usually only takes a few minutes? The notice is there maybe every few weeks or so? I never go on and manually do updates, although I think I might have years ago and I would have to select which ones, this 2016 laptop came with Windows 10 which was new out the I think. It was nice and sunny, but colder.
I wonder why mine take so long to do? I usually only do them when I am home for the day every few weeks. I no longer get updates on Windows 7, but I used to set them to download during the day, then had to restart after I was done at work if it was a weekday. At least the Windows 7 is now configured (after being here since June 2019), so that if I can’t remote in from this laptop, I can use it to get my documents. I have to swap laptops eventually but was waiting for him to do what he had to do with it. The only great thing about Windows 10 is it will have a bigger screen than this one. Otherwise, I don’t know if I can transfer things I have on here like pictures, posts I draft when I return from walking … it’s inconvenient to switch horses. 🙂
You should ask him why it’s so slow? Also re transferring stuff. I think once photos are in Pictures and drafts are in Word, they are just there, despite the operating system?? But I don’t really know.
I just learned recently you can put documents and pictures in Google … I usually go through my photos, then send them by e-mail from G-mail to Comcast, so I have a copy of them in two places until I use them in my blog. I keep thinking, well I have sorted out pics now thru March and could just put new things on the Windows 10 laptop … if I had room to put another table in the kitchen, I could use both, but don’t really want to do that.
PS. I’m thinking my computer guy must have set the Windows updates to do automatically – he’s pretty good. I know they are Windows updates as it says so on the screen, with the % of the update done, but it never takes more than 5-10minutes, even before I got the faster processor put in last fall.
Hmm – well why are these so slow I wonder? I have to flip it over and see when it was made (maybe he had this laptop laying around and didn’t buy it with what he charged Robb for)? The reason I say that is he supposedly ordered it in 2018 or early 2019 and it has a notice that flashes it is not eligible to upgrade to Windows 11. The Cortana does not work … I’m okay with that as I just Google, but it has never worked. Now I am going to wonder about that … I have to see if it says when it was manufactured on the bottom of the laptop.
When I had my a faster hard drive installed last fall ($100 but worth it he said and it is), computer guy told me my 2016 laptop would not be eligible to upgrade to Windows 11 in 2025, but I figure it would be 9 years old then and time to get a new one anyway. The Asus Zen book I bought in 2016 for $1100 (including tax) now costs $2000 which is why I went for the hard drive upgrade, as it was much cheaper and he said it would enable me to get another 2 years out of it. I think the prices were high as computer chips were in short supply. Yea, see if you can find out when it was made, it shouldn’t be that slow with updates??
I have to look and see. I am assuming it is on the bottom of it. I have always used HP laptops – I had asked to order an HP laptop for me and he ordered a Dell. I never untether my laptops to that’s probably why they last such a long time, or maybe because they are HPs. I would not be adverse to getting a Mac. Everyone I know who has a Mac raves about it. I could not use a Mac while at work as it is not compatible with our Windows-based system, or I would have before. I know the updates for Windows never took that long and seemed to be on a regular basis, so not so many at one time.
I would never go Mac……my brother loves it but not for me….it’s okay if you have an I-Phone and an IPad (I have neither)and want to link them but to me it’s a Windows world. I don’t have a problem with my laptop but I did a fair bit of research before I bought it and wanted something lightweight and portable like an IPad hence the 13 inch screen. I remember the days of tons of bugs/problems with Windows but it seems easier now….I remember spending entire afternoons trying to fix things/reload things/reboot etc. The only complaint I have now is I can’t made folders in Pictures but have to dump everything into the Picture folder and either delete or drag and drop. The computer guy did not have a fix for this but was aware of it. Probably my cell phones are too old, because it asks me to scan the device, but he suggested I not do that.
I didn’t realize that you have to link to an iPhone or iPad. I have never even used a tablet. I’m not really keen on Windows 10 – but I’ve been on Windows 7 now since 2009 and I find it so easy. Every time I’m on the Windows 10 laptop to do updates or with Ron last week, there are always messages popping up or pinging. And the task bar with its “highlights” – I’m not used to the distraction. I think I am going to have to swap this keyboard for a new one before work tomorrow. The keys are stuttering again and I had to remove the wireless gizmo in the port a few times. I’m glad I have a back-up keyboard to use. I don’t like that you can’t sort out your picture folder – you can’t do it even after you organize your posts, say for a particular post? I do that and subdivide a certain day into various sub-sub-files for different categories in the post. I’m not going to like that and I’ve never been able to drag and drop as I seem to lose the picture or item halfway there.
I’m not sure what happened with the Windows photos upload but the computer shop seemed to be aware of it and say it is due to a Windows upgrade that affected some devices. The clerk at the Telus store told me it was better to stay with an android or Samsung cell phone if you have a Windows computer. When I go to import Photos and it asked me to select or create a new folder it does not work, it just dumps everything under Pictures. Whereas before I could create subfolders within a folder. I think the Ipad/Iphone/Mac combo is more seamless but you can probably configure an android phone to a Mac, it’s just not as easy.
Wow – it sounds complicated and more and more I know I don’t want to go to Windows 10 and may just keep it for an emergency for now. If I can’t access my work computer using this laptop, I can use the Windows 10 and send what I need. Do you use Google photos Joni? I’ve not tried it as I sent my photos by e-mail from my G-mail account to my Comcast account and leave them in folders in my really old 2009 laptop. I am going to try it some day – just no time it seems. I have to answer your Gmail. I’m now behind since February 7th in Reader. Today he signed a one-year lease (at our same building/suite) until March 1, 2024 … I hope that is the “end-end” but I hold no hope out to be honest.
I’m sorry if I’m giving you the wrong impression but I like Windows 10 – I find it glitch free, (other than the photo thing and that’s just a recent development as it worked fine for 6 years, and it might have more to do with it not recognizing my older camera devices). I did not notice much or any difference when I switched over from Windows 7 on the pre-2016 computer, although I only use the basic Word program, not Excel or anything more complicated. So it’s all good IMO. No I don’t use Google photos. Sorry to hear that he extended the lease, but at least it’s only one year. Don’t worry re responding to the gmail, I haven’t answered yours either. It seems there are not enough hours in the day!
I am probably spinning the idea of going onto Windows 10 into some kind of angst. I am already using Windows 10 at work after our Outlook crashed (again) about 18 months ago. So, that part is okay – it is the idea of transferring what I have on this laptop as well – I have a lot of stuff on here, even though I spent a day going thru this laptop to write down a lot of passwords/logons, etc. I had created as I had to leave Google Chrome as it was no longer supported on Windows 7 for updates, etc. so I switched over to Firefox. That’s good you like it though. I wasn’t sure how Google photos or docs worked – I thought I could put my photos and documents (like blog posts started), some notes onto those platforms and then get over to the Windows 10 laptop. I don’t use any other programs except Outlook and Word at work. Yes, a disappointment about the lease – another year to tough it out. I already responded (finally) – don’t worry about responding to that one or this one … I agree not enough hours in the day! And when do I fit reading in there – at least I’m getting 7 to 7 1/2 hours of sleep a night. I am now going to Reader where I am eight days behind.
Do you have a computer shop that could transfer the data over? I had my computer guy do it – I gave him a list of what I wanted transferred over to the new computer, but if you are just switching to Windows 10, wouldn’t all the stuff just be there automatically. ie are you upgrading your operating system OR switching everything over to a new computer? I haven’t read on Reader since Sunday, so I’m behind too, but think I will wait until the weekend and set aside some time to catch up then.
There is a computer shop in the next city over that could probably do that or use Geek Squad through Best Buy. When Robb told me we were getting the Windows 10 desktops and he had ordered Windows 10 laptops for both of us, (this was in early 2019), I Googled to see if you could transfer the contents of your computer onto another computer. When Robb/I left the Firm, our in-house computer guy was really nice and made me a flash drive with all my favorite internet sites on it, to open on the office computer. I had court sites, reference sites and that was nice of him to do that. So, I learned you can put everything, docs, “favorites” or “bookmarked” types of sites and transfer them over. So I planned to do that – then Ron never did anything to this computer (adding Office to the computer and the VPN) until last Thursday (yes … it’s been here since June 2019). So I need to either ask him or try it myself. I had thought to just put it on a flash drive. I don’t have any work things on my laptop, just personal documents/lists and blogging stuff. If it was easy, I might be more tempted to use it.
Woo hoo, I got to this while it’s still February! I’m close enough to spring that I’m OK with snow pictures.
The farm my mother grew up on got electricity in 1939. I think that was close to the time her father bought a new Ford tractor (with the Ferguson hitch system) to replace their old horses.
My father lived next to a small lake and we would skate on it sometimes. Nobody ever fell in, so that was good.
I should have included an old photo of my parents in an old cutter from the farm – taken around 1945 I think when my dad still had the big horses. Now a one horse open sleigh ride would be fun. Ice storm out there tonight so winter’s not over yet, our second in a week, and more snow for Thursday too.
thehomeplaceweb 
I am relaxing with harp music and your snow scenes before turning in for the night, Joni, so soothing for this old woman with a stuffy head cold. Flonase and Musinex to the rescue, accompanied by hot lemon Echinacea tea. And harp strings.
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I hope you’re feeling better today Jo! I haven’t had a cold since pre-pandemic days but I know there are lots of them circulating as it’s been a bad year for viruses. Take care of yourself!
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Thank you, Joni. I had assumed that I was immune from all those viruses! Now Hubby is down with a sore throat. At least the sun is out bright today, even if ole Punxsutawney Phil is lurking about somewhere. We always experience several more weeks of winter whether he sees his shadow or not.
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Oh dear……did you self-test for Covid?
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No ~ This does not feel like COVID. I had it that first year, and since then we’ve been triple vaccinated and boostered. This is more the old-fashioned bad head cold.
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I just wondered, as the symptoms seem to have changed for the newer variants. My friend thought she just had a sinus cold at Christmas, but on day 4 she tested, at my suggestion and it was Covid. More nasal symptoms, congestion and headache, some sore throat with the newer variants and of course fatigue. She was triple vaccinated and boosted with the bivalent booster too a month before, which possibly made it milder, although she is still complaining of fatigue. I didn’t know you’d already had COVID! We have managed to evade it so far. I hope you feel better soon!
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Thank you, Joni. The cold-type symptoms have lightened on this third, and I’m breathing on my own w/o nasal spray. No fever. Up walking, waiting on Hubby who has stayed in bed today. Neither of us has fever. We’re not missing out on anything important this first week of February; plenty of food and liquids in the refrigerator, and the house is comfortably warm. For a couple of old fogies, we’re managing.
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That’s good to hear Jo. I guess if you have to be sick February is a good month. We’re well stocked too – I was just reorganizing the freezer – lasagna, beef stew, turkey pie, meatloaf, chili – it’s chockfull of leftovers! When I have a cold though all I want is Campbell’s Chicken Noodle soup!
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This is a charming photo-essay. I imagine you had fun creating it.
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Thanks Neil! I did – I love old photos and belong to a facebook group where they post old scenes. I feel like I’ve neglected my mothers painting career since the pandemic, but a museum came this week to pick up a couple of paintings for a 2 year loan as part of an agricultural exhibit, one of which was the Hockey on the Pond, so that served as the muse for the post.
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I find it kind of sad my kids won’t have black-and-white photos as memories (even though they can create “fake” ones with their phones). Maybe changing fashions will distinguish their old images from new ones when they look back someday. I love the shot of you on skates as a child, and the story of how your parents met (meant to be!)
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Thanks Dave! I fear if the whole computer system crashes some day, no one will have any photos period…..but maybe young people don’t want that kind of printed stuff anymore. I know I have tons of photo albums to store…. Yes, my parents had a meet-cute story, although they didn’t actually get married until they were 26, as my dad’s parents were older and unwell. They both died the same year so I never knew that set of grandparents.
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Sounds quite familiar, as my Daddy’s parents died before I was born. In fact, his mother died during a Typhoid pandemic (or epidemic?) long ago. I have old photographs arranged in an album, along with other albums. How anyone can keep up with digital photo albums is beyond me! I much prefer a choice selection pasted in an album that I can leaf through on winter days when it’s dark and gloomy.
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My digital photo albums are a mess now that Microsoft will not allow me to create a new album when I import photos off my camera. So frustrating and no IT person seems to know how to fix it? So now I have to throw everything into Pictures and then try and move them (drag and drop) into individual albums…..it seems printing and sticking them in a photo album was much easier!
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Easier by far!
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PS. It’s hard to believe that people used to die of typhoid, but they did. I used to dispense the odd Typhoid vaccine for people who were traveling to exotic areas.
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I loved that stuff as a kid. Now I’m an indoor person in cold weather but I still have my memories!
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Me too…..although I do force myself to walk everyday, with a bribe of hot chocolate after. Today was a beautiful winter’s day, and even though it was cold, there was warmth to the sun which stayed out all day, and I was thinking it was a perfect day for outdoor activities. I realized I forgot to include skiing, but my province is very flat….no hills around here.
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The “Outdoor skating party – 1902” photo is charming. It shows a world just like I’d imagine it. I remember skating on ponds as a kid and that they were never smooth. I also remember kids with toboggans, but I never had one. Just a one person sled for me.
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Thanks Ally! I belong to a facebook group which posts old photos and really enjoy them. A one person sled is much safer!
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What a fantastic collection of memories in paintings and photos (except maybe the one about the boy who drowned). I had a lot of winter fun growing up, except sledding – face first into a tree! I stuck with saucers after that.
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Oh no! That must have been scary! I hope things are going well with your book project!
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Things are progressing on the book, but a long way to go. Thanks!
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Beautiful photos and paintings of your Mom. So enjoyed this post, Joni! ❤
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Thanks! I will pass the compliment along to her. I had fun putting it together.
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PS. That Florence puzzle was an enjoyable challenge – it took us 6 days to finish it, as all the buildings in the middle and the rooftops were dark brown. My mom doesn’t have good lighting in her dining room, so it was a project for sunny days with the drapes open.
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How nice that you did it together. Every puzzle has its challenging sections, right. It’s February — Spring is close by.
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This is a delightful depiction of cold weather activities – such as we never experience – along with a bit of family history. I have enjoyed reading this post.
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Thanks Anne! I enjoyed putting it together – I love old photos, and I feel like I’ve been neglecting mom’s artwork. A museum recently asked for a loan of the Hockey on the Pond one for an agricultural exhibit, which sparked the idea of the blog.
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What a fun post Joni. I love you mom’s paintings. This brought back lots of childhood memories. We had a large sledding hill on my grandparent’s farm and the neighbor kids would often come over and go sledding with us. Making snowmen, snowball fights and one year my dad bought an old snowmobile and I learned how to drive it. Oh, and bundling up in all those clothes then coming in and having to find a good place for the mittens to dry before we could go out again. I wish I enjoyed winters as much as I did when I was young.
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Thanks Ruth! You have some nice memories! I’m not sure snowball fights are allowed anymore!
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I thought that too about snowball fights but have recently heard about large snowball fights on college campuses. I’m glad they have not been outlawed.
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Here in Ottawa we are still waiting for skating on the Rideau Canal. Can’t wait!
I love winter, so you won’t hear bellyaching about snow from me. (Rain in winter, yes. I complain about that.) Today I’m going to enjoy a winter walk in the woods. There is nothing better.
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That sounds lovely! Esp. when there is snow. I manage to walk every day, except the really frigid ones. Maybe the canal won’t freeze over this year???? Next week is all rain here and back up to 40 F again.
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Ack! A winter without the Canal? Horrors! I sure hope not. My finger are crossed for cold, but not too cold, weather.!
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This was really a fun post Joni and how nice to see your mom’s artwork for the season. I did see several snowmen as I was driving around the neighborhood giving the car a run in the bitter cold weather. I was surprised to see those snowmen, but then again, the kids here had two days off as a result of the January 25th snowstorm.
I remember tobogganing as a kid as well and I have a photo either in the photo albums I digitized or used on the blog of me sitting on it on my knes. It was over here in the States and there were really no sledding hills around here. In fact, when we moved here and mentioned the toboggan, no one knew what it was … the kids were big on sleds or saucers. Sorry to read you broke your tailbone – ouch!
I remember my first pair of ice skates … I really would have liked a pair with double runners and I might have felt safer, until I got the hang of skating, but it was like when I went from a tricycle to a two-wheeler, with no training wheels in between … both were said to be “unnecessary” according to my father. We had a rink in the City of Oakville and I remember going there on a weekend afternoon with my father. They had a concession stand that only sold hot chocolate and red licorice sticks. Funny how you remember little details like that years later.
The neighbors who used to live across the street from us had four children, all about a year apart. Every year he had wooden frames and he would create an ice rink for the kids. It was interesting because he would use all that water to create the rink, but told his wife to collect the dishwater and washing machine water into pails to water her perennial garden.
You make Winter seem fun … it was not fun yesterday when I was out in a “real feel” temp of 1 degree, but today was 43!
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Several dads in my neighbourhood had backyard rinks and it was always nice to look out the kitchen window and see the kids skating, esp. at night. But they are a lot of work to set up and maintain. I like an outdoor rink myself, but I would be afraid to skate now as my last bone density test was so bad. I’m very careful not to slip and fall. My friend did last year and spent a month in hospital with a broken pelvis. Not fun and a long recovery period. I seldom see any kids out playing in the snow anymore. I was able to walk today as it was milder. A lot of the snow melted. ACG&S was good tonight – at least we know what happened with the housekeeper and her son and husband.
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I am behind responding – wow, two days and still hopelessly behind in Reader, despite hours and hours spent there over the weekend. I have never skated on an outdoor rink – the one in Oakville was an ice arena in town. I have not worked in Downtown Detroit for many years and they now have revitalized the business district to include a huge ice skating ring every Winter. Campus Martius looks nice when I see the photos of people skating there, but I’d never try it now. I was too unsteady on skates when I was younger. I am afraid of falling too. They are pricey there though – adults $12.00; children $9.00 and skates $6.00, so not a cheap afternoon of family time.
At the Park I have been walking on the snow since they never bothered to plow after the January 25th storm, then we had the freezing rain 2X which made it a slick mess. Takes longer to heal now that we’re older so too risky to try the pathway. I don’t see kids playing out in the snow either, so I was surprised to see all the snowmen in the neighborhood. Maybe the adults made them?
I thought Sunday’s program was good too – I had Googled once to find out what happened to her husband, maybe when she first met Gerald. But I wasn’t clear on what happened with her son. I wanted to bop him the way he was disrespecting her, but glad he had a change of heart about the cookies albeit too late for her to hand them to her.
I finally finished my book this morning as it was freezing rain so didn’t walk. It had gotten boring with lots of facts and figures where they went and history lessons from the past … but I persevered and finished.
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I thought the housekeeper’s son was an odd looking fellow – and so was the young kid who followed Sigfield around – wonder why they cast them? I found it very hard to follow her speech – she either needs to speak louder or stop mumbling. I started reading Spare – Prince Harry’s autobiography – only about 50 pages in – it’s readable but not riveting. There was a section on him killing a stag at Balmoral that just made my stomach turn so badly that I almost quit reading it. I guess hunting is a British way of life….
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I was about to shut down and saw your comment. That kid acted rather old for his age and what kind of lunch did he bring? I couldn’t see it and Siegfried said he had them. I thought he said mayonnaise sandwich. (My grandmother used to say when she was young, the kids, (she was one of 9 kids), had apple butter or ketchup sandwiches they took to school). I wish they’d use subtitles sometimes. Some of the farmers especially as they’re usually doing some type of work and their head is down muffling their words – that Yorkshire accent is hard to follow.
Interesting about “Spare” – I would like to read it eventually, but would wait until paperback. (We used to say that in buying books – we’ll wait ’til it comes out in paperback, but now paperbacks are ridiculously high.) That would sicken me as well. The fox and hounds and pomp and circumstance of hunting life. We had a client who was big on hunting and my boss went to his office one time, first time he’d been there and didn’t know about his hunting expeditions he went on in Africa and around the world) and he told me there were heads covering the walls and other “prize trophies” – not my cup of tea either.
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I didn’t catch the kind of sandwich either…..a whole lotta mumbling going on! Watched part of Biden’s speech, now going to bed early for a change.
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It’s difficult and I’ll finally get used to interpreting it, then it’s off the air until January. I am late tonight – I’ve been doing much better getting seven to seven and one-half hours of sleep. Tomorrow we have severe weather again, with 55-60 mph winds. Already worried about it after the windy night in December.
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But remember you have your generator! We’re supposed to get freezing rain but I doubt it as the temps are too mild.
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Yes and so far so good. No power outage so far and spent three hours on the phone from 3:30 to 6:15 with Ron who finally finished configuring the Windows 10 laptop by adding a VPN and Office 365. I really only need Word, so if I keep this Windows 10 laptop, I will cancel it and just get a download of Word on my own. The winds have been raging most of the day and supposed to die down by midnight. We also were to get freezing rain and did not thankfully. Finally the Park lost all the ice and snow – I was surprised it melted so quickly. We are having a cold night tonight, so I expect some black ice in the morning, especially the one side of the Park that runs parallel to the Creek.
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My computer shop told me Windows 10 will be out b 2025…..but then your boss will be retired by then right??? We didn’t get freezing rain either, it was really windy around supper but now it’s died down again. It felt like spring this afternoon, no snow, the sun shone for a few hours and I managed to get a walk in.
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My wireless keyboard started acting up about a half-hour before I left work. I put in new batteries and took the wireless plug in/out, but every so often it repeats letters. Good thing I have a back up so I hope this one lasts all evening. I don’t know what happened to the brand-new keyboard I bought for the Windows 10. The Windows 10 will not accommodate Windows 11 … interesting about Windows 10. I hope he retires before 2025 (starting to wonder???) I would consider getting a Mac as they have so few problems. I really like Windows 7 … still have my first Windows 7 laptop bought in 2009 and it works fine, but no battery and missing a couple of keys. It was ugly yesterday – glad the wind finally died down as I was worried about that dead tree. Not looking bad for the near term. One of the meteorologists I listen to said we are not done with the snow yet.
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I have Office 365 – once a year they auto-renew and charge me….I think it’s about $90. I only use the Word part too, but I didn’t think you could buy it alone?
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I had no idea how much the renewable license for the entire suite was. On Amazon, you can get a download and it is a lifetime “one-time only” download for $139.00. That is what I got for this laptop (as to Word 2010) and the real old laptop (Word 2007) and asked Ron to do that and he said “but we have a license.” Sigh. I should have gotten it myself and had Robb reimburse me, rather than wait since June 2019 for this to be done. So, this Microsoft download includes Office 365 Word, PowerPoint and Excel and is “Home/Student”. The lower version of Office 365 suite is $39.00 or $49.00, but the new version of the same suite for “Home/Student” is $139.00 (Amazon) as mentioned above. That is a good deal and I would not need the latest version of Word as I only use it for blogging. That is what I’ll do when the license is over (and hopefully retired). There is also the Apache Open Office suite. It is similar to Word and is a free download. That is an option since the only personal use I have for Word is blogging as I draft the posts in Word and transfer it over to WP.
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I must be mixed up then, as I think what I am buying/renewing annually includes automatic updates for Windows, but I could be wrong. When I bought my new computer in 2016 and I was just going to have the computer guy transfer over my older version of Word and he said no I had to buy the new one with the annual renewal fee, or maybe it was just an annual fee? I could be wrong though as i was 7 years ago.
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I think you’re just paying for the annual renewal of Microsoft Office and that’s what I am hoping to avoid since I only want Word, so I’ll buy a lifetime copy of it (download or disk). I would think you still have to do the Windows updates. I’ve been doing the Windows updates on the Windows 10 computer since 2019 about every 2-3 weeks. Sometimes there are none and sometimes there are one or two updates that take hours and hours. I don’t like that. I changed them to automatically download overnight. If I download them during work or while I would be sitting here, that is fine, but they take a long time. I don’t know why they changed it to be honest. My Word 2007 and 2010 are very similar and this week due to more computer issues, I had to type on my own computer using Word 2010 and it transfers back into Office Word fine. I’m really not keen on using that Windows 10 laptop except for the larger screen. But, if I have an issue on this laptop remoting in, I can now remote in there and send files to myself at this computer. It’s all too much sometimes! It was a beautiful day – I walked five miles and took the car in for its latest tire monitor system issue first.
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Linda, I get automatic updates when I go to shut the computer off, it will ask Update and Shut Off, or update and restart, but it usually only takes a few minutes? The notice is there maybe every few weeks or so? I never go on and manually do updates, although I think I might have years ago and I would have to select which ones, this 2016 laptop came with Windows 10 which was new out the I think. It was nice and sunny, but colder.
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I wonder why mine take so long to do? I usually only do them when I am home for the day every few weeks. I no longer get updates on Windows 7, but I used to set them to download during the day, then had to restart after I was done at work if it was a weekday. At least the Windows 7 is now configured (after being here since June 2019), so that if I can’t remote in from this laptop, I can use it to get my documents. I have to swap laptops eventually but was waiting for him to do what he had to do with it. The only great thing about Windows 10 is it will have a bigger screen than this one. Otherwise, I don’t know if I can transfer things I have on here like pictures, posts I draft when I return from walking … it’s inconvenient to switch horses. 🙂
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You should ask him why it’s so slow? Also re transferring stuff. I think once photos are in Pictures and drafts are in Word, they are just there, despite the operating system?? But I don’t really know.
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I just learned recently you can put documents and pictures in Google … I usually go through my photos, then send them by e-mail from G-mail to Comcast, so I have a copy of them in two places until I use them in my blog. I keep thinking, well I have sorted out pics now thru March and could just put new things on the Windows 10 laptop … if I had room to put another table in the kitchen, I could use both, but don’t really want to do that.
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PS. I’m thinking my computer guy must have set the Windows updates to do automatically – he’s pretty good. I know they are Windows updates as it says so on the screen, with the % of the update done, but it never takes more than 5-10minutes, even before I got the faster processor put in last fall.
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Hmm – well why are these so slow I wonder? I have to flip it over and see when it was made (maybe he had this laptop laying around and didn’t buy it with what he charged Robb for)? The reason I say that is he supposedly ordered it in 2018 or early 2019 and it has a notice that flashes it is not eligible to upgrade to Windows 11. The Cortana does not work … I’m okay with that as I just Google, but it has never worked. Now I am going to wonder about that … I have to see if it says when it was manufactured on the bottom of the laptop.
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When I had my a faster hard drive installed last fall ($100 but worth it he said and it is), computer guy told me my 2016 laptop would not be eligible to upgrade to Windows 11 in 2025, but I figure it would be 9 years old then and time to get a new one anyway. The Asus Zen book I bought in 2016 for $1100 (including tax) now costs $2000 which is why I went for the hard drive upgrade, as it was much cheaper and he said it would enable me to get another 2 years out of it. I think the prices were high as computer chips were in short supply. Yea, see if you can find out when it was made, it shouldn’t be that slow with updates??
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I have to look and see. I am assuming it is on the bottom of it. I have always used HP laptops – I had asked to order an HP laptop for me and he ordered a Dell. I never untether my laptops to that’s probably why they last such a long time, or maybe because they are HPs. I would not be adverse to getting a Mac. Everyone I know who has a Mac raves about it. I could not use a Mac while at work as it is not compatible with our Windows-based system, or I would have before. I know the updates for Windows never took that long and seemed to be on a regular basis, so not so many at one time.
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I would never go Mac……my brother loves it but not for me….it’s okay if you have an I-Phone and an IPad (I have neither)and want to link them but to me it’s a Windows world. I don’t have a problem with my laptop but I did a fair bit of research before I bought it and wanted something lightweight and portable like an IPad hence the 13 inch screen. I remember the days of tons of bugs/problems with Windows but it seems easier now….I remember spending entire afternoons trying to fix things/reload things/reboot etc. The only complaint I have now is I can’t made folders in Pictures but have to dump everything into the Picture folder and either delete or drag and drop. The computer guy did not have a fix for this but was aware of it. Probably my cell phones are too old, because it asks me to scan the device, but he suggested I not do that.
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I didn’t realize that you have to link to an iPhone or iPad. I have never even used a tablet. I’m not really keen on Windows 10 – but I’ve been on Windows 7 now since 2009 and I find it so easy. Every time I’m on the Windows 10 laptop to do updates or with Ron last week, there are always messages popping up or pinging. And the task bar with its “highlights” – I’m not used to the distraction. I think I am going to have to swap this keyboard for a new one before work tomorrow. The keys are stuttering again and I had to remove the wireless gizmo in the port a few times. I’m glad I have a back-up keyboard to use. I don’t like that you can’t sort out your picture folder – you can’t do it even after you organize your posts, say for a particular post? I do that and subdivide a certain day into various sub-sub-files for different categories in the post. I’m not going to like that and I’ve never been able to drag and drop as I seem to lose the picture or item halfway there.
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I’m not sure what happened with the Windows photos upload but the computer shop seemed to be aware of it and say it is due to a Windows upgrade that affected some devices. The clerk at the Telus store told me it was better to stay with an android or Samsung cell phone if you have a Windows computer. When I go to import Photos and it asked me to select or create a new folder it does not work, it just dumps everything under Pictures. Whereas before I could create subfolders within a folder. I think the Ipad/Iphone/Mac combo is more seamless but you can probably configure an android phone to a Mac, it’s just not as easy.
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Wow – it sounds complicated and more and more I know I don’t want to go to Windows 10 and may just keep it for an emergency for now. If I can’t access my work computer using this laptop, I can use the Windows 10 and send what I need. Do you use Google photos Joni? I’ve not tried it as I sent my photos by e-mail from my G-mail account to my Comcast account and leave them in folders in my really old 2009 laptop. I am going to try it some day – just no time it seems. I have to answer your Gmail. I’m now behind since February 7th in Reader. Today he signed a one-year lease (at our same building/suite) until March 1, 2024 … I hope that is the “end-end” but I hold no hope out to be honest.
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I’m sorry if I’m giving you the wrong impression but I like Windows 10 – I find it glitch free, (other than the photo thing and that’s just a recent development as it worked fine for 6 years, and it might have more to do with it not recognizing my older camera devices). I did not notice much or any difference when I switched over from Windows 7 on the pre-2016 computer, although I only use the basic Word program, not Excel or anything more complicated. So it’s all good IMO. No I don’t use Google photos. Sorry to hear that he extended the lease, but at least it’s only one year. Don’t worry re responding to the gmail, I haven’t answered yours either. It seems there are not enough hours in the day!
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I am probably spinning the idea of going onto Windows 10 into some kind of angst. I am already using Windows 10 at work after our Outlook crashed (again) about 18 months ago. So, that part is okay – it is the idea of transferring what I have on this laptop as well – I have a lot of stuff on here, even though I spent a day going thru this laptop to write down a lot of passwords/logons, etc. I had created as I had to leave Google Chrome as it was no longer supported on Windows 7 for updates, etc. so I switched over to Firefox. That’s good you like it though. I wasn’t sure how Google photos or docs worked – I thought I could put my photos and documents (like blog posts started), some notes onto those platforms and then get over to the Windows 10 laptop. I don’t use any other programs except Outlook and Word at work. Yes, a disappointment about the lease – another year to tough it out. I already responded (finally) – don’t worry about responding to that one or this one … I agree not enough hours in the day! And when do I fit reading in there – at least I’m getting 7 to 7 1/2 hours of sleep a night. I am now going to Reader where I am eight days behind.
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Do you have a computer shop that could transfer the data over? I had my computer guy do it – I gave him a list of what I wanted transferred over to the new computer, but if you are just switching to Windows 10, wouldn’t all the stuff just be there automatically. ie are you upgrading your operating system OR switching everything over to a new computer? I haven’t read on Reader since Sunday, so I’m behind too, but think I will wait until the weekend and set aside some time to catch up then.
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There is a computer shop in the next city over that could probably do that or use Geek Squad through Best Buy. When Robb told me we were getting the Windows 10 desktops and he had ordered Windows 10 laptops for both of us, (this was in early 2019), I Googled to see if you could transfer the contents of your computer onto another computer. When Robb/I left the Firm, our in-house computer guy was really nice and made me a flash drive with all my favorite internet sites on it, to open on the office computer. I had court sites, reference sites and that was nice of him to do that. So, I learned you can put everything, docs, “favorites” or “bookmarked” types of sites and transfer them over. So I planned to do that – then Ron never did anything to this computer (adding Office to the computer and the VPN) until last Thursday (yes … it’s been here since June 2019). So I need to either ask him or try it myself. I had thought to just put it on a flash drive. I don’t have any work things on my laptop, just personal documents/lists and blogging stuff. If it was easy, I might be more tempted to use it.
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Woo hoo, I got to this while it’s still February! I’m close enough to spring that I’m OK with snow pictures.
The farm my mother grew up on got electricity in 1939. I think that was close to the time her father bought a new Ford tractor (with the Ferguson hitch system) to replace their old horses.
My father lived next to a small lake and we would skate on it sometimes. Nobody ever fell in, so that was good.
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I should have included an old photo of my parents in an old cutter from the farm – taken around 1945 I think when my dad still had the big horses. Now a one horse open sleigh ride would be fun. Ice storm out there tonight so winter’s not over yet, our second in a week, and more snow for Thursday too.
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