A CHANGE OF PLANS TODAY AND WE'RE WORKING ON HOSPICE CARE

Oh My, what a difference a good night's sleep can make.  I'm feeling so much better compared to the past four or five days.  I was almost afraid to part the curtains this morning expecting to see another foot of snow out there.  Luckily, we got off with a light dusting.  At this time and under the circumstances, every little bit helps.  I still had a craving for orange juice and despite a snow squall warning in our area, I headed into Bayfield in hopes of finding the Foodland grocery store open.  It was and I grabbed a jug of juice, slipped back out to the car, open it, and swamped down nearly a third of the jug.  I thought of Richard and Gayle and called there place to see if they needed anything from Foodland.  Gayle said two loaves of cheese bread would make her day.  Richard wasn't home because he was in the hospital so I drove the two loaves of Cheesebread over to their place.  Their long lane hadn't been plowed yet this morning but with the all-wheel drive Subaru, I didn't have any problem getting those loaves of Cheesebread delivered.  Desperately needing something to feel good about, this little deed was a lifesaver.  But then it got even better.  Richard was released from the Clinton hospital and I was able to slip over to Clinton later, scoop him up, and take him home.  Now my 'feeling good' was over the Moon.  From Richard and Gayles I immediately made fast tracks for the Goderich Hospital with a much neede stop at Walmart first.  From there it was on to the hospital.  It had probably been nearly a week since I last saw Kelly and with this head and chest cold finally out of my system, I felt comfortable enough that I wouldn't infect her or the hospital staff.  As a precaution, I wore a face mask.

 A COUPLE SNOWY MAIL BOXES ALONG THE WAY TODAY

 WE'VE NEVER HAD THIS MUCH SNOW ON OUR REAR DECK BEFORE

OUR SNOWY STREET THIS MORNING

 THE GARBAGE RECYCLING TRUCK HAS NOT MADE IT INTO OUR PARK YET

So, there has been a change in thinking that has led to a change of plans today regarding Kelly's health care.  Paperwork has been submitted to a hospice center near Clinton.  It's in the countryside and only a short 15-minute drive from our house.  We're hoping to know tomorrow if we can get her in there.......Kelly's condition is slowly deteriorating and both Sabra and I could see that today.  But, despite that, Kelly's spirit is still there.  It may not be in fighting mode any longer but it is in 'acceptance' mode and we can comfortably talk about things.  Sabra is staying in Goderich an extra night and will be back with her Mom tomorrow as well as myself.  Sabra, like her Mother, is good at organizing things and getting things done and that is a big help for me as well.

 AT THE HOSPITAL THIS AFTERNOON

 KELLY'S TALKING TO HER LONDON LIVER DOCTOR AND THANKING HIM FOR ALL THE HELP HE HAS BEEN TO HER FOR THESE PAST NUMBER OF YEARS

 SABRA AND I LISTENED TO THEIR CONVERSATION

The weather wasn't the best for driving today but luckily, snowplows had been out in force.  Just some blowing snow and a couple small snow drifts to plow through.  I have a lot of experience of punching my way through snowstorms over the years.  Plus, I'm 'supposedly' at an old and wiser state of my life now where I don't listen to that foolishly rambunctious teenager inside of me saying,  'So what if the road ain't plowed, I can make it through'  'Watch this boys'!!  Oh Dear, I was such a 'show-off' in those teenage years:((  But then again, what male teenager isn't.

 TODAY'S DRIVING CONDITIONS

Al's Music Box:)) Close To You is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David with sections of the early version written by Cathy Steeves. The best-known version is that recorded by the American duo the Carpenters for their second studio album Close to You (1970) and produced by Jack Daugherty. It was released on May 14, 1970. The record was certified gold and became their breakthrough hit. Believing the original title to be too long, Richard Carpenter added parentheses around  In 2018, Billboard ranked "Close to You" the top single of the summer of 1970.  Bacharach and David gave Herb Alpert the song after he scored a number one hit in 1968 with "This Guy's in Love with You", which the duo had also written. Alpert recorded the song, but he was displeased with the recording and did not release it. After the Carpenters achieved their first chart success with "Ticket to Ride" in 1969, Alpert approached them to record their version of the song, believing it was well-suited for them.  With some reluctance, Richard Carpenter worked up an arrangement but wasn't keen on it. He expected the matter to pass without further word. A short time later, word circulated back to Richard and Karen that Herb "really wanted them" to record the song. Knowing he and Karen were in a vulnerable position with the label after the dismal chart performance of "Ticket to Ride", Richard went back to work.  Carpenter and Alpert collaborated on the song, and the finished product for the album was 4 minutes and 36 seconds. When A&M Records decided to remove the extended coda and release it as a 3-minute, 40-second long single in May 1970, it became A&M's biggest hit since Alpert's "This Guy's in Love with You."  "(They Long to Be) Close to You" earned the Carpenters a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Performance by a Duo, Group, or Chorus in 1971. It became the first of three Grammy Awards they would win during their careers. The song was certified gold by the recording Richard had originally written with the flugelhorn solo part for Herb Alpert but when he was unavailable at the time of recording, Chuck Findley was hired in his stead. Richard later commented: "Chuck didn't play it that way at first, but I worked with him and he nailed it. A lot of people thought it was Herb Alpert playing it.  Bacharach thought so, too. But it's the way Findley is playing it."  The arrangement was completely different from the version Bacharach cut with Richard Chamberlain, with one exception. When Richard Carpenter asked Bacharach for permission (as a courtesy) to redo the song, Bacharach requested that he keep the two "quintuplets" (five-note groupings" (piano ornaments) at the end of the first bridge. Bacharach recalled his initial reaction on hearing the finished product: "Man, this is just great! I completely blew it with Richard Chamberlain but now someone else has come along and made a record so much better than mine."

GROANER'S CORNER:(( 

Retirement is when you stop living at work and start working at living.

They say retirement is the world’s longest coffee break. Enjoy! 

Goodbye tension, hello pension!-

Why is there a light in the fridge and not in the freezer?

Why does Goofy stand erect while Pluto remains on all fours? They're both dogs!

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Al's Doggy World

Meanings::

Al's Art Gallery