This morning I was browsing my friends’ Facebook posts, and ran across one of a girl I know who is looking into buying a puppy.  She said she had been

looking for weeks and hadn’t been able to find one.  It just made me think back on the experience I had when I adopted my fur child from a shelter last March .

Because my experience was such an enjoyable one, I think that shelter dogs will be the only dogs that I get in the future.  My little boy had been rescued from a puppy mill.  He is a full breed Miniature Schnauzer.  But he was going to be put to sleep by the operators of the mill because he has a little defect with his ear.  The rescuers said they aren’t sure if he was bitten by another dog, or what exactly happened.  But basically, he was almost killed because he wasn’t perfect in the mill operator’s eyes.  They told me that when they rescued my sweet boy, he had an infection and no hair on his ear at all.  But let me tell you, he was and still is GORGEOUS! And he is perfect.  It still makes me upset to think that there are people out there just after money, that have no regard for living creatures.  Apparently, this is something that happens all the time.  So if you get a shelter dog, you could be saving a life.  If that’s not rewarding I don’t know what is.

Needless to say, I gave this whole story to my friend on Facebook.  Hopefully she goes the shelter route when picking out her new best friend.

Throughout the week, I always am thinking to myself about random things. These random things usually turn into things I write short quotes or poems about. Here are a few random thoughts of mine, you can turn into your own.

“We are young, so why are we so concerned with finding our significant other? This person will enter our life when the time is right. Experience your youth, find who you are, make foundation for yourself whether that’s your education, career or location. After all these things have been defined and conquered, you will be ready to give your all to the one who is equally prepared.”

“Standards and being on one’s level are two different things. Standards are levels you set yourself or others to be at. Levels are how many standards you actually qualify for. Set your standards at the level you actually are.  So, when you meet someone – you get in return what you deserve. ”

“I believe there’s 3 sides to every story, yours, mine & the whole truth.”

I do certainly feel for the people who really look to make some serious money in a snowy winter. The guys who bank on snow plowing this time of year are probably not happy with what I am about to say, but I am loving this winter. Mild temperatures, 3 inches of snow maybe at one time and very little use of my shovel make me a happy man.
No blistering cold live shots standing on a highway. No wind piercing through your jacket as you shovel 3 feet of snow. And no throbbing back when you get back inside.
Now as I write this I bet Mother Nature is lining up a storm. But for the time being I am going to enjoy it and look forward to sunscreen weather which does not feel like that far away.

While the mild winter thus far has proved to be an economic bust for snow plowing companies, it sure is saving taxpayers and local governments some big bucks in salt and employee overtime. Those are just a couple of the benefits I can see from having a warmer-than-usual January.

Sorry, I’m not a fan of snow. I grew up in Northeast Ohio and saw my fair share, especially the blizzard of 1977 as a kid. My family lived on a hill. I’ve shoveled tons of the white stuff in my lifetime. I’m tired of it. Done. Finished. So I’m very delighted to only see an inch or two at a time that quickly melts.

Move to Florida or some other warmer climate, you say? Nah, I like Ohio and its people.

Our seasons may be a whole lot shorter compared to other regions, but, like many others, I want to stay close to family and friends. I’m a creature of routine, if you will. My early career took me out-of-state and if I can help it, I’m not going to leave again.

That’s not to say I won’t be the typical Ohioan and complain about the weather. Yes, we always know snow is going to happen, yet we whine and moan about it anyway. I guess it’s in our DNA.

But you won’t hear me complain about this winter to date. In fact, I’ve been able to get out and do some stuff on the weekends I probably wouldn’t do if I was shoveling instead. But I am worried about a possible repeat of what happened a few winters back, when we had a mild January. Old Man Winter buried us in late February and well into March. Spring seemed to take forever to finally arrive. Here’s hoping there’s no reprise this time.

The largest Solar Radiation Storm since October 2003 is occurring.  NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center is reporting that a G1 Geomagnetic Storm and a S3 Solar Radiation Storm are in progress.

Impacts for this event include:

Power Systems:  Weak power fluctuations can occur

Spacecraft Operations:  Minor impact on satellite operations

Other Systems:  Migratory animals are affected

Aurora will be commonly visible at higher latitudes.  Tips on viewing the Aurora are located here.  Share your pictures of the Aurora on the Space Weather Prediction Center’s Facebook.

For additional information monitor the Space Weather Prediction Center.

Not sure if you noticed, but I was gone for a whole week! Well, I was on vacation! Believe it or not, it was the first time I have ever gone on vacation in January and I loved it! I spent some time at home and did some shopping with my mom as well as hit up the Detroit Red Wings vs. Buffalo Sabres hockey game. Our beloved Sabres lost, but it was a fun experience sitting in Joe Louis Arena watching the game! It was nice just being able to sit around and relax for a few days and catch up on family time and tv shows : ) Later in the week I went up to Buffalo, NY with my brother to go skiing at Holiday Valley with him, my cousins and aunt over the weekend. Perfect weather for it, fresh powder and family- perfect weekend. I’m not very good, but I enjoy getting out for a few hours on the slopes doing my best not to hit a tree or run into a building. Good news, I succeeded! But, vacation is over. As sad as that may be, I am excited to get back to work, I’m refreshed and ready for anything! : )

I have to admit that my weakness is sweets.  I love the smell of them, the taste of them, the joy of baking them!  I just generally love them.  Earlier this week I had an extreme craving for cupcakes.  I happened to have a few boxes of cake mix in my cabinet.  So, I woke up a few hours early for work to bake some strawberry cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.

After spending my valuable sleep time, I was very disappointed that they weren’t as scrumptious or as satisfying as a gourmet cupcake.  So this weekend I’m in search of a good recipe that will give the very expensive and delicious ones that you can get around town, a run for their money.  I have a few cookbooks, to check out.  However, if any of you out there have some that will knock my socks off, send them my way.  My email address is: ncollier@foxtoledo.com

This is a big weekend for Toledo-area churches.

Many of them are inviting families from outside their membership circle to watch a showing of the movie “Courageous.”

The film is about fatherhood and the struggles dads face to balance their work and home life, as well as being a parent. The movie centers on several police officers forced to make life-changing decisions as they come to grips with struggles within their own families.

“Courageous” follows in the vein of another successful film that caught a lot of people by surprise with its message. Fireproof starred Kirk Cameron, who you may recall from his days as a teen heartthrob on the TV series “Growing Pains.”

So why are churches doing this? Opening their doors right now at a crucial time in people’s lives is one way of reaching out to the community and performing the mission of ministry at home. Many churches focus on hunger and poverty around the world, but many pastors have realized there is a lot of hurt here at home—and have refocused their church efforts accordingly.

My church is one that is showing the film and I extend an invitation to Maumee United Methodist Church at 6:30 p.m., Sat., Jan. 21. For the little ones, my church is showing Dolphin Tale.

I saw this post on another blog and found it very interesting. I just wanted to share.  Click here to read…

Just something I wrote on MLK Day. His open mind helped me create this with a twist on how I feel about love, of course.

He said

You’re such a hopeless romantic

And all I could do is smile

Because what I believe

Isn’t what the world believes

If they did

We would be living a violent free

Love me for me

Forget the color of your skin

Peace on earth

Type of world thing

I’ve been hurt

I get back up every time

Ready to love

Like I’ve always been blind

Learn from my past

Take the risk

Give you all my time

Boy it’s just what I’m willing to do

Because how can I find love

If I’m hiding behind the last one before you?