My Sympathies and Amber Alerts

First of all, DH's car is fixed at minimum cost, so we're happy.  Now on to the blog...

The snow on this Wichita, Kansas roof shows how deep it got.

To all of you who experienced the extreme snowfall yesterday, especially those around Kansas, my sympathies. A snowfall of eight to seventeen inches fell in a little more than twelve intense hours yesterday causing all sorts of problems. We're getting somewhere between two and six inches today which will be a pain, but nothing anywhere close to what these poor people are experiencing. I hope that all of my friends and readers are safe today and can get shoveled out easily.

Here's a loving picture of a sunny beach to make up for the snow and ice.

On Wednesday afternoon my phone made a very odd sound. I had it with me (as always - yes, I'm addicted to having my smartphone with me) and when I picked it up I saw something I had never seen before - an Amber Alert coming through on my screen.

For those not in the US, Amber Alerts are issued by police departments, usually when children are missing. They are effective because they are localized - broadcast in a limited range very quickly after a child is reported missing or abducted. Apparently there now is a new agreement in effect with all of the major cellphone carriers that will send alerts automatically to all cell phones as well as the automated billboards, radio broadcasts and streaming on TV screens. This time it worked - really well.

A person who got the alert on their phone looked out their window and saw the listed car parked nearby. They contacted the police and within an hour the abductor was under arrest and the toddler was back in the arms of his mother. Bravo to all concerned. This is one time when our overly-wired and electronic world paid off.

I'm juggling screens and tasks but it's getting done, one small step at a time.

My days at the shop have been filled with inventory and updating. the shop's website. I've sold beads online through our website since 1996 and prices change all the time. I knew I was behind, so instead of shuffling through pages and pages of price changes, I've been working with my laptop working on the website, set next to the main store computer where I am going through the inventory, one item at a time, and updating any changed information. It's a big job. But doing it this way is working and working really well. So, by the middle of March my website will be up-to-date and I can start working on adding new products to it again. Yeah-I'm happy about that...

Happy 80th Birthday Edward Gorey....