Welcome home...

It is fun to return home from running errands and find a cute little face anxiously awaiting my arrival. Of course, she's happy to see everyone that comes.

And yes, those are still Christmas decorations in the window box. Up until a couple of days ago, the dirt was frozen solid and there was no way to get them out. Maybe it is now time.

The groundhog was wrong...

On Feb. 2 the groundhog predicted only two more weeks of winter. Well, February 16 has come and gone, but winter is still here. I cannot remember a time when spring really began that early. However, the past couple of days have been nice--42 degrees. The rain gutters have been filled with running water as the snow melted off the roof and it is a welcome sound. The streets are wet--it is definitely not the right time yet to wash the winter grim off the cars. So spring hasn't begun, but it has given us the hint that spring will come. It almost feels balmy outside--about 50 degrees warmer than the last 3 or 4 weeks have been.

On Monday evening, we attempted a snowman. The snow wouldn't pack. We haven't had "snowman" snow yet this winter. It's been too light and fluffy--the type of powder skiiers love in the mountains. But we were in our winter gear and didn't want to go back inside quite yet, so we played a game of fox and geese. Our circle is out beyond the pine trees. That game doesn't take long before everyone is hot and sweaty! It must be the exercise combined with the anxiousness of "not getting caught".

After going back inside we played a couple of rounds of Speed Scrabble before I mentioned that old game of Boggle. Elizabeth and Alice had never played it! We got it out, played a round, and they kept begging for more. I found I had an easier time getting to keep my words than when Ryan and Deborah were playing. I don't think we have played that game since those long school vacations in France! (When it always rained for vacation?!?)

A funny thing happened on the way to Wal-Mart...

A couple of weeks ago, the girls and I made a quick trip to Wal-Mart after school. We had a busy schedule, and it was also bitterly cold with a nasty wind, so we were hurrying out to the car. I turned my head to look at Elizabeth and Alice to see what they were bickering about, and

WHAM! I walked right into a post. (The one pictured here isn't the same one, but is identical, except there was no car parked there. )

I saw stars. I had to set my two gallons of milk down before my knees buckled. A couple of deep breaths later I was able to walk to the car, but I had a nasty bump on my forehead--at least it was on the SIDE of my forehead. I still had to sit for a few minutes before being able to drive home.

The tender spot has finally gone away. And I had to wait a couple of weeks to be able to see the humor in it. Or be able to tell about it.

There's still snow...

A neighbor, over the past couple of weeks has been piling all his "driveway" snow in one pile, and then he dug a cave. With each new snowfall, the pile has grown, and so has the cave. Having snow isn't all bad.

A Valentine's Day Event

Elizabeth and Alice got to help entertain at Ravenwood Health Care Center on Valentine's Day (it was a teacher inservice day at school).

The residents were enjoying a special meal, and a select group of string players were asked to come and provide some nice music--from Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star to Hungarian Dance #5. One grandma said she wanted to take the littlest cello player and just give him a hug.

Alice got to lead one of the pieces. She enjoys leading.

Wait, does she look happy here? Does anyone look happy?? I guess we'll just have to educate these young people about the joys of service.

Going to a rest home brings ambivalent feelings. It is nice to bring a change of pace--something new for the residents, but it is almost painful seeing the difficulties that come near the end of life. Almost all the residents were white-haired women, few men. Some were in wheel chairs. All were able to feed themselves, though not always easily. Many had hearing problems and couldn't carry on conversations with others at the table. I wondered at all the wisdom and life experiences that were gathered in that dining room, yet they were no longer "useful". It makes me sad...

Winter Musings

Top ten reasons I find winter “challenging”:
10. All the melting snow on the floor (at least we have tile!) when kids come in from sledding..

9. The dirty, slushy edges of the old snow is ugly.

8. All that dirty gray road muck sprayed on the sides of the car (don’t brush against it or you'll get your coat dirty!)

7. The dripping salty/water off the car flows across the garage floor, until it meets the cold air at the door. Then an ice dam forms, keeping all the rest of the road muck from flowing out.

6. Fresh produce can’t be left in the car—it has to be the last errand.

5. All that gear! Hat (or ear muffs), mittens or gloves, boots, heavy coat, scarf. More or less, each and every time you step outside.

4. All that wet, gray, road muck on the garage floor--we do try to kick off the extra snow from behind the tires out by the street, but there is always more.

3. The sidewalks are slippery and treacherous.

2. The static electrical kisses Elizabeth gives me when I give her a ride to school on cold mornings. She leans over the seat and kisses me goodbye on the cheek, and OUCH! A bit spark hits us both!

And the number 1 reason?
1. Cold hurts! Whether it is Alice’s red, chapped hands that itch and burn, or Kevin’s waxy white fingers in which the circulation has totally shut off (Reynaud’s Syndrome), or just the sting of an icy wind--cold hurts! Kevin’s condition began 2 years ago, and it is so unnerving to see his fingers like that—like the hands of someone lying in a casket! It has happened only three or four times this winter, but he takes a lot of precautions to keep it from happening. It makes me wonder about retiring to Idaho and its winters.

Some Reasons I like winter:
1. That fresh blanket of white, especially on evergreen trees.

2. The sparkling stars in the clear air

3. The crisp crunch of snow when it is really cold

4. The soft pinkish glow on an overcast winter’s evening

5. Playing in the snow (with proper gear of course)—snow angels, snow forts, sledding, etc. And falling doesn’t hurt so much with all that gear on.

6. Extra milk or things that won’t fit in the refrigerator (baked turkey!) can be left in the garage—it's like a 2nd, huge refrigerator!

7. Long winter evenings seem to beg for a good book and a cup of hot chocolate.

8. The family is more in a cocoon—fewer outside activities to tear us away from home.

(special thanks to Kevin who was the model used in these pictures. Of course, he was actually shoveling the snow. And it was a Sunday morning. The other ward (with the morning schedule) cancelled their meetings.)