SNOW FALLS (LITERALLY)

I thought today was about January 13th.  I don't know why.  I'm good with the day of the week, but not the date...blame it on being a Stay At Home Blonde.  Or maybe that I haven't gotten a 2014 calender yet.  As slow as time seems to go by on a daily basis, I just didn't realize we were so close to the end of the month.  I have a birthday coming up.  And no doubt, the Super Bowl will get in my way as it always does.  Last year we all went to a bar.  Yep!  I partied!  Not wild, but pretty good for having all of my children there.  And I learned that it now costs $7.00 for a shot at the jukebox.  So I'd like to do this again this year.  And be home in bed asleep by ten! :)

See that drift (above)? 

I'm sure you have had your share of snow photos, or are just plain tired of looking out your own window.  This is untouched Michigan snow at the lakehouse (except those paw prints from Milo).  We drove up Saturday afternoon, arriving about 2:00.  Of course our driveway had never been plowed as we rarely go up in the winter much now.  The Husband said he would climb over the big embankment by the road and make a path to the house for me.  But foolishly, I was carrying Layla and my purse in one arm and an overnight bag in the other.  I climbed over the embankment, wobbled a little, and fell flat on my a**.  What made it worse, my legs were all bent weird under me and I never once let loose of the dog nor my bags.  In short, as I tried to get up, looking as helpless as a turtle on it's back, we started laughing so hard I had no strength!  I could have let Layla go, she's a runaway, but where could she have run?  The snow was up to my knees!  Finally The Husband pulled me out of my little hole and we made it in.  I know it would have made a great picture.

These pictures look black and white, don't they?  It got gloomy and began to snow shortly after we got there.  I cleaned out the rest of the fridge with all of it's condiments from last summer, checked the dates on everything in the freezer, watered all my plants which are doing really, really well with my neighbor watering them.  She, Susie, came over.  She told us that our neighbor across the street had died two days before.  I didn't know Louise as well as Dawn (and thank you so much for your nice comments on my last post), they had the house across the street but also a house on the island that they spent much of the summer at.  I had a cocktail party about two summers ago and I was surprised to find Louise wearing oxygen.  She had COPD.  They were in Florida when she passed away last week so I have no details. I think she was in her early 70's.  It's very sad.

We went to our favorite little restaurant for dinner, the roads were not good at all.  And then we just spent the evening relaxing with a fire burning in the old stove.

As much as we love snow (and falling in it), as well as freezing temps, we had actually gone to meet with a carpenter that was going to give us an estimate to get some work done on the place before spring.  I liked him, he's local.  Unfortunately he told us that the stairway has to be torn down, it just wasn't done properly, but he thinks he can reuse most of the wood.  We have a lot of trim and baseboards to be finished, and hardwood floors to be laid in the two guestrooms (we've had the wood for five years).   So we are waiting to hear back and praying he is reasonable.  

I felt really bad that I had let my cushions stay out this long on the front porch.  They were okay, just made a sort of ripping sound when I pulled them off but they were just a little frozen.  I wanted you to see the table I found along the road last summer (that I also foolishly left out).  Actually it was on the road just next door with a "Free" sign on it.  We didn't have much time this weekend, but I have every intention of bringing it in and sprucing it up with some paint.  I needed something between these chairs.  Since it's second hand, I don't mind that it will be outside.

Also in the news, I never mentioned that my daughter Abigail finished up school in early December.  She would have completed it in the spring but she had one last class and a semester of student teaching to complete.  Above is her high school graduation 4 years ago.  Yes, they all wore white gowns and gloves, she went to an all girl's parochial school.  So there's not a lot of fanfare now as there is with a spring graduation.  She doesn't even want the traditional backyard/outdoor/beer keg/margarita/bean bag game/music blasting/neighbors calling party.

She was so anxious to complete high school and move on (here she is leading us off campus after the ceremony) and now she starts her first teaching job on Monday.  She will be substituting for a teacher leaving on a maternity break.  It's very hard to find anything mid-school year so she is beyond excited.  My gosh, she's teaching Shakespeare!  I barely remember any of it.  And this is the end of tuition payments for us after 27 years.  How we did, I don't know.  Bragging rights:  All four children and the way their lives are headed is worth every penny.  :)

Abby and I went grocery shopping Monday and it was pretty major as I was looking for particular ingredients for some meals and in keeping with my new D---.  Thanks so much for your support.  Anyway, we never should have gone down the baking aisle, but we did and she stopped suddenly and said, "I'd like to make a Turtle Pie.  How do you do that?".  So she Googled it on her phone and we collected the ingredients (she bought a crust, thankfully, she would have given up right there). I was a little intrigued because I failed at my first and only attempt to make a caramel sauce.  The more she stirred the sugar and corn syrup...the 2 big sticks of butter, the more hesitant she got.  She threw down the spoon.  "I can't eat this much less make it."  I finished the sauce, she added the pecans and chocolate topping.  I have been a saint with sugar so she finally tried a piece with 2 thumbs up and we are still waiting for The Husband to try it.  I feel such resolve with my new D--- that I splurged and bought him cookies and candy and he's just like a kid every night after dinner.  

I am in the middle of the book on my sidebar, The Kitchen House.  I started it in December and had to put it down because of all the crazy busyness.  I picked it up Monday night and I am letting laundry and basic chores fall to the wayside.  This is an excellent book.  And I know a few people who have recently finished The Fault In Our Stars, and it is supposed to be a fantastic book and a real tearjerker.  I think I found my next book!

Stay warm and dry and I will see you soon! :)

XO,

Jane