Foggy and 42 Degrees

Not a very inspiring day outside, gray upon gray, as the lake seems to be melting, as is the snow on the lawn, and puddles are beginning to form in areas where the snow has been beaten down by the rain.  Thaws are harbingers of spring but bring very unattractive days, the mud and dirt from snow plows, the black and white photograph like days.

We had the Cassell's for dinner last night, as they stopped by on their way back to Hudson.  They stayed for a couple of hours, which was great, and seemed in no great hurry to get home.  We had a great dinner of baked ziti, homemade Italian bread, and brownies with ice cream for dessert.  We found out that their youngest, Pat, has decided to go to WRA, a surprise to both of us because he seemed set on the high school a year ago.  He seems so grown up, able to articulate why he preferred the Academy, that he had felt the high school would just be more of the same and Reserve offered him a new experience.  Barb and Mike had just gotten back from a family trip to Alta, Utah, an old time ski resort, which they loved.  Family dining, amazing skiing, everything they hoped it would be and nice because all four of them were together for a week before Ian headed back to school.

We have nothing we 'must' do to today, though I think we will probably head to Weggies to get groceries for the week.  It's going to be difficult to enjoy the outdoors today, so I assume we will head to the gym for a workout later.

We stayed up for the Oscars last night and found them fairly predictable.  I cannot say either of us like James Franco much as a host  but Anne Hathaway has charm and energy, which made kept the show  going.  We still think Winter's Bone was the best picture, though we also liked The King's Speech as well.  It's amazing how articulate some of the winners are, Colin Firth and Natalie Portman, for example, whereas some are inarticulate.  The night seemed to belong to the Brits, who won lots of the various awards.  I was interested in the affection and respect that the actors/actresses felt towards their directors, suggesting that they were geniuses: David Fincher for The Social Network, Christopher Nolan for Inception, and I think Christopher Lolyd for The King's Speech.  And Harvey Weinstein always seems to be in the background, financing and supporting great films through Miramar.  I did not think any of the songs were memorable, a weak year for music.  Still, it's fun to see the glitz and glamour one night a year.  I do miss Billy Crystal...no one has yet to match his performance.

It's been cloudy most of the day, but now, around 5:00, it's clearing up just a bit and getting colder, dropping down to 15 tonight.  Weather  here at the lake is so arbitrary as everything is melting today but they are calling for black ice tomorrow.

Blue Jays Cometh

Chautauqua gray, warmer, around 29 degrees, as I sit listening to Weekend Edition on NPR, and Liane Hansen who retires in May.  I don't particularly like her voice or temperament but I have listened to her for a least ten years.  Blue jays have suddenly appeared at the feeder and on the ground (where I spilled some bird seed); they are aggressive birds, and at least ten were hitting the feeder as well as prancing on the ground.  I have only seen one or two this winter until today; there have been a number of crows in the trees as well, so its been a most active morning, with the regulars, black capped chickadees, nuthatches, tufted titmouse's, some doves, lots of woodpeckers(downy, hairy and red bellied), and the ubiquitous sparrows.  I also noticed lots of tracks in the what was once virgin snow, so there must have been some deer here at last night as well, as the yard is covered in tracks and they lead up to our bushes, especially the oak leaf hydrangea, which they seem to like.

Evie's making her Italian bread, baked ziti, and green beans, for later today, when we expect the Cassells to stop by on their way home to Hudson.  We haven't seen them since early January when they stopped here on Friday night for dinner.

We are going off to walk the CI soon, as its mild out, with a inch or two having fallen last night, which will make it a beautiful morning to walk in the CI.

Just finished my favorite meal of the week, fried eggs, two strips of bacon, and two slices of home made bread.  I am not sure why this meal is so satisfying but it is, simple, three very different tastes, and perhaps the salt from bacon, which I love.  We did go for a walk at the CI and it was perfect weather for a walk, though it was warm enough that we worked up a sweat and hand to open our jackets.  There are still few people at the CI, a few travellers with their snow mobiles at the Maple Inn, but for the most part, we hardly saw a soul.  Right now, I can hear the snow dripping off the roof, as it's 40 degrees out and the outside is beginning to change, with little snow left on tree branches, just in nooks protected from the sun.  Water moving, hearing it drip or flow, are signs of the coming spring, as the picture below suggests, taken at the CI this morning.

The birds still are going crazy, either from the warmth, or the free food in two feeders.  Sitting here is like being at an aviary airport, as various sizes and breeds of bird fly by the window, either swoop toward the feeder, or down to the feed that's fallen on the ground, then off again, in the same direction they came from, or off to new haunts.

Ten Degrees and Sunny

Another surprisingly cold morning, though the sun's out, the tree's are frosted with ice, and it looks like another beautiful Saturday morning.  There's very little action on the lake yet, perhaps because it's so cold, just one or two fishermen out there in their tents off of Long Point.  If I want to cross country ski today, I need a snow mobile to drive by and make a nice path, otherwise it's slogging through foot deep snow, quite a work out.  I think I'll wait a bit for it to warm up before I venture out although there's no wind so far, quite a difference from yesterday when it was often wild outside, winds up to 35 miles an hour.

I have noticed that not too many birds have been a the feeder this morning, in contrast to yesterday when it was quite busy.  I did notice a red headed hawk the other day, sitting in the maples, so I wonder if he's back looking for breakfast.  Maybe it's too cold or too early for them because they don't feed when it's dark, just wait, like most of us, for the sun to rise before sitting down to breakfast.

After an initial early morning sun, it clouded up and we are back to Chautauqua gray. with occasional snow flakes, and a warming, as it's 30 degrees, just a I came in from cross country skiing for a bit.  The snow was not at its best, a bit wet, leaving tracks of water in the snow as I went, but it was better when I was able to find some snow mobile tracks, down towards Giarizzo's.  We worked out this morning as well, from 11:00-12:00 and stopped at CI's library to return a few books, pick up Infidel, a biography I have been wanting to read, of an amazing African woman, who ends up in Holland, I think, a virulent anti Muslim, who teamed up with Van Gogh to make a film about Islam's fanatics which got Van Gogh assassinated, and she had to go into hiding, and still must,  I think.  Of course, I picked up perhaps the last Jack Reacher I haven't read though I might find one or two left in other libraries.  A back up in case I get bored with Infidel.

Three or Four Inches Overnight, Five to Seven More to Come: Yippee

I woke to a snow storm of a sorts, with the car covered, the wind blowing hard, and the weather man saying another 5-7 inches can be expected during the day.  It's the kind of day we love, snowy and windy outside, warm and cosy inside with a dinner in the oven, filling the house with good smells and warmth.  Now we have to figure out what we want to cook!  I hope we can get outside today, even if its just walking in the campground or woods in our snow shoes.  These days, cold and snowy, are numbered as spring marches forward, less than four weeks away.  The snow at the moment is very wet, as its around 26 degrees out, though it's going fall as the day wanes, perhaps into the low teens.  No plan for the day, perhaps a trip to CI's library, a walk in the Institute, but that's about it.

It's 2:40 and its still snowing; I would imagine we have had well over a foot since early morning, as I shoveled the walk a few times, and will probably have to go out again in an hour or so.  I did go snow shoeing for about 45 minutes, bush whacking through the woods (following not road or trail) and it was wonderful.  I love it when it's virgin snow, the trees are layered, the pines hung with white frosting, and no one is around.  And when it snows as you walk, it's even better, as it blocks out everything except for your consciousness of the outside beauty.  It was also warmer than I thought and the wind, though fairly wild and heavy today, did not seem to bother me in the woods up behind Pine Hill.  I liked it so much I may go out again before it gets too dark.  It's nice not having to go anywhere, as I mentioned, cosy in a nice warm house, with a good book, some good movies, food, and lots of leisure.  Not having to do anything is a wonderful thing at times though, like anything, it can lead to boredom,  I am not there yet.

I had a pleasant surprise this morning, a phone call from one of my Besiktas teammates, Ates(see picture above with his granddaughter, Lara), from Istanbul.  He just wanted to say hi, and missed seeing Evie and I.  He had been going through some health problems and we had written him a couple of times, so it was great to hear his voice, to know he was doing better. He's the friend who really took care of us in Istanbul, taking us everywhere, buying us things, and so unselfish with him time.  He even used the term 'genem' when referring to me, which translated would be something like 'dear,' really touching.  It's strange because I was just thinking of him this morning and made up my mind I had to send him another note to see how he was doing.  It was so nice to her his voice, to know he missed us.  Time to make some Turkish tea, to remind me of our visit, and sit down with a good book.

Just got back from another snow shoe hike in the woods, but finished by walking down to the lake, and going home out on the lake, during a mild blizzard;  I felt like Shackleton as he and his men struggled to make it to the pole.  I could see maybe twenty five yards ahead, mostly white out, the snow covered lake, and the shoreline, which I was easily able to follow.  The wind was behind, so it was not too bad walking home on the lake.  We are now sitting listening to the Doctors talk about cholesterol on Sirius radio, as we have our nightly constitutional, a glass or two or red wine, and read the newspaper or read a book before heading to the kitchen.  Fortunately, tonight with have both leftover pot roast and spaghetti, so Evie gets to relax, the good life.

Warmer, With Sleet. Rain, Ice Pellets, and Snow

Not a very exciting prediction for the day, though we could get 7 or 8 inches of snow if the storm stays far enough north, but the weather gurus are not sure yet what's to happen.  So what else is new.  Today, Chautauqua gray has taken over for the brilliant blue, clear skies from the past three days, as you can see from the pictures I have attached.  It was 21 degrees when I arose, though the temperature yesterday afternoon when I skied was in the low 30's.  I wonder what I would write about if I did not have the ever changing weather and view from my window of the lake.  I guess it would be the changing view of Leonard's house if I didn't have the vista presented by the lake and the far horizon off to the East.

We head into Erie today for Evie's appointment with the dentist; she gets her stitches out and he will make sure her gums are healing properly.  The roads should be fine as long as we don't linger into the afternoon, as some snow or ice is expected.  I have to admit I look forward to another snow storm tonight if it materializes, like it did this past Sunday night when we got 8-10 inches.  It does not bother us in the least, makes the outside wonderful to look at, a winter wonderland as it were, and we love to go out in it, either snow shoeing and skiing.

I just finished Gorky Park and had mixed reactions.  I was luke warm towards it, finding myself pushing to get it down, both pushed and pulled by the complications of the Russian/American fur trade, the commingling of the police/KGB/CIA/Russian police.  The main character, Arcady Renko, the one pure soul in the novel, as expected, triumphs in the end, remains wedded to his Russianess, and instead of staying with Irina, his love, in the States, heads back to Russia in the end, to a questionable future.  I am tempted to read one more, to see how he changes as Gladnost appears on the scene in Russia.  I have to admit to being tired of all the dishonesty, intrigues, and disloyalties inherent in all the institutions both American and Russian.  There seems to be only one good man: Arcady.  Depressing!

Back from Erie, where we hit TJ's, of course, for an hour as I sat and read at Starbucks, a good choice.  We then went to the Erie Wegman's for lunch and to pick up some goodies for dinner.  It's a great store, makes our Wegman's look like a corner store but then they have a much larger population to draw from, with more money, more sophisticated tastes, I assume.  We did not get anything exotic but it was just nice to have so many choices if one wished.  We  got home about 3:00 and I spent the rest of the afternoon waiting for it to snow (it hasn't yet) and reading PLUM ISLAND by Nelson Demille, at Patsi's recommendation.  We will have to see if I like it better than GORKY PARK.  We have to pick a movie out for tonight and I think I will give SALT  a try, with Angelina Jolie.  It received modest reviews but it was supposedly better than its reception suggested.  Stay tuned.

Sunny And Seven Below

Another sunny morning...I could get used to this even if it is bitterly cold.  I drove off to Mayville to get a blood test this morning, and it was amazing as the sun was almost blinding on the lake, and all the trees were frozen, so everything looked like an ice pageant, trees, shrubs, bushes, and the lake, all white or reflecting glass.  We hope to go out cross country skiing at Dobbins Woods, once it  gets a bit warmer.

We had the salesmen from Tordella's over this morning, to measure for a carpet, so we have a firm price, a good idea of how much it will cost to do our downstairs carpeting.  My guess is it will come in around $2000.00 for everything, carpet, pad, installation, and disposal of the old carpet.  We have narrowed out choices down to a couple of colors, both are a  bit darker than what we have, something between and ivory and beige,  I think, but a Frieze, which has a bit of a shag look and feel to it.  It will be much softer and richer than what we now have.  Well, as usual, I was way off; they quoted around $3200 after yesterday's somewhere around 2000.00, which was too good to be true.  This place is not the most organized in terms of pricing, as one hand does not seem to know what the other hand is doing.

I just got back from cross country skiing on the lake, in blinding sun, as it reflected off of the snow.  It was a spectacular day on the lake, as I was the only soul in sight as I skied, following, when possible, snow mobile tracks.  It also had warmed up from the seven below this morning, to 32 when I went out.  There were a few fishermen off of Long Point and a single snow mobiler went by as I skied.  This is the kind of day you have to enjoy since they are so infrequent up here and we have had two days in a row like this, clear skies, sun, and polar cold.  Tomorrow, it warms up even more, with a mix of rain and snow in the morning, getting into the 40's in late afternoon, another thaw.

One Below and Beginning Fog on a Clear Morning

We woke up to a orange sky, a fluorescent lake, as fog slowly rose, to blur our view, a strange phenomenon for such a cold morning.  I guess the lake is warmer than the air, creating this mist of water. Down towards the Giarrizzo's the fog is moving slowly towards the shore, about ten or fifteen feet high.  We still have lots of snow from yesterday, though the winds have blown much of the snow that hung on the trees, off on to the ground, creating small pockets or holes on the once smooth snow.

I have my multi grain sour dough bread resting in the mixer and need to go knead it in a couple of minutes, before we head to the store and let his rise.  It's one of our favorite breads, a nice texture, lots of whole grains, toasts well, and is closer to a sandwich loaf than a typical artisan bread.

We hit our usual grocery stores, Sam's and then Weggies, stocking up on food for the week, getting our 5% senior citizen discount.  It's a beautiful day, a brilliant blue sky, and all the roads look like something out of a Christmas card, brilliant white snow, tree branches frosted with snow, and all the dirt from the roads has been covered over by the new snow.  We then stop at Tordellas, where we got our kitchen redone, and looked at carpets for our downstairs.  We are thinking of getting a Frieze carpet, one with a bit of a nap and we have to go through the awful process of choosing not only a kind of carpet but a color. Ugh.  And if we do decide to go ahead, we will probably have to paint our living room first, which means more decisions to be made, more colors to be complementary.

As my bread rises, Evie is getting the pot roast ready to put in the oven, following the bread.  Clearly, the kitchen will smell aromatic all afternoon, the best.

Snow Storm at Night After Sunday Dinner of Chicken and Biscuits!

I awoke this morning to a snow covered yard, as at least 8 inches fell overnight and more is expected for the day.  What a great day to stay in for the kids as it's President's Day and many of the neighbors have stayed up for the day.  Our limber pine in the back yard droops with large dollops of snow on its branches, the road is barely passable and the lake, which was icy yesterday, is now snow covered, perfect for cross country skiing  Tom and Nick and the Albarrans should all be in Big Sky, Montana, today and I think they most of gotten lots of snow over the past couple of days.  It should be  great skiing.

We had Ron and Linda over last night for chicken and biscuits, from The Barefoot Contessa's cookbook and it was the perfect comfort food for a snowy night. They head back to Murraysville tomorrow and we not sure about staying for the night because of the impending storm, but they decided that if it was really bad today, they would head back tomorrow.  The only reason they wanted to head back today was Linda has bowling on Tuesday morning with her girl friends.  They stayed till about 10:00 and we watched the bit about THE KING'S SPEECH on 60 Minutes, which we both wanted to see.

We went to be around 11:00, me to Arcady Renko in Gorky Park, my lastest reading book.

As I mentioned, yesterday was play day on the lake, as everyone in the neighborhood seemed to be out walking on the lake, enjoying the sun, the firm ice, the wonderful day off, without the worry of having to head home on Sunday because Monday was President's Day.

We just got back from working out at Turners, the first time Evie has gone since her dental work.  She cross country skied a bit this morning, but it was bitterly cold so we just stayed out for about 15 minutes. The workout went pretty well, as she felt up to a light workout, which is great for her.  All the neighbors are now on the way home, so we have the lake to ourselves once again, the way we like.  It looks like leftover chicken and biscuits for tonight, yummy.  Two nights in a row is fine with me.

A Clear, Beautiful and Cold Sunday Morning

I was surprised to wake up to a cloudless, orange tinged sky and it's colder outside than usual, about 15 degrees, and a snow alert starts later today, with 5-7 inches expected over night.  Whoopee.  I want the snow to return, the sloppy, wet drizzle of the past week, to disappear.  It's supposed to be nice most of the day, I think, and I would like to cross country ski  but the lake still looks frozen and icy, with little if any accumulated snow.

Rob, Heather, and Ella Austin came over yesterday afternoon for a couple of hours.  It was really fun to see them and they seem very happy, three kids, the oldest an 8th grader.  They live in Pittsburgh, where Robbie is a consultant for the Dinali  Group, from San Francisco, and Heather still works part time for her law firm in Cleveland.   They live in Mt Lebanon, at least that's where there kids go to school.  They bought a condo at CI  3 years ago at # 2 Pine, just inside the North Gate.  They seem very much the same, worried about their eldest, who seems to be  growing up too fast, involved in Jack's soccer, and loving 3 year old Ella's charm.  We had Turkish tea, chocolate chip cookies, and reminisced about the good old days at Reserve.  We really enjoyed seeing them and found out we had quite a few acquaintances in common, as they knew all of my Breakfast Club group and Evie's Ladies of the Night.  They were contemporaries with the Heinz's and Johnson's children and knew Roberta Mc Kibbin pretty well, as Cle and Penny, Rob's parents,  were the their neighbors and I guess did not get along with them very well.  Robby seems to have many jobs over the past 15 years, in contrast to Tommy who has been at  USA-800 since the beginning.  I sense Rob is still a bit unsettled about his vocation but I may be reading him wrong.

We watched an emotionally draining movie last night because it reminded me of Mom and Dad's final years, called THE SAVAGES, with Laura Linney and Phillip Seymour Hoffman.  Both were amazing, as a brother and sister who must confront their father's descent into Alzheimer's, someone they have not seen in years.   They bring him to a nursing home in Buffalo, a city where Hoffman teaches, and both are forced to see up close the indignity and awfulness of a nursing home and impending death.  Neither deal with their father's demise very well but what is 'well' in something as terrible as this descent.  It ultimately brings them closer together; they do what they can for their father, who they never really loved much because he was such a small part in their lives, a dysfunctional father.  The setting works really well, the film starting in Sun City, AZ, where he lives with his girl friend of 20 years, who dies, leaving the father with no where to live, thus the move to Buffalo, a dying city as well, especially in the winter, in an underclass neighborhood.  Linney's character is complicated, by her relationship with a married actor, who she eventually leaves at the end of the film.  It's a movie where you wonder why they made it as it's not a feel good movie but it is a realistic look at what we all face, failing parents, their death, and the thought that this too is what we will have to face someday, as the parent this time, not the child.  Yuck.

A beautiful day at the lake, lots of activity, lots of people up for President's Day; most of our neighbors are out on the lake, walking across to Long Point, just enjoying the sun, blue lake, and being on the lake.  Even the dogs are outside, enjoying it all.  Unfortunately, we have not been out, still a bit afraid to do much with Evie's gums, but tomorrow, we are hoping we can get out there, or at least do some skiing on the lake, especially if it snows tonight.  I did go over to Turner to work out for an hour but it was not much fun and I was out of breath too soon.  I shot some baskets, rowed, and used the treadmill, none too vigorously, just enough to get some exercise.  Evie got dinner ready for the Mc Clures, so we are now waiting for them to arrive, listening to the new music we have downloaded from Itunes. How nice to have 10-15 new songs we enjoy; when working out, they make so much different, as the times goes quickly.

We also started watching an older English series called TO SERVE THEM ALL OF MY DAYS, based on a novel both of us have read about an teacher in Great Britain who, devastated by WWI, ends up finding himself and his vocation teaching at a public school.  It follows his career, from new teacher to eventually a loved Headmaster.  It's a bit dated but still fun to watch, especially the picture of the 'old boys', who are not very welcoming to the new teacher, who is filled with enthusiasm and new ideas, both lacking in all of them.

High Winds and Blizzard Like Snow

As the photograph suggests, we had a full moon last night, hanging high over Bemus Bay, a rare sight in a winter of clouds and gray.  I went off to the Seezuhr House last night with some of the neighbors, as Evie stayed home because of her gum surgery.  They were up for a ski weekend and thought I might like to come along and share my stories of b-ball in Turkey.  Two are the sons of the neighbors, Kenny Schotlz and Tommy Broeren.  Both are fanatical sports fans, both are or were associated with Penn State, though Kenny played football at Bucknell, a couple of years after Tommy played there.  There parents are the Millers and Scholtz's, and the two wives are sisters, have been coming up here for years.  I shared my stories about my basketball life, then Kenny talked about playing at Bucknell, Tom about his high school days, and Ken, the senior, about playing both in high school and college at Westminster.  I can only say that as we get older, we get better!  All four of us had the fish fry, just as good as usual, a couple of pitchers of Labatt's Blue, and  Seezuhr House was crowded, making it a fun night.  They are off to Holymont, to ski, though it's  going to be really cold and windy, again up to 40 mph.

Well, spring is over, as the 50 degree weather has given way to temperatures in the 20's, a perfect day for the Mayville Snow Festival, involving ice castles, polar swim, broom games, food, a bonfire and music. I doubt if we go because of Evie, perhaps tomorrow we can go walk around a bit.  We were not to taken with it last year, as it was full of mostly snowmobiliers, often quite inebriated, whizzing around, though the bonfire and lighting of the Ice Palace sounds cool.  We will see how things go today.  Right now I have to get ready for my weekly run to the Trash depot.  I guess that's how I measure my weeks, by the times I hit the North Harmony Station.

Robbie Austin and his family are coming over today after lunch.  He is up for the weekend and wrote to see if they could stop by.  It's been a couple of years since we have seen them so it will be fun to see how  grown up his kids are.  I think the oldest,  Jack, is at least as old as Nick or Mitchell.

I hope that Tommy and Nick are getting good weather up at Big Sky, as they should be there by now, skiing the slopes.  Beth and Rami should arrive tomorrow,  Sunday, perhaps around late afternoon, after an early flight out of New York; they have to get up at 3:00 in the morning to get to the airport for their flight West, arriving finally in Bozeman, MT, where they rent a car, shop, and drive about an hour to Big Sky, where they will meet up with Tommy and Nick for a couple of days.  Beth and Rami will stay till next Monday and I think Tom and Nick have to leave this Monday, in two days.

48 Degrees and Messy

Not a very nice morning, Chautauqua gray, but warm and wet, as the constant drip of the melting snow on the roof is a constant.  It's supposed to get into the 50's but by late afternoon, the winds pick up, perhaps as high as 50 mph and the temperature drops, down to the twenties overnight, with the possibility of a couple of inches of snow on Saturday and Sunday.  The sun has actually come out, creating a shiny lake, mostly gray ice, as a fisherman's shanty is the only silhouette on the otherwise empty ice.

Evie had a hard time getting to sleep, but overall, she feels pretty good so far, her swelling is down and the pain is manageable.  Let's hope it continues.  She has been very good about keeping her cheeks iced and taking pain medicine, which makes a big difference.

Warming Up

Although it was a clear day this morning, with a brillant blue sky, it seems to be a day of clouds, but warmer, even brighter than usual; I am not sure why.

We went into Erie today because Evie had work done on her gums, something that is over, fortunately.  It seems to have gone well, though I know she will be in pain for the next couple of days.  Hopefully, it won't be severe, and it will be quick to heal.  Outside, the road is beginning to thaw, as temperatures are in the 50's, for tomorrow as well, then it gets cold again on Saturday, just in time for the Mayville Ice Festival.

We had our usual Wednesday dinner of wings and sweet potato fries last night and strangely, the VFW was crowded, with a birthday party going on, as well as other large groups.  We actually had to wait an hour for our food, as everyone seemed to be ordering wings as well.

Had breakfast this morning with the boys; there were four of us, Stan's back from Florida, only Dick Redington is missing in Florida.  We talked quite a bit about trips, especially those Joe took to Big Sky, where he fishes some of the greatest streams in the US for trout.  Charlie is heading to Arizona, Phoenix then Sedonda for a week, and Joe heads to Florida on March 7th, the last day of his radiation treatment.  Stan's back for the duration, it sounds, as he's a father of two young'uns and they need his attention.  I think he might prefer to be in Florida.

It's getting dark, as the long day wanes; just pureed some vegetable soup for Evie, the first thing she has eaten since her surgery.  So far, she has been able to manage the pain.  Let's hope it works well through the night so she can sleep.  Ice certainly helps her and if she can eat a bit, it will also be helpful.

Another Beautiful Cloudless Morning

Once again, the morning sky begins with an orange glow on the horizon, gradually turning blue, as the sun rises, the lake shimmering in the intense sunlight.  How unusual for this time of the year as I mentioned yesterday.  It must be global warming!  It is warmer today, 28 degrees when I got up, much warmer than yesterday's 12 degrees.  The lake looks like a rippled sheet of ice, no longer snow covered, though this may be inaccurate because of the sun's glare.  I will have to wait till we get out on the lake to see if there is still a crust of snow on top or if it's now all ice.  If it is, we won't be able to ski, perhaps skate, though.  I just finished a book Wally and I both liked back in the 1980's, HOSTAGES TO FORTUNE, by William Humphrey.  It's the story of a father who tries to understand the suicide of his 18 year old son, mostly told in flashbacks.  It's an intense, often difficult to read book, though I liked it enough to read a second time.  I wonder about the motivation, as he does refer to the rising rate of suicides among teens, as a real problem.  And it's about the deepest, most penetrating book  I've read which tries to understand why someone commits suicide.  I was a bit bored towards the end, but his analysis of the mind not only of the son but of the victims (those who are left alive to wonder what they have done wrong), including the father, mother, and girl friend is convincing and upsetting.  The final verdict: we will never know.  Not much sustenance in that.  It was a relief to jump into another Jack Reacher novel, easy to read, familiar, with none of the intensity and meditative quality of Humphrey.  I am also reading New York Times columinist Gail Collins non fiction best seller,WHEN EVERYTHING CHANGED , a history/analysis of the rise of women from the 60's to the present.  It's become required reading at some colleges, and I  find it fascinating, because it begins with the roles women played just as I was leaving high school, so much of it is very familiar.  I highly recommend it, especially reading it in  apieces, as I have been doing.  One easily forgets how limiting the options were for women back then, how their lives were defined and circumscribed by men.  You've come a long way, baby.

I shot hoops at the gym with Ron, worked out for a bit, ordered a new dock piece, stopped at the Lighthouse and bought our favorite, ground lamb patties, as well as one of their hoagies, a luxury,  I know, and came home for lunch.  Evie's out cross country skiing and will go to the gym later.  Ron wanted me to shoot around so I decided to go earlier. The blue sky early has given way to Chautauqua gray, it's normal color and it's practical 40 degrees outside.  Our road here at Woodlawn is one sheet of ice; it's like driving on a skating rink. You cannot stop...you just slide until your momentum gives out.  The main roads, however, are fine.

Just got back from a short ski trip on the lake; when I went out, the sun was out but by the time I got out on the lake, it clouded over so I got to ski in Chautauqua gray.  The snow was set, not quite slush, so it was easy enough to ski, though I left wet rows as I skied and where the snow mobiles had been, it was ice or melting ice because of the temperature, 45 degrees. Still, it was good to be out on the lake, to see how the houses, all covered with snow, in some cases more than a foot or two had piled up on porches, giving them the look of white frosted ginger bread houses.

We are off to the VFW with Ron and Linda for our cheap date of wings and sweet potato fries.  The beers cheap, so are the wings and fries, both are good, and the company is fine, mostly vets sitting at the bar, drinking beer, an occasionally a couple or two, rarely if ever kids or a family.

February Winds

A beautiful morning today, reminds me of a summer morning actually, until I look at the 12 degree temperature.  The sky is absolutely clear, a brilliant blue, no clouds, just an orange tinge on the horizon, which disappeared as the sun rose.  Yesterday, we had heavy winds, and branches from our willow litter our yards.  Winter winds are heavier, more dense, 25% heavier the experts say, then a summer wind, thus the damage they cause, the coldness we feel as it finds its way through a coat.  Because it was fairly warm yesterday, the snow has contracted and with last night's cold, it looks like a crust of frozen ice.  The snow on the lake actually looks shiny as the sun is reflected on its surface; it might be too icy to cross country ski, no crunch or powder, just a thick crust.

We had a great Valentine's meal at Ron and Linda's last night, crab cocktails, filets, and flourless chocolate cake, an ideal way to celebrate the day.  We had not seen them since early January, so we had a lot to catch up on.  They have been good, enjoying their winter in Pittsburgh, getting organized, and like us, are looking forward now to spring.  This weekend is the Mayville Ice Festival, which if the weather cooperates , should be fun.  Yesterday, however, because of the warmth, was cause for alarm, as the call went out for help with the Ice Castle, now about 20 feet high, which was beginning to melt from the warm wind.  They needed bodies to help pack snow around the cracks to keep it from melting.  Fortunately, he was cold last night though the next couple of days its predicted to be in the high forties, alas.

We just got back from  cross country skiing on the lake, a beautiful sunny day, blue sky, crunchy snow but good enough.  It's really the first day like this we have spent on the lake because these days, sun filled with blue skies, and good snow, are rare in this area.  We have to take advantage of them when we can.  I went as far as Sandy Beach and back, but Evie went all the way around to Tom's Point and back, a  good hour jog around the lake.

Warm and Windy Winter Day

It's 41 degrees this morning, about as warm as it's been since November, the sky a stormy gray, so unlike the usual winter sky.  Winds are supposed to be up to 50 miles an hour( I can hear it roaring outside our house), as it's supposed to rain early, then turn to snow as it gets colder.  We head to Ron and Linda's tonight for a Valentines Day dinner, just like last year.  We have not seen them since early January, so it will be fun to see them again.  They'll be up for a couple of weeks.

We had Jack and Roberta Mc Kibben over last night for dinner, a nice evening.  They loved everything Evie made, from fresh guacamole, to chicken with artichokes and mushrooms, to green bean and bacon bundles, to brown rice, salad, and of course, baklava.  Roberta is our age, from Willoughby, and Jack's about 15 years older.  Both are having major health problems, but they seemed in good spirits at least last night.  Roberta is a real talker, so she and Evie get along well.  I pumped Jack about his life, and he filled me in on his playing golf against Arnold Palmer in high school, rooming with Bob Mathias at Kiski Prep, meeting other famous people, working for Alcoa, taking over companies, but much of it was hard to follow.  Interestingly, he never asked me anything about my life.  I seem to attract people like this as I must be a good listener.  They are very involved in the arts in the CI and are trying to get Evie involved in some of the programs.  They are both on their second marriage and have been married for 16 years, the exact number of years they have lived at Chautauqua Shores, the community next to the Institute.  It is literally their back yard.

We just  got back from working out at the Turner Center; it's really ugly out side, the kind of weather that makes you want to head south, drizzle, sleet, slush, dirty snow, icy roads, the worst kind of weather I think.  We much prefer it cold, snowy, even blizzardy to this warming, which turns all the white to  gray, the snow to slush, the roads to ice, later today when it gets colder.  At least it's nice a cosy inside and we don't have to go out till later, to Linda and Ron's for dinner.

Leisurely Sunday Morning

Up at 5:15 again, to a dark house and sky, with a few flurries, as I drink my coffee, hit the Internet, check the weather (warmer today), turn on NPR, and read the entry from SUNDIAL OF THE SEASONS.  Last night we went to a Jamestown High School basketball game, which was fun.  A pretty good crowd, though  strangely subdued, perhaps because of lack of cheerleaders.  The team has two very good black players, along with a cast of average white kids, none of who have the quickness, jumping ability or skill of the two black players.  One, a cocky perennial, or so it seems, trouble-maker, is an amazing jumper (at 6' 1", he dunked two alley oops over taller players.  We left with Jamestown ahead by 10 at the end of the third quarter and went literally across the street to Taco Hut, fast becoming Evie's favorite restaurant, where she had the Flautos.  It's a very busy, well run Mexican restaurant that has been in downtown Jamestown for at twenty to thirty years.  Though the city continues to crumble, this restaurant survives and prospers...good food and modest prices are the key.

I think I must be becoming a Tea Partier, as I finished my first Vince Flynn novel (he's idolized by the WSJ and the likes of Rush Limbaugh); Matthew Rapp, a rogue CIA agent, assassin, a former All American lacrosse player from Cornell, doesn't pay much attention to the rules or law: he does what needs to be done...rid the world (USA) of bad guys.  In AMERICAN ASSASSIN, we see Matthew as he is beginning his career, a rough diamond, just learning how to kill and survive.  He ends up assassinating a Turkish arms dealer, a German (ex Nazi) banker, an numerous Arabs, Palestinians, even a Russian.  What a guy!  I have to admit I enjoyed the book, cheered when he undid the bad guys.  Go USA!  We are the best...exceptionalism at it's best.  When I first picked up the book, I didn't realize that Flynn was the darling of the conservative right; it just looked like a good book.  But as I was reading it, it began to dawn on me that this might have an appeal to a certain segment of society, the right and obviously, ME.  Scary.

Today, we are having some new friends for dinner,  Roberta and Jack Mc Kibben, friends of the Gregory's, whom we met this fall.  They live in Chautauqua Shores; Roberta is our age, Jack is in his 80's, a second marriage for both.  She's a trip, non stop talker, and he's relatively calm, a nice guy, who was a roommate of Bob Mathias at Kiski School, the 1948 decathlon champion.  Both are having health problems, so we will have a lot in common to talk about!  Roberta has been really nice to Evie; they invited us to their Christmas party, so we wanted to reciprocate.

We just  got back from cross country skiing on the lake, the first time this winter.  I also went out for the first time and it was really good to get out on the lake again.  It's warmed up quite a bit, in the mid 30's, and the snow is now as dry and fluffy as we would have like but it was still nice.  Evie bushwhacked for me, so I just followed in her tracks.  She was out for about 45 minutes,  but I came back early as i didn 't want to overdo it.  There is lots of activity on the  lake, as it's partly cloudy, so we are getting some sun.  A perfect day to fish as there's little wind and it's warmer than usual.  The Scholtz's are up for a weekend of skiing at Peak and Peek,  the first time we have seen them since October.  They live in Pittsburgh, so it's an easy drive for them.  Not much else going on...Evie's getting our Sunday breakfast ready, my favorite meal of the week, fried eggs, a couple of strips of bacon, and sour dough toast.  And, yes, Walt, Evie makes it for me every Sunday!  I'm a lucky man.

A 93,000 Winter!

A snowy morning, a bit warmer, about 24 degrees, with a  couple of inches expected today.  The lake is a white blur of snow, as I cannot see more than a 100 yards, as the other side is lost in this whiteness.  I was up at 5:15. probably because I took a long nap yesterday when Evie worked out, a mistake.  I hope we can cross country ski some  today, as it's a bit warmer and the snow should be good.  Tonight, we are planning on going to the Jamestown High basketball game, something we have wanted to do all winter, and we'll go to Taco Hut, our favorite Mexican restaurant in downtown Jamestown, just around the corner from the school.

We finally watched THE BLIND SIDE last night, something we were reluctant to do for some reason.  Well either we are the ultimate cynics or this was a movie filled with sentimentalism and cliches, but we made fun of it much of the time, predicting what was coming next, and mostly making fun of Sandra Bullocks academy award winning performance.  It's hard to believe she got any award for her performance.  The story is uplifting, I admit, and I really respect the family that took this poor black kid in and gave him a chance, and the dedication of the teachers was admirable.  It's just that, as a film, it was predictable and silly, especially in the interactions between Bullock and the football coach.  We thought we would be in tears at the end, but the silliness and cliches detracted from the humane elements of the film.  Enough....give me Winter's Bone any day.

O, yea, the 93,000.  I got my bill for my 'procedure' yesterday.  $93,000 total, all paid for by my Medicare. Amazing!  And no wonder Medicare is going bankrupt!  And I can see why the hospitals advertise, solicit patients...they need the money to keep things functioning.  I am lucky, I suppose, to have had this taken care of, but somehow, we as a nation are going to have to solve the problem of taking care of the elderly without bankrupting the nation.  I have to admit that when you don't have to pay anything for health care, you may take advantage of it.  Why not, as long as you don't have to pay, go for it.  If I had to pay thousands out of my own pocket for this procedure, I would have thought much harder about my decision.  And, I have to admit, I was a bit uncomfortable about the doctor coming to Hudson, to talk to  patients about this procedure, rather than patients seeking him out.  It was like he was out recruiting for this procedure; my skeptical side, no doubt, is kicking in.

Blue Sky in the Morning

The wakening sky, first black, then slight pink, now a light blue, glows off to the East, above Bemus Bay.  It's 4 degrees out side, thus the cold and the sky reminds me a bit of an Arizona sunset.  I wish I could capture it's beauty with a camera. We are so lucky to have a vista, morning and night, unobstructed by house or trees, just a two mile span of water, a tree line, then the enveloping sky.   It's hard to believe it's Friday, February 11 and Nicolas becomes a teenager today, a scary thought.  I don't envy today's parents but fortunately, all my  grandchildren are good kids! They all seem hard working, well behaved, doing well in school and interested in learning.  I think today's parents(especially our kids) are, in many ways, so much better parents than we were, so much more aware of their kids, involved in their lives, attuned to their needs.  Weekends and weekdays for all are taken up with the kids activities, whether school related, involving sports, or some kind of extra curricular activity.  I know that I was oblivious to my kids much of the time, involved either in teaching, coaching, or playing b-ball, and not their lives.  Most of the time, our free time was centered selfishly around my interests, not theirs, like spending summers camping all through Europe, or going to Chautauqua each weekend when in Hudson. Today's parents seem more interested doing what their kids want to do, rather than what their parents want to do.  I think we make up for our lapses with our kids by deluging our grandchildren with our time and affection, not that we think that way.  We just have time time now, and are not obsessed with ourselves, our jobs, our interests...the grandchildren become our major focus or interest.  It would be nice if you could live your life over again, and make up for our the mistakes in child rearing.  By the time you have learned how to be a good parent, you are a grandparent.  What an irony.

We did my favorite past time today, shopping, hitting the Ashville Country Store, Bon  Ton, Sears, Hair cut, Sam's Club and Weggies, all in about three hours.  Evie is off working out but I was lazy, so I stayed home, took a nap, and read.  It's been a pretty nice day outside, sunny much of the time  but cloudy now, as the sun sets in another hour.  I've been watching the amazing story coming from Egypt, and listening to all the talking heads discuss its future.  If this event proves anything, it's that no one knows for sure what will happen next.  Most rebellions like this end up in another dictatorship, like whtat happened in Iran, or Russia, or Cuba, even though the last two week communist overthrows.  Turkey is the one case where the military took over, then returned the rule to a democratic elected party and their leader.  This has been the custom in Turkey whenever the politicians got out of control. Prime Minister Erdogan and his party are trying to lessen this kind of power of the military, so something like it will not happen to them, a good idea, I think, unless its being done to ensure the rise of an ultimately Islamist state, which is the fear of many of our Turkish friends.

Breakfast Club

Back to my routine of breakfast on Thursday's at the Bemus Point Inn with the  guys.  I am not sure who is in town, but Stan may be there, back from Florida, and Joe Johnson, a neighbor on Morley will be there for sure.  It's cold again, about 6 degrees outside, though I looked at Tommy's, and it -2 degrees.  They have had an unbelievably cold month and the kids have missed weeks, not days of school.  It looks like it warms up later in the week out there, but for now, here at the lake, it will remain cold.  At least it's a fairly clear sky, thus the cold, with a light dusting of snow last night, just enough to cover the car.

The sun actually came out this morning for a few minutes, what a miracle.  Joe Johnson and I were the only ones at breakfast this morning.  He's an interesting guy, who grew up in Jamestown, like me during the late 50's and 60's when it was a thriving downtown, went to Jamestown High, eventually came back and worked for the city as business manager during the 70's before moving to Chautauqua Institution in the 80's, where he stayed, as business manager, until he retired.  He lives about a mile away, on a small farm up on Morley Road.  He's a reader like me, and wants me to come over to his book shelf, where he let's anyone who wants take away the books he's finished.  Right now he's being treated with radiation for prostate cancer, a 38 day daily routine.  So far, things are going well.  He has two sons, another child with his second wife, Jan.  He knows the area really well, having been brought up her, is of Irish/Swedish stock and interestingly, has lots of relatives in Painesville, so we actually had a number of common acquaintances from my days at Painesville Harvey.

Five Degrees

Another very cold morning, though no snow, and the sunrise was spectacular, as the sky is partly cloudy, thus the cold area.  Although spring is six weeks away, the sun gives me some hope of the weather to come.  Not much on the agenda for today, at least for me, perhaps a hike through CI  but Evie is already in the kitchen, organizing, reorganizing, and planning her next baking/cooking event.  I am a lucky man...yesterday it was healthy chocolate chip cookies.  Today, who knows what delight is in store for me.  Now I know, two soups, one made of left over roasted vegetables, the other, a Turkish soup with lentils and wheat berries, yum.

We had a great time with the Bissell girls but it just makes us miss the Albarrans and Davis's all the more.  It's been a long time since we saw Nick and Marlena, Thanksgiving I guess, so we have to get out there way sometime soon, perhaps waiting till warmer weather if we can.  With Marisa and the boys, it's a bit easier since they are only 6 + hours away, so we can invade on the spur of the moment.  Beware Beth!

From SUNDIAL, I learned that the migrating birds are already beginning to head north, following the frost line, as it dictates the food chain and its availability.  The early birds follow the 35 degree isotherm, dictated by instinct but also, interestingly, Vitamin D.  It's a critical element in their diet and it only comes from insects.  Thus, their migration north is dictated by the weather and appearance of insects or food.  Wintering birds must be able to depend on seeds and berries but easily than migrating birds, at least that's my hypothesis for no.  We still have been getting very few birds at our feeder, most likely because it was empty a few  days after we headed East.  One big pileated woodpecker seems to be pigging out on the feeder.

We just finished working out at Turner, hit the library for a couple of books, now it's time for Turkish soup and a cold pork sandwich, left over from last night's leftover dinner.  Too bad Rami's not here to enjoy it with me.

"Now Comes the Deepest Snow, the Remainderment of Winter"

How true, as we have a six foot pile of snow in our driveway, at least another 6-8 inches fell overnight and it continues to snow heavy, soft flakes this morning, the first back at the lake since February 1st, when we headed off to Bristow.  Though we both miss the girls, it's always nice to come home to our Lake Chautauqua; I think it's special because for thirty years, we were mostly here on weekends and just a month during the summers.  So it's still delicious to wake up in the morning at the lake, especially on a morning like this, where there's a fire going inside, it's warm and cosy, and outside its all whiteness, with a hint of Sandy Beach.  The snow is so heavy that we can hardly see the other side.

No birds yet as the feeder's are empty from our visit.  Most of the winter birds, junco, chickadees, and wood peckers are warm blooded and need a lot of food to survive the winter.  In fact, they spend most of their day feeding, to keep alive.  They live around five to eight years, whereas an owl may live to fifty and Canadian geese to twenty five, perhaps because they don't migrate in the winter.

We went into Mayville, where I saw a doctor about my cough; thought it was allergies and gave me some nasonex to see if it helped.  We then went to Tops, a snowy windy day, to get groceries, came home and closed up our porch.  Evie  then made 'healthy' cookies, with peanut butter, oats, wheat flower, coconut flakes and chocolate, just a little snack to keep us happy in the evening.  It's been cold and windy all day, 11 degrees right now at 5:00, though it's not as dark and gray as usual, as there's a bit of open sky, and it's not snowing.  I just finished by 5th or 6th Jack Reacher novel, so it's back to my biography of Stalin called THE COURT OF THE RED TSAR by Simon Sebag Montefiore.  I got a little tired of all the political trails, the killings, hangings, shootings, of anyone who thought 'differently' or just anyone who might be a problem.  What Stalin did to his people equals if not surpasses in numbers and evil what Hitler did to the Jews.  It's scary to think that something like this could happen in this world, that one man could be so powerful, so feared, so revered by those who thought of him as Father Russia, yet so paranoid, so heartless, so careless, even inhumane towards human life.  I don't know if I can keep reading though the trials will end soon, and then WW II will begin, which, it's estimated cost Russia perhaps 40-60 million lives in their attempt to stop Hitler. Russia, not the US, really won WW II so I have read, with their unrelenting sacrifice of Russian lives, to stop Hitler, the most famous being the battle for Stalingrad, which broke the back of the Nazis.

Back to the Lake

It's Monday morning, all are still sleeping, and it looks like a nice day here in Bristow.  After the girls head off to school, we will begin our drive back to the lake.  Jill and Drew  got back last night around 8:00, in time to see the girls and the second half of the Super Bowl.  Though both were very tired, they had a great time in Colorado Springs, their friends there are the best.  They have not been able to make friends like that yet here in Bristow, perhaps because they are still new here and they have lots of family within minutes which is great, too.

The weather report looks decent, perhaps some snow, but not much accumulation, and still in the 30's, but tomorrow, things are going to get much colder all through Western NY and PA.  It's going to be hard to leave the girls, as usual, but we are only 7 hours away, so we will be back soon enough, I'm sure.  They are an absolute delight to be around.  And they cannot get enough of their Granny, nor does she ever tire of doing things with them.  Halle, for instance, has really blossomed as a reader, writer, and computer nerd because Evie has worked with her all week on spelling, on sight words, on practicing her spelling on the computer and saving the results.  Halle learns quickly and loves to learn and be praised; Evie is amazing at all of this, a great teacher.

The pictures above are from October when we visited, when Coco was still a baby.  He looks so small in these pictures.

We got back around 4:00, again, a fairly easy drive though the last half of the trip was pretty ugly, foggy, gray, rain/sleet mix and the sides of the highways were black with mud and cinders.  The little picturesque towns all look run down and poor this time of year, with no green, just gray and dirt and emptiness.  One wonders who lives in the homes, what they do for a living, how they can stand living in these places, kind of nowhere towns, where a 7/11 is the only game in town.  I guess Chautauqua ain't much different really except we have a lake, I suppose, but down town Jamestown is not something to brag about though it was once a beautiful downtown.  It took us a little under 7 hours as usual, and it was around 338 miles this time, longer going for some reason.

Here at the lake it's 32 degrees, gray and foggy as I cannot even see Long Point it's so foggy right now and just can make out Tom's Point.  It feels good to be home and no the house had no problems with snow while we were gone.  It's always a worry, with so much snow, then thawing, then more snow.

"Baba, Can We Go Back There Again?"

It looks like a nice day, the sky seems clear and it's not raining, a perfect day to sit in side and watch the Super Bowl.  Yesterday afternoon, we drove over to Ellen and Wally's for dinner, through drizzle and gray skies.  We had a great time, especially the girls, who were enthralled with Julia's doll house which Ellen got out for their arrival.  In fact, they sat quietly for the first half hour, as we talked upstairs, then Ellen took them downstairs to see the doll house, and we hardly saw them the rest of the night.  They both love playing with their own doll house and loved the fact that everything was in miniature.  Ellen made her famous brisket with mushrooms and cranberries, with mashed potatoes and my favorite, brussell spouts.  And for dessert, we had Weggie's chocolate cake, a nice moist cake.  It's fun to be able to see them more often, just another benefit of the Bisssell's moving to Virginia.  We had dinner around 6:30 and by the time we finished, about 7:30, Halle seemed to be falling asleep at the table.  So, we decided we had better get her home.  Ellen took both girls upstairs to seeing her sewing room (they wanted to see this) and some of the quilts that she and my mother had made.  They were so quiet, almost in awe most of the time, that it was strange to see them this way after a wild week with them here.  Just as we were pulling out of their drive way and heading home Halle, asked: "Can we go back there again?"  They had a great time.  And, yes, I forgot, as we sat down to eat, Ellen had bought Pez and a dispenser for each girl, which they loved of course.  By the time we got home, both girls had eaten up one of their packets.  A Halle alert....as tired as she seemed when we left had worn off by the time we got home.  She was a dynamo until we finally got her to sleep about 9:30. A great evening!  And what a delightful two girs...they couldn't have been any sweeter.  We are lucky grandparents.

Just got back from Giant, picked up some food for tonight's Super Bowl.  Everyone seemed to have tghe same idea as the shopping center was packed.  We then gave each girl 20 bucks and went off the Five Below, a discount store, full of mostly junk that little kids would love.  It's an upscale dollar store.  Halle loved it of course and wanted everything but we helped her narrow it down to the right amount.  Hayden of course was very careful not to go over 20 dollars.  Hayden's best buy was a sign to put up in her room which says Girls Rule...she cannot wait for her Dad to see it.

Slovenia sausage, coleslaw, tacos, chips and dip.  What could be a healthier diet for the Super Bowl!

Rainy Day in Bristow

I woke about 6:00, came down and fed Coco, and the house was quiet till about 8:00 when Evie got up; it's now 8:30 and both girls are still sleeping.  We must be tiring them out.  We are off to Hayden's swim lesson around 11:00, in Manassas, about 30 minutes away.  She's not too excited about going but it's good for her to practice her strokes.  The girls were pretty tired last night, especially Halle, who tends to just crash.  We are off to Ellen's later in the day, and the  girls are excited, especially since Ellen offered to show them Julia's doll house.

One of the above pictures is from Hayden's field trip to Wegman's on Wednesday; they not only got a tour of the store but a lecture on eating healthy.  The next morning Hayden got up and talked about her breakfast, how she ate whole  grains, some carbs, proteins, and lots of fruit.  It must have had a effect.  Kids today seem so much more aware of their healthy than in the old days when I was young.  We had not a thought about eating healthy or a healthy life style, perhaps because we were living it...with none of the distractions of the modern world which leads the young to passive lifestyle.  And not just the young, all of us are spending hours a day watching TV, surfing the web, playing video games, watching movies, and not getting out as much as we should.  I feel like I sit around too much but I am not sure what else to do.  I guess I have to get a LIFE!

Hayden had swimming lessons at 11:30 at the community center in Manassas, a town that looks as though its undergone an extensive face lift, to make it more modern and interesting.  Although we just drove through it, it did have some character, and not just a series of new stores at a mall.  Clearly, it's a town that's been there for quite awhile, perhaps the center of Prince William County. After swimming, we took it easy this afternoon, as the girls played barbies in the basement, with no neighbors, and they had fun.  We left for Ellen's about 3:45, on a gray, wet rainy afternoon.

New Hair-Do's In The Morning

It's 28 degrees, a bit overcast, as the sun peaks through the gray.  We just walked the girls and Coco to school.  A group meets at the top of their Pipestem each morning, parents walking both kids and dogs to school.  It's about a 15 minute walk to school, a nice way for both parents and kids to start the day, as long as it's not raining.  And the kids don't seem to mind it, in fact, they like walking with their friends.  Coco tried to run the entire way and really got upset  when we let the girls go off on their own at the school.  I had to pick him up and take him back down to the street to settle him down. The  girls were up around 7:00, had their breakfast and smoothie, so they could play Barbies downstairs before school.  They had three friends over yesterday, spent the day in the basement getting their dolls organized, so they wanted to play more this morning.  They both were in good spirits, happy to go to school, especially Halle as Evie is coming in at noon to help out with her class.

Just got back from Safeway, to get eggs and an 8 pack of Nutty Buddies.  We obviously have a household full of Nutty Buddy lovers, starting with Evie, followed by the girls, then me.  It's been a gray day, in the 30's, and we head off to pick the girls up in a few minutes.  Cody has his jacket on already, he's leashed, and ready to go.  Usually, he thinks it's a game when we try to put on his leash, so there are four of us trying to trap him, so we can put on the leash.  Then, there are times when he waits patiently, cannot wait to have his leash put on, and go.  We are at the mercy of the whims of a dog!

It's 9:20 and Halle is sleeping, Hayden still reading.  It's been a fun night, pasta and meatball dinner, with Nutty Buddies to follow, and the girls were in rare form, laughing, giggling, having a good old time.  It's nice they don't have school tomorrow, just swimming for Hayden at 11:30 and then off Patsi's (my sister Ellen) house for dinner, about a half hour drive from Bristow.

Halle in the Morning

Well, it's sunny but cool, and I've been up since 6:30, first with Coco, then Evie, and Halle for the last couple of hours, as Hayden continues to sleep in.  Halle came down, sleepy eyed, but with an envelope full of her sight words.  We quickly went over them; she knows them perfectly, then progressed to looking at pictures on my computer of her when the Bissell's first moved to Colorado.  Coco, of course, had t snuggle up with us the couch.  Evie then played a slide show for Halle, of pictures of her, set to music.  Hayden has finally awakened or been awakened is more like it, by dear Halle, but she stays up stairs reading.  It's great to see a blue sky, temperatures in the low 30's, and a good forecast lies ahead.

Just took Coco for a cold walk, about 26 degrees out, and he literally pulled me the entire way, a tireless walker.  I think I tired him out, however, as he as been sleeping ever since.  The girls have a couple of neighbors over, at least they turned up at the door an hour ago, and we finally got them to go play downstairs in the basement.

Rainy and a High of 55 degrees in Bristow, VA

The girls just went off to school, at 8:45, very civilized and it gives them lots of time in the morning to get ready.  Hayden is reading the first volume of THE LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE and she is really into it, reading it for at least a half hour this morning as the rest of us were on our digital devices.  Hayden's class has a field trip to Wegman's today so, of course, Evie is one of the chaperons.  It's only for the morning so she will be back by noon.  Halle and I worked on her sight words this morning; we also looked at pictures on my computer and I read her two books, with her help.  She really likes to practice her words, to read her Bob books, and loves the praise---who doesn't.  It's quiet now, amazing how when the kids leave, silence ensues.  From what I can tell, the ice storm which was to hit Chautauqua was not as bad as anticipated, good news.  It's warm there today, 37, but supposed to get really cold and the day wanes.  It's hard to tell where this storm is going from the news, whether it's mostly in the Mid West around Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri, or in Chicago, or the East Coast, or all three.

One of my students was in Cairo and just wrote on Facebook that she had just gotten home to the States via Prague. Good news as things seem to be getting more violent in Tahrir Square, as the Mubarak faithful seemed to have stormed the square and battles have ensued, mostly with sticks but also with some gun fire.

Just heard from Beth that there' no school in Darien, again, yippee say the kids, o, no say the mom's.  It's going to mean school ends a lot later for lots of school districts.   Looks like Marisa is about to enjoy a great breakfast!

Coco's New Winter Coat

It's a gray but dry morning so far at the Bissell's in Bristow, VA.  The girls are up, getting ready to walk to school.  Hayden's bed is already made, her room clean. I have just spent 15 minutes looking at old digital pictures on my computer with Halle, mostly of when she was a baby.  So far, the bad weather has held off but freezing rain is coming.  It looks like Chautauqua may have not only snow but also an ice storm, which would create havoc.  Let's hope it passes by.

I am feeling better today so we went off to Panera for lunch, Jill, Evie and I, hit Target, of course, and now we are back home, relaxing until the girls get home at 3:45.  It's still gray outside but not sign of a storm,  ice or snow, and it's warming up tomorrow, so maybe we will miss the worst of things.  Halle has swimming tonight, Hayden has it Thursday night, their major activity of the winter.

Jill and Drew's flight tomorrow was cancelled but they fortunately were able to reschedule it for later in the day, and their connecting city is Atlanta, not Minneapolis.  They don't need to leave for the airport till noon, will arrive in Colorado Springs around 8:45 if things go well.