Wrapping And Packing (Winter Solstice)

Morning Scramble

9:11

At 7:26 there's not much of a morning sky, just grayness, with close to a hundred Canadian geese and Trumpeter swans strewn along the lakefront, splotches of black and white on the gray lake.  It's 28º with some wet snow predicted for this evening, perhaps tomorrow when we head off to Virginia.

Hooded Merganser

Tundra Swan

Yesterday was a long day for Evie, not having gotten a good night sleep the night before.  I was my chipper self, but I ended up not doing much, to be honest. Around 10:00,  I drove off to Lakewood, to the post office, to Wegman's, mostly to get out of the house and do something.  The gang at the coffee shop were talking about the snow storm supposedly coming this weekend, for Xmas so it looks like we may have a white Christmas here at the lake.   We are through mailing packages to our grandchildren.  When I got home, Evie had gotten some things done, as there was a pile of wrapped packages, ready for our trip tomorrow.

Evie had made me some matzo ball soup for lunch and grilled a couple of cheese sandwiches, so I was a happy boy.  I watched some boring Sports Center, not willing to start a series until I return after Christmas.  We both took it easy in the afternoon, although Evie is not very good at taking it easy.  So mid-afternoon, she got out the dough, beater, and made one of my favorite cookies (I have many) Russian tea cakes.  I read much of the afternoon, took a short walk and we both ended up taking mucho photos of the geese, ducks, and swans in our front yard, an amazing mass of waterfowl.

Mostly Ducks

A Happy Couple

A Symphony Of Ducks And Swans

Mallard And Swans

Dinner was another favorite from our days in Turkey, Wienerschnitzel, using a pork tenderloin that Evie had pounded out between wax paper and breaded.  We had baked red potatoes and a salad along with the Wienerschnitzel.  The pork tenderloin was done perfectly, topped with melted butter and lemon juice.  I was happy and we watched three more episodes of THE CROWN, the first two, about crises in Elizabeth's tenure were outstanding, the third less compelling about her sister Margaret's bohemian friends and marriage to Armstrong-Jones.  It's a series well worth watching.

The Republican Tax Cuts: Killing The Beast...the beast, in this case, is the government.  By cutting taxes on corporations and the wealthy, the money needed for entitlements like Medicare and Medicaid among many others programs, will not be there.  Thus, the Republicans will have to cut entitlements, their ultimate goal.  The poor, the struggling middle class and most likely our children and grandchildren, are on their own.  As an aside, I don't know anyone who wanted or expected a tax cut...just saying.