Paddling In The Snow

Kayak Morning

7:53

The Lake Monday Morning From The Bridge 

It's 8:00 and I have been up since 6:00, trying to find an interesting podcast.  At the moment, the sky and lake are gray, the yard barely white with snow.  It's 33º and windy but I am tempted to kayak but worry about finding enough open water to paddle.  Well, I did it, paddle for 20 minutes, south to the reeds, back to Woodlawn, in a light, wet snow.  Loved it.

Kayaking In Gray

View From Bridge

 Yesterday was a long day, mostly because we drove to Buffalo, to Roswell Park, to get the stitches out of my arm and check the progress of the open wound.  All is good and we were in and out within a half-hour and on our way home.  The sky both out and back was striking, either sunny with blue skies or dark, gray and threatening. I have to admit we were more than happy to finally get back in our house, the drive behind us. 

Buffalo From Roswell

Blue Skies

I was really tired from having a bad night so Evie quickly made me a sandwich and heated up the soup for lunch.  I ate and watched my show but quickly decided I needed a nap.  And I did, sleeping for a good hour.

We did little during the afternoon, by 5:00, however, we were sitting in our new living room, at least it seems that way, with a glass of wine, listening to the news on Sonos, back in a routine. 

Wine Time

Dinner was little fuss, putting together some scalloped potatoes from a box, heating up the leftover ham and making a salad.  We were not sure what to watch on TV so we decided to take a chance on HBO's Watchman, a superhero drama, based on a graphic novel.  It's the type of series we usually avoid.  Surprisingly, we stuck with it for three episodes,  We are not sure what's happening all the time but we understand enough to stick with it.  The genesis is the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921 (when white residents attacked the black residents) and the series takes place in Tulsa in 2019.

Post Grandchildren Blues

7:37

7:58

It's still utterly dark at 6:48 and I have been immersed in it for an hour.  It looks like more rain and mild temperatures for the next few days.  The lake is mostly open with a few ice floes near the shoreline,  and it is shocking to remember that neighbors were skating on it less than a week ago.  I guess I should get out my paddle just not today, it's too windy and wet out there. 

8:00

8:13

Sunday was depressing both inside and out. Jill's family left at 7:00 so suddenly, our house was quiet and empty of grandchildren.  And the weather seemed to match our mood as it was overcast and rainy most of the day.  Once they left, we were left with a full day with nothing we had to do, a void as it were.  To assuage the blues, we always get busy after a departure and start a major cleaning, which gives us something to do and combats the blahs.  So we changed the beds, vacuumed the living room, cleaned up the kitchen, the TV room, and just kept busy with things until we tired. 

Around 10:30, we got the bright idea of driving into Lakewood, to TJ Maxx, to return the chairs Evie and Halle brought home on Saturday as well as return a number of other things Evie bought over the past week or two.  We wanted to make sure to return the chairs, get credit, and beat the crowd which we did by getting there just as it opened.  We browsed for 15 minutes, bought a few things we don't need of course and were home by noon, ready for a good breakfast. 

We both were looking forward to breakfast so Evie quickly fried up the eggs and bacon, toasted a bagel, made some home fries and we were happy.  We watched CBS Sunday Morning until I got tired and kept dozing off.  Evie suggested I take a nap so I did.  The rest of the afternoon was a blur as neither of us had any mojo.  All we wanted to do was lie on a couch and watch some junk TV and avoid getting up.  We both did a pretty good job of it until dinner time. 

We did relax with a glass of wine and cheese at 6:00,  having managed to rise from our couches.  Dinner was the leftover tenderloin, cut into pieces, over mashed potatoes with mushroom gravy, my kind of dinner.  We watched a couple of different shows, ending up watching Off The Grid because we could not find anything else that interested us.  We were in bed by 10:00, ready for a good night's sleep. 

A Fun Poem from Fridays Writer's Almanac: Enjoy

Home Cooking by Barbara Crooker Let me stir up a batch of something hot, beef stew or red bean chili, something simmering just below the boil. You let me know if it needs more seasoning, more spice. Let me spread some butter on your cornbread, darling; let it soak into all the cracks. Let me fill your glass with something red and juicy. The oven is hot, and all the burners are glowing. If you can't take the heat. then get out of my kitchen. But if you need to take the chill off, baby, I might be able to dish a little something up . . . A quotation to ponder from novelist Douglas Coupland:   "TV and the Internet are good because they keep stupid people from spending too much time out in public."

Quiet And Empty

Jill's Family

Selfie Gone Wrong

7:28

It's just about 8:00 and we have been up since 6:00 because Jill and family wanted to be on their way by 7:00.  We originally thought they would stay another day or two but Jill has to work Monday and is showing a house to a client this afternoon, thus the early start.

Reflections At Long Point

Halle And Daisy

Hayden And Coco

We had an interesting and fun Saturday, again quite different from the summer when we spent most of the day outside.  I was first up and then Drew, the order of the girls always the same, with Hayden bringing up the rear.  Evie was the morning sous chef, making eggs and bacon to order as the gang arose.  We were not sure what we wanted to do with the day, so we had an easy morning, no fuss, no rush, just hanging out on our devices.  Late morning the sun came out so Drew and I took the dogs out for a walk up the hill and back, the road filled with slush and puddles.

At The Big Inlet Microbrewery

Jill, Drew and I decided we wanted to go to The Big Inlet, a new microbrew in Mayville.  We have been there a couple times before with them and they really liked it.  So after a lunch of soup, shells and ham sandwiches, we left, leaving Evie, Hayden and Halle at home.  They decided to drive to Lakewood, at the girls request, to T.J. Maxx, so they could spend some of their Christmas money.  We walked in an almost empty Big Inlet, a surprise but by the time we left at 3:00, it was beginning to fill up.  We were home about the same time as Evie and the girls, arms full of bags, even a couple of chairs that Evie thought might work in our living room (they didn't).

Jill And Halle

Drew And Hayden 

We watched some football and episodes of The Morning Show, on and off during the afternoon and night, with time out to enjoy bloody mary time and a great dinner.

Dinner's Ready

The Good Life: Family, Food, Wine And A Dog

It was actually an easy dinner for Evie, roast some cauliflower, heat up the mashed potatoes, and cook the tenderloin.  Jill made a great horseradish and sour cream sauce and a salad.  I sliced the tenderloin and we sat down to a great dinner.  The tenderloin was done just right after resting for 15 minutes, prepped nicely with lots of salt, pepper and a couple teaspoons of sugar.  It made for a great crust.

Cuddle Time

We saved the last episode of The Morning Show for after dinner, then watched some football until we were too tired to say up, knowing that everyone had to get up early.  It's been a quick three days of fun.  Wish they could have stayed longer but life goes on if you are not retired. 

Family Fun Day

Granny And Her Girlies

Baba With His Grands

The Big Melt Begins

A Dab Of Sunshine

It's just starting to get light at 7:15 and looks like another wet, overcast day at the lake.  The snow has completely melted and the lake ice is not far behind.  I could be kayaking tomorrow.  It's 35º and may not get much warmer.  It's 8:00 as I finish writing this and Drew has just come down to join me, the gals still asleep.

Halle And Her Dad

Friday was a good day, a house full of family albeit a late-rising couple of granddaughters.  I was up early as was Drew and we sat talking and drinking our coffee as we always do when together, letting the girls sleep in.  We don't solve any problems but enjoy talking about Drew's travels all over the world for work, sports and occasionally politics although by now, both of us are sick of it.  The girls usually get up in order, first Evie, then Halle, then her Mom and finally our college freshmen, Hayden.

Hayden And Coco

Once Evie had her coffee, edited the blog, she began making breakfast, Bob Evans sausage, eggs for Drew, and crepes for the girls.  She made them, as needed over the next couple of hours as one after another came downstairs for breakfast.  This was not as easy as it sounds because our carpet guys arrived at 9:15, to lay the carpet in our TV room and closet.  Thus, furniture had to be moved into a hallway and a freezer and small refrigerator were moved to the kitchen, making breakfast a trial.  Fortunately, the crew was efficient and we had our TV room back in place by 11:30 when all were fed and on their devices. 

Halle And Coco

We were not sure what to do with the day since it was raining, making it unlikely we would be able to get outside for a walk or hike.  Both Halle and Hayden love going to our local coffee shop, Ryders, so Jill and Drew drove to Lakewood and got coffee.  Evie and I stayed home, doing up the dishes and straightening up the house.  When they returned, we relaxed for a bit, sitting around our dining room table, coloring our tablecloth, something we try to do every time family visits.

Real Men Still Color

Jill and the girls wanted to go to Bemus Point because of the sales at our local clothing store, Skillmans.  They were gone until 2:00, disappointed by the sales.  Only Jill found something worth getting.  When they returned, we had lunch, leftover twice baked potatoes and ham sandwiches.  And because it was still raining outside, we decided to watch another episode or two of The Morning Show, hoping we might get through it before they leave.

At The Rod And Gun Club With Hayden And Halle

We decided to go out for dinner because Jill and Drew and girls had never been to the Rod And Gun Club although we knew it would be crowded.  We were lucky to find seats around a table in the bar, waiting for our table in the restaurant.  It took two rounds of beer and an appetizer before we sat down to dinner.  Fortunately, our friend Carol was our waitress, so we had fun talking with her as we ordered.

Jill And Drew Enjoying A Beer At Rod And Gun

Three of us got fish frys, Drew a steak, Halle french fries, and Hayden spaghetti and meatballs.  The gang liked the Rod and Gun and Jill even texted a photo to her friend from Virginia who grew up in Jamestown going to the Rod and Gun.

We didn't' get home until 8:30 and ended up in the TV room, enjoying cheesecake or tin roofs for dessert and watching another episode or two of The Morning Show.

Waiting For The Gang

Kitchen Help

It's 6:30, Jill, Drew and the girls are here, all still sleeping and I am sitting downstairs in the dark listening to two podcasts.  Bill Simmons and an interview with Elizabeth Strout, author of Olive Kitteridge, both a welcome relief from the news.  It looks ugly out, as the big melt has begun in earnest, the snow turning to puddles of water, the lake soupy.  So we will have cloudy skies and rain much of the day, not exactly a white Christmas for our granddaughters.  By the way, we received a phone call yesterday from Home Depot, saying the last piece of our carpet is in so they will be arriving this morning to lay it in our TV room, great timing! Jerks...don't buy from them.

8:03

They did not arrive until 6:00 so we had the day to ourselves, waiting mostly, filling the hours with the usual, shopping, some baking, reading, TV and a nap.  The day started with coffee, the blog and Evie making a final list for Wegman's, as there is always something else we need.  So I was off at 10:30, stopped at Ryders Cup, took a selfie with the regulars, then on to Wegman's to pick up a few things, not a big shopping trip.  Afterward, I stopped at a craft store to pick up some fabric magic markers since we could not find the ones we had.  We have this cool tablecloth that we bring out each year to color and we need fabric markers.

The Locals At Ryders Cup

I was home by 12:30 and Evie had been busy of course, tweaking the living room and bedrooms, making sure all was right in the house.  For lunch, Evie made me a quesadilla, fast becoming the easy go-to lunch, warmed up some lentil soup and I was happy, enjoying lunch and watching another episode of Peaky Blinders on Netflix.  The rest of the day was just waiting for the family to arrive and envying our neighbors, who were once more out on the ice skating.

Wow

And as is obvious, when you are anxious for someone to arrive, time moves slowly.  I took a nap which helped but the rest of the afternoon was slow-moving, looking for things to do to pass the time.  I finally texted Halle and she replied they were 40 minutes out which meant they would be here just after 6:00.  They arrived on time, in the dark, the two dogs charging out of their SUV with the girls, for hugs and petting.  We moved lots of girl stuff in and upstairs and within 15 minutes, the dogs were relaxing in their dog beds, the four of us were enjoying Blue Moons, and the girls were just happy to be out of the car.  All of them look great, Hayden, now a freshman at West Virginia, Halle at freshman in high school, both so grown up.  It was great to have a house full of kids and grandkids, the way it should be during the holidays,  Evie made the girls' favorites for appetizers, hanky pankies, and feta cheese boreks. Yum.

Dinner At Last (Coco eyeing the ham)

Dinner was a honey baked ham, stuffed shells for Halle, twice baked potatoes for Hayden, and a great salad with onion strings.  It was fun to sit down to a table with family once again and all were hungry, enjoying dinner after a six-plus hour drive from Virginia. Evie and I thought hard about a film or TV show all of us might like so we settled on The Morning Show, on AppleTV Plus.  We have seen it but were happy to watch it once again.  We watched two episodes, finishing just after 11:00 and it was a good choice because everyone loved it and can't wait to get back to it this evening.

The Day After

A Chautauqua Chrismas With Jim And Barb

7:09

7:21

7:26

7:33

It's 8:30 and it's just me, listening to a podcast on the ten best TV shows of the past decade.  It was a colorful morning sky at first but now it has grayed over for the most part.  The lake is still frozen although the snow is beginning to melt, alas.  Jill and Drew and family arrive later today and I am afraid the snow and ice will have disappeared by the time they arrive, with today's high of 48º.

A Christmas Walk In The Woods

Yesterday was a quiet Christmas for us, no hustle or bustle, no excitement of little ones opening presents.  Instead, it was not much different from most mornings with me up way too early, with Evie following around 8:00.  I wrote the blog, Evie edited the photos and once it was published, I decided to go for a walk in the woods because it was such a beautiful morning, lots of sun and blue skies.  I was out walking the woods by 10:00, seemingly the only one in the neighborhood.  The walk was a good idea, getting my blood moving, the sun, and blue skies always a mood changer.  It was such a nice morning that our neighbors were out enjoying the frozen lake, skating.

Skating To Wells Bay

Evie was tweaking the house and getting things organized for the day.  We were going over to our neighbor's house for Christmas dinner and we were bringing both a salad and potatoes.  So Evie got busy, making onion strings for the salad and her special dressing with tahini, sriracha, vinegar, oil and other goodies, a favorite.  I had the leftover Indian food for lunch, finishing it off and watched my show, then napped, my normal routine.  When I got up, Evie had decided to make a new potato recipe that sounded crazy to make though it was from the Smitten Kitchen.  Basically, you roast potatoes in a 500º oven for 15 minutes, then turn them over, roast them again, then pour chicken broth and garlic over them and roast for another fifteen minutes.  By the time they are done, they look like hockey pucks so we were not sure we wanted to bring them to dinner. 

We gathered our goodies and walked on the icy road carefully over to Barb and Jim's for dinner.  They, like us, have a lovely house on the lake with a striking view of Long Point, like all of us on Woodlawn but each view is different.  We enjoyed appetizers, stuffed mushrooms, some shrimp, wine or beer, waiting to have our turkey dinner. 

Turkey Dinner Ready

Jim carved the turkey as Evie and Barb got the sides ready.  Everything was great, the Brussel sprouts with a horseradish cream sauce, the turkey and stuffing, the salad with onions sticks, and a miracle, everyone liked or said they liked the hockey puck-like potatoes. 

A Lovely Christmas Dinner On Chautauqua Lake

We had ice cream and cookies for dessert and sat at the table talking until 8:30, a fun way to end our Christmas at Chautauqua Lake.  We relaxed and watched some TV, still full from our great dinner, inexplicably tired from doing little if anything during the day and went up to bed early.

Home Alone

7:25 

7:28

8:00

It's 7:00 on a Christmas morning and I have been up since 5:00.  The pink/gray morning sky has just risen out of utter darkness as I listen to a podcast, Best Books From New York Times critics.  It's a quiet morning here on Woodlawn, just a few of us are home and a cold 27º.

Yesterday was a different Christmas Eve, mostly because for the first time in over fifty years, Evie and I will spend the day without our kids or their families, just the two of us. We stayed here at the lake rather than driving to Virginia, as usual,  because our daughter Jill and her family are coming the day after Christmas, from Virginia.  So yesterday was spent, like the previous days, making sure we had everything we needed for their arrival. 

We were mostly ready but never completely ready so after coffee, the blog, and some list-making, I drove off once again to Home Depot and Wegmans.  It was a chance for me to get out of the house because we really didn't need anything until probably Thursday but you never know, right.  Lots of others had the same idea as both stores were busy with last-minute shoppers, stocking up for the next couple of days of family gatherings.  It was fun to be part of this happy, frenetic throng, hoping to get to check out quickly. 

When I got home, Evie had been busy, making another one of our favorite soups, mercimek corba or lentil soup.  It's tasty, satisfying, and healthy, perfect for lunch, so I helped myself to a bowl and toasted a bagel.  I watched my show, then took a long nap, over an hour as I must have been tired from getting up so early. Anyways, it felt good and I woke to feel energized.  Since we were home alone, we didn't worry about dinner. Evie wanted to shorten her to-do list for the holidays, so I got out the scissors and razor and Evie gave me a quick, much-needed shearing.  We both showered, then, getting ready for cocktail hour. 

Our Christmas Tree

We decided to celebrate Christmas Eve with good cheese and a couple of Manhattans, not worrying about dinner.  We lit our tree, which looks better and better, especially at night, turned on Sonos and listened to Christmas carols and songs, thinking about Christmas Eve's past and present.  It was a quiet evening, unlike most Christmas Eve's, with both of us wishing we could have been with our kids.  Neither of us wanted to fuss with dinner, so we had an omelet with feta cheese and tomatoes and toast and it was just right.  We watched some TV, channel surfing but finding little that interested us so we went up to bed early, perhaps the reason I got up this morning at 5:00.