12 Degrees in the Cold

A howling wind kept us company during the night, moving branches, filling our yard with another six inches of snow. I was up at 5:00, listening to it pound the house, and I couldn't get back to sleep so I am up, catching up on my email and reading. It's pitch black, obviously, the fire is lit, coffee's hot, and I am cosy in my cocoon of snow. Our drive was cleared last night, so we should be able to work our way out this morning, though I am sure we will have to shovel the snow that fell overnight. We have a lake effect snow advisory until tomorrow morning, so we could still get quite a bit more snow.  They are suggesting that Chautauqua country will get up to two feet of snow in some areas.   At least we don't have to be on the road till this evening when we are going over to Ron and Linda's for dinner, weather permitting. Just heard the snowplow out clearing our road at 6:15, so he's up early as well.

As dawn emerges, the lake appears, a gray soup of chunks of ice and hundreds of both ducks and geese and two swans, all bobbing for vegetation, their last meal before the lake freezes over.  When the wind blows, the snow obscures their shapes, leaving just a hint of shadows on the water.

It's almost 3:00 in the afternoon and it's still only 17 degrees outside and snowing, as it has for the last six hours.  The lake has finally frozen up and all the wild life have disappeared, either to other parts of the lake where there maybe open water or they are heading south to warmer weather.  Evie's been making cookies, creating photo albums, and wrapping presents.  I have gone out three times to clear the walk, make a path to the car, and sweep the snow off the car.  Right now, the wind is whipping up the snow on the lake, like a sand storm on the desert, except this is snow.  It's hard to believe this is the same lake we boat, fish and swim on in the summer.

A Wild, Windy Day in Euclid

It’s 7:30, and I’m the only one up at Holzheimers, as the wind howls, the waves on Lake Erie break, like I am living on the ocean. One big white cap after another rolls in on a gray stormy lake (sea today), as I sip my coffee and get warm next to the fireplace. I thought there were no birds of any kind on the lake, especially today, but I just saw a few sea gulls struggling towards the East.

Evie and I drove in yesterday, Sunday, afternoon, an easy drive through drizzle and a few snow flurries, nothing serious. All the family managed to come over at one time or another, as Richie’s family was going to see Billy Elliott, though we got to see them before and after the show, and Jim came by around 9:30, after work. As usual, it was a riotous afternoon, with all the grandchildren in one room or another. They love coming over and get along with each so well. Some were in the basement playing games, others hung out with the adults in the living room, and the older boys were watching Akron U win the NCAA soccer title in the family room. The only real trauma occurred when we tried to take a family picture of the kids in front of the fireplace. For some reason, Owen rebelled, was made fun of my Colin (perhaps), and Owen angrily ran over to Colin and sucker punched him in the stomach. Colin burst into tears, Owen was upset, and everyone tried to calm the two boys to no avail. Some pictures were eventually taken but as always, trying to take a family picture often ends ups torturous and unpredictable

Dinner was great as always; Linda makes it look effortless, like my Mom, but I am sure it isn’t. Evie and I had talked the other day about how ham sounded good to us, and that’s what we had, with cornbread, scalloped potatoes, and coleslaw. We made pigs of ourselves, the only two going back for seconds.

It was fun to see all the family again; we hadn’t seen them since summer, if then. Both Jack and Claire were home from college, looking good and happy. They look so grown up it’s scary. It was Sophie and Vince’s birthday, so we had cake and ice cream. Kirsten’s kids always seem to have sprouted since the last time we saw them. Connor is well over six feet, playing soccer goalie for the St. Joe varsity and Danny is playing baseball, and Emily is her gangly, shy, and enduring self. The boys are all jocks, JP and Richie, leading the pack, playing hockey and basketball and soccer, with Vince and Danny not far behind. The girls are involved, too, with Sophie swimming (she had won four races that morning), Grace played volleyball for Forest Park and Emily playing volleyball for her mom. Both Emily and Shay hung out together, calling me Santa Claus and giggling.

The highlight, of course, was Evie hauling out the treasure chest. Though it’s filled with junk, the kids still love it, no matter what age, and they talked Evie into getting three gifts because it was Christmas. The funniest was Vince, who picked out a grass skirt and wore it, and Shay, who picked out a pack of trick cards, and she went around performing her ‘name the card trick’ for who ever would participate.

Days like this make us miss our own children and grandchildren, and wish they were closer and easier to visit. I guess we each have our own way of enjoying our kids, Linda and Rich in short spurts, we in intense visits of a week. They get the kids for a couple of hours, a couple of times a week, we get ours 24 hours for a week or so. There are advantages and disadvantages to both, I guess. You take what you are given.

It’s now 6:00 in the evening, having arrived home in a heavy snowstorm, after visiting a dentist in Erie till 4:00. It was actually a light snow when we left Erie, so we thought it would not be too bad the last 45 minutes. But when we hit # 86, it started snowing harder and harder, the road was difficult to see, and the wind was blowing so hard that it often blew snow across the road obscuring our view. We ended up in a line of cars, all with their emergency lights on, moving slowly towards our exit. We were very excited to get home safe, secure, in our warm house, fire going, food in the oven. We have at least 10 new inches of snow with more to come, and the snow is dancing wildly in our front spotlight.

Warming Up For A Day

It's actually raining outside, the temperature is 35 degrees, and its supposed to be like this most of the day, though by tonight, its to turn to ice, sleet, then snow, and lake effect snow is forecast from tonight till Tuesday.  Of course, we are heading in to Euclid, for dinner with the Holzs, and we may have to fight our way back tomorrow, depending on the severity of the lake effect snow.  It could be no problem or it could be like last week, which is why I might consider heading up tonight, not tomorrow, just to make sure we miss the worst of the snow.  Ah, uncertainty, the bane of our lives...if only I could be certain, about anything, like there is a God!  I am slowly reading a book called SPIRITUAL ENVY, a book by a dorm mate of mine from Ohio University, Michael Krasny.  He is a well known radio talk host called Forum, that has become national on Sirius for the last five years.  I did email if quite awhile ago, and he wrote me back a nice email, remembering me, suggesting we get together if I am ever on the West Coast.  This book is an exploration of agnosticism, some one who lives not believing in God but also not saying its impossible.  He is  constantly seeking, exploring, and learning, never saying NO to anything unless there is proof, data, hard facts to support it.  His writing, his journey, so far parallels my own thinking.  I like his quotation from Julian Barnes book that traces a similar quest: "I don't believe in God but I miss him."  O, the beauty of certainty that the faithful evidence (I think).  He likens faith to that feeling one had as a child, when your world seemed simple and secure---your parents took care of you, there was a God, and Santa Claus answered your list.  Ah childhood.

A Touch of Pink

The usual Saturday morning, listening first to Car Talk, then Only a Game, then Saturday Edition on NPR.  Not much changes in my morning routines, as this has been going on for years, listening to these three every Saturday at Chautauqua. It's 22 degrees out, with a touch of pink on the horizon but its mostly a gray blue.  The lake is a checkerboard of irregular patches of snow, ice and further out, water with birds still floating, perhaps awaiting the final freeze before heading south.

We had Ron and Linda over last night, a good night of good food and talk.  They had had a tough week, with Ron's procedure on Monday but they seemed happy to finally be at the lake where they could relax a bit and take it easy.  During dinner, Marlena called last night to tell Evie she had tried two new foods, mozzarella sticks and plain pizza!  What a cutie...she was so excited because Evie had been trying to get her to just try things and she did it.

We are off shopping today, to hopefully finish most of our shopping.  Yippee.

A Partly Frozen Lake

Patches of ice, reaching out at least a hundred feet, form a patchwork of open water and ice, with mostly sea gulls and buffle heads floating in the open waters, but not for long.  It's 22 degrees, getting warmer today, though little snow is forecast.  Ron and Linda are coming over for dinner; we are having Ninette's chicken tikka massala, or butter chicken would be a closer translation.  It's partly cloudy though not as overcast as usual.  Maybe we will have some sun.

Dinner is almost done, it's almost 11:00 and we are heading over to CI to workout.  The lake is filled with wild fowl, geese, sea gulls, ducks, and even crows  It's bizarre to see them floating, then walking on the ice, as it's frozen out to the middle, then open.  I am not sure why there are so many today other than the fact that at least part of the lake is still not frozen, so they can still float and dive for food.

We worked out from 11:30 to 1:00  though I spent a good deal of my time shooting hoops or rather I should say shooting the b-ball breeze with Pete, a 70 year old retired banker, who still plays ball in a league in Jamestown and participates in 3 on 3 tournaments all over the US.  He's about my size, played for Syracuse, and loves basketball.  He is a talker and every time I try to bring up something about my basketball experiences or my family, he's off talking about something revolving around him.  I think I must attract this kind of person.  Anyways, we must have shot and talked for 45 minutes before he had to leave and I went and put about 15 more minutes in on the rowing machine before we left, stopped at the library and I picked up three more Jack Reacher novels for our trip, unless I end up reading them all first.

Evie has spent most of the afternoon getting things ready for our dinner with Ron and Linda tonight; it's amazing how much time it takes to get things ready and she started doing things last night.

There Is A Sun

Unbelievably, the eastern sky is pink, with gray blue clouds, but it's the first morning since we returned where a partly sunny sky was evident.  As a result, I think, it's also much colder this morning, 17 degrees, the coldest its been this month.  I am off to the breakfast club at 8:00l, my first time with four guys who all used to work for CI.  When I return, Evie is off to the mall, to get her hair done and shop, both grocery and presents, so she won't be back till mid afternoon.  I am very happy to be staying home!  I would go crazy and drive her crazy as well.  Sunrise is at 7:32 today.

It's 11:30, the house is quiet, as Evie's off getting her hair done and shopping and I am busy getting caught up on email and things like that.  Breakfast was quite tasty, my favorite, corn beef hash with two poached eggs and toast.  Everyone was there, so it was fun to see Dick, Charlie, and Stan, and meet Joe Johnson, another CI executive who, unfortunately, is about to start a prostate radiation.  So, much of our time was spent talking about our illnesses, advising Joe, as Stan had already had an operation and Dick's wife may have leukemia, though it's not clear how serious it is.  So, not the most fun but I think I will fit in and they are all good guys.  They have the common interest and knowledge of everything to do with the CI and its residents, so I am at a bit of a loss when they talk about it.  Still, we are meeting next Thursday before many of us take off for the holidays

The pictures were taken at sunrise because its the first morning of sun since we returned from Tommy's house in KC two weeks ago.  Quite a span of gray skies, cold and snow.

It's 4:00 and Evie, having left at 9:00, has not come home yet, so shopping hard, I hope, so most of it will be done!  I have been on the phone with Apple for close to an hour, trying to get my apple email account working.  The helper tried everything and eventually closed down my account and reopened it and it finally works.  He also helped with some other simple things that I was having trouble with, like sending more than ten photos in an email.  It's been partly sunny all day, with no a trace of snow, a relief but most likely not for long.  Another storm is coming this Sunday, just as we head in to Linda and Rich's for the dinner and an overnight.

Still Snowing

Stay gray, still snowing, and we expect another 5-8 inches over the next 12 hours.  Welcome to Chautauqua Lake weather.  It was bit cold this morning, so we turned on the fireplace, making it cosy.  We had pork cutlets last night but the Rotmos, a Swedish specialty were tasted last Saturday at Peterson's Farm was the success, basically a combination of two pounds of rutabaga to one pound of potatoes.  Cook the rutabaga for 30 minutes, the potatoes, for 20 or til tender, and add milk and butter.  The authentic version cooks the rutabaga in a ham hock stock.  It was still good without it though we did use some chicken stock.

Early this morning I went off to get some gravel for our road, where potholes have appeared, a result of the cold weather, the water, and the snow plow that has come in over the past few days.  I hope it makes a difference because it is a hassle to get into our house.

Just got back from a long walk, over an hour, through the campground and houses beyond, walking in 18-24 inches of snow at times, as it was snowing the entire way, a beautiful walk, especially through the woods in the campground.  I fell as went made our way through a large drift, much to Evie's delight, and it was hard to get up until I got my feet around and pointed them down hill.  Then I could push myself up.  This is the type of day we love, little if any wind, constant snow falling, a warm house, fire, a good dinner already made, and the possibility of a couple of Manhattans, in fact, I would say that was a certainty after our workout today.  Picking your feet up and wading through 18 inches of snow is a good work out, on all parts of your party, especially if my soreness is an indication  It's almost 2:00 and I am going to have pork cutlets sandwiches for lunch and dip back into my third or fourth Jack Reacher novel.  He's the man, as Patsi says.

Late afternoon, more tundra swans and lots of geese until the Marshall got out her gun and fired at them, scattering them.  It's snowed most of the afternoon; I have been out at least three times, shoveling the walk and cleaning off the car.  I cannot remember having so much snow, day after day, but last winter was our first and supposedly a mild one.  This year, so the veterans say, it's supposed to be much worst though I am not sure what that means.  More snow?  Rain and snow?  Cold, then warm, then cold and slushy?  We'll see,  One thing I noticed: ice is begging to form, at first on the edges but now their are large sections out in the lake, with floating ice or slush, not yet completely solid but getting there