Post Thanksgiving

We were fair-weather Christians this morning. We've had 8 inches of snow in the past 26 hours. We didn't wake up until 8.15 & making a 9 AM service just didn't seem possible. (Most of these pics are yesterday when the snowfall was still light.)

My ILs planned to be down the hill yesterday at Duane's step-brother's house for a 10.45 tee time. We woke to maybe half an inch of snow (yesterday), & they left almost immediately. All the roads in the BB valley & leading in/out of BB had chain restrictions except the road east into Lucerne & Apple Valleys (Hwy 18 E). ILs left about 7.30 & went down 18 E. They followed a snow plow down & were fine. My sis had planned to leave around 8 - 8.30 AM, but was hesitant with the snow. So they hung out, we watched college football (well, the guys did, Sis #3 & i knitted), & we snacked. By about 11.30 AM the snow had slowed, but it was not melting. The high yesterday was 32.7F. The low yesterday was not as cold as earlier in the week (it has been in the low teens) at 26F.

Sis #3, her friend F, & i shoveled the driveway & around her car while Duane went into town to get chains for her. Duane & F helped get the chains on & they took off about around 1 PM. They also took 18 E. She called from the bottom of the hill. That road didn't have chain restrictions & they were able to take the chains off before long. (It is the law here that chains (or cables) must be carried at all times in the winter here in the mountains, but lots of folks don't. Even the convenience stores like 7-11 carry chains & cables up here 'cause lots of folks end up needing them.)

Throughout the afternoon yesterday we had snow off & on, but it didn't seem to be sticking to what we had shoveled off. But we woke this AM to new snow & it will have to be shoveled again.

This is NOT what the forecast predicted, however. There were "slight chance of snow" given Friday evening, & i didn't expect more than what we had a couple of weeks ago which was almost not measurable & melted quickly.

Somehow i wasn't quite ready for the snow. I knew it was coming of course. We don't have severe winters here, but i just wasn't ready. Our wood pile definitely isn't ready as we haven't been working at it as diligently as we should have. But this might not stay around too long. It could melt off in the next week & not be repeated for another month. Or it could dump 2 feet on us.

Sissy made a snow bear for us. He looks cute on the swing.






























This is what he looked like this AM. Sis added the branch "arms" after i took the pics yesterday." Tho Duane took more pics.






Thanksgiving was a much smaller group this year. We had 14 total. Six were staying here at Sugarbear, & 8 at Duane's Aunt & Uncle's place. She has had as many as 23 stay there before. And that is a typical number of folks who eat there. So it was much diminished this year. We spent both Thursday afternoon & evening there, & Friday PM as well.




Here's my "little sis" dumping leaves on me. (This isn't Aunt/Uncle's house but across the street where they hadn't raked their leaves. Duane's cousin wanted pics in the leaves.)






H was the only child with us for the weekend. None of her little cousins came. But she seemed fine with it. She just chose different adults to spend her time with. She & Duane played for a long time both evenings.






Here's the whole group of 14 of us (i'm hidden behind sis, but that's ok). Sis #3's friend F is in the red shirt on the L.









Jazz was disappointed not to be served at table.








Sis & i spent Thursday AM preparing food. She did 2 pumpkin pies & an apple. I did a spinach dip & a green bean casserole. And i didn't take either of my dishes. Before the spinach dip was really hot i had some with cornbread left over from the night before. (Sis #3's friend F had made vegetarian chili for us Wednesday night. It was so good! I made cornbread to go with it.) Anyway, i was quite ill for a little while after eating the spinach dip.

I use raw milk & because raw milk generally only sours, i keep a bottle in the fridge that might be very old. I use it for sour milk for cooking. We figure that the spinach dip hadn't gotten hot enough when i ate it to have killed the bacteria. It certainly cleaned out my system & i'm no worse for it. I used that same milk in the green bean casserole, however. We thought it would probably be fine, but i didn't want to take a chance of having the whole group end up with problems. I did eat the one i made for myself (without the fried onions in it) & was fine. Also several other dishes had been made with that milk, but well cooked. Anyway, i can't eat the casserole 'cause of the onions (fried with flour) & Duane won't eat it. And i'm not likely to eat the spinach dip now, either. What a sad waste of food.

We did get to visit with friends J&J on Friday AM. We just don't see them nearly often enough.

We had a something else happen Friday. I think it sad, but Duane was very, very angry. I had parked just on the side of the street just above where the pic of all the people are standing (to the L of the pic). We don't usually park on that side. When we came out that night about 9 we found that someone had come by & thrown a couple of eggs at our car. The driver's side window in the door was obscured.

I'm afraid i don't understand Duane's deep anger at the incident. I find it rude, frustrating, irritating, & sad. But an anger that, at the moment anyway, could kill someone i don't understand. Sis #3 reminded me that it is a violation.

What i find most disheartening, however, & i don't like to think of it, is i don't think it was done by a visitor. Meaning, i've a strong feeling that local kids often resent "flatlanders" or "outlanders" & do this to folks they think are visiting. I could be wrong, but that is my gut feeling. Duane would prefer to believe it is uncouth folks who come here from the flatland & then are rude. Because we both want to believe that where we live is in the best place on earth!

I did get it clean without too much problem the next day. Sis cleaned much of it away with snow, & i brought out a pot with hot water & soaked towels & it cleaned up without as much mess as i would expect. And, i told Sis, i'd much rather it be my car which is relatively easy to clean than have it done to my house.

H, the only child that was present this weekend, is the child of Duane's cousin. Well, actually Duane's step-dad's brother's daughter's child. Funny the way folks connect. They live in Las Vegas. H is 4-1/2 (& i can't help but think, a year older than Kaylee would be). She is a sweet child, not overly spoilt at all. She is a delight. (And that is surprising considering how spoilt Duane's cousin has been, but the improvement she has shown since becoming a mama always amazes me.)

This pic is Sis #3 with H three years ago at Thanksgiving.

I didn't seek H out this weekend, or really try to talk to her at all, except as i would an adult in passing. I was quite content to watch her play with others. So, it was a surprise to me to hear her ask her mama, "Can Kathryn help me make the card?" (Her grandpa's BD is in about a week & she was making a card for him.) Her mama told her she would have to ask me, & of course i was willing.

And, as i sat at table with her as she was making her card & later playing with her, i thought, if i only had a child in my life with whom i could spend some time, being childless wouldn't be so hard. H will not be the child i'm hoping for. We only see her about twice a year.

I wish i knew a family with children where we could keep the kids a few times a month. Then i could get in all my desires (a "fix" so to speak) of "story-reading, cookie-making, project-creating with children" out of my system. The parents would have respite & we'd have the joy of being around children even if they aren't our own.

Now, how do i find a way to have that happen? (I've checked into mentoring, BTW. It isn't as easy to set up as you'd think.)

When i took some of the pics earlier today the sun wasn't out. Wow. Sun on snow is stunning!

Now, i need to go shovel snow before long.


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