Ice Damage

So, last night I was listening to the ice break up, and it was kind of cool. Kit was fascinated, but on edge. That's pretty normal for him. Then, this morning I discovered the origin of one very large craaaaaaaaaack. It was a tree limb. The worst part, it went through the windshield of my car. If it wasn't for the ice, I would've been parked in my nice, covered, parking spot, instead of near the tree.

Snow to Ice

The weather has been the major topic of conversation in the Pacific Northwest. Anyone who saw the Seahawks beat the Jets today saw the snow in Seattle. Portland International has canceled over 300 flights at this point. A bit closer to home we've had rain all day. And it's frozen. The trees behind my place have branches touching the ground. And the ice is a half-inch thick on the shrubs.

Snow Driving

Face it, western Oregon is not exactly snow country. Many years we get just a bare skiff. This year, it just keeps coming down. I know my friends who live in true snow country are appalled by the reaction many Oregonians have to the winter white stuff. This week the Portland news stations have reported little news that is not weather related. But seriously, it's not that bad. I will admit that my Montana driving skills have been sharpened a bit this week, but if people would just use a little common sense, the snow would not be such a big deal!

Cookies

Since they cancelled school in my district today I had to find something to do on my unexpected day off. There was a whole list of chores I should've tackled. Instead, I chose to spend a good piece of the day in the kitchen. I made seven dozen cookies. Love the cookie gun! I'm not good a cut-out cookies. They take way more patience than I seem to possess. And I made my favorite peanut butter fudge. It's a recipe from my maternal grandmother that my mom has made every year for Christmas. It's a good thing I've made it several times myself. I discovered that my candy thermometer needs replacing. Thank goodness for Betty Crocker; I had to test soft-ball stage the old-fashioned way.

Let it snow....

The weather people have been predicting snow in the valley for several days. This weekend it hit. Just a little at first. I woke up to a skiff yesterday, but it wasn't enough to keep me home. This morning, there was a little more. Again, it didn't keep me home, and by noon it was gone. Now it's almost 8:30 pm. The snow which started at 3:30 has stopped, but the temperature continues to drop. I expect school may be delayed tomorrow. I kind of hope so. I really don't want to be out driving those winding, rural roads when they're icy.

Christmas Preparations

It's a short 15 days until Christmas. The tree is decorated. Cards have been mailed. Most of my shopping is done. Some gifts are wrapped and waiting. And I've started making candy. Of course there are many, many more things on my "Christmas To Do List." There are seven more days of school in 2008, and then I'll rush to finish everything up. I love this time of year so much, I just wish it didn't rush by so darn quick.

It's a small world....

That thought always takes me by surprise, but I'm not sure why. I often see people who are "out of context". Today we buried my Aunt Velma. She passed suddenly earlier this week. The service was very nice, and it was good to see my cousins. But during the funeral I kept thinking I knew the funeral director. I just knew his face, but I couldn't place where. It wasn't' until the minister mentioned the director's first name that I realized I'd gone to high school with the man. After the service I took a few moments to ask him if my suspicions were correct, and we spent a little time catching up. Who knew that 20 years after he graduated this man would be helping my cousins bury their mother in a small, rural town 35 miles from where we both grew up. It truly is a small, small world.

Storybook Land

There's a staple of the holiday season in Albany. It's called Storybook Land, and for the last 30 years the creators have built dioramas from favorite children's' stories. At the same time they collect money and foodstuffs for charity. It's been probably 28 years since I last visited, but tonight my parents and I took Lys. It was a lot of fun, there were lots of people, and Santa was waiting at the end of the tour.

For Erin....

Erin and I have been friends for a long time. Since high school. But not the same school. We grew up on opposite sides of the state, and met at Oregon Business Week. The camp experience was not really memorable, but the friendship is. We now live less than ten miles apart. So, getting together for dinner(tonight we had Japanese), shopping or a movie is much easier.