snow fun

 Eight inches later, my friend lost her bet.  She said the chowder came out pretty good.  This morning I heard text complaints from several friends who couldn't find their newspapers in the snow.  I realized that this is another advantage of living in an apartment.  My newspaper was right outside my door just like every Sunday,  Of course I do think my paper person has one of the best paper routes ever.  Once he gets to our parking lot it's all inside as he goes from floor to floor delivering his papers.  Today I was finally able to achieve a five year goal.  Soon after I moved in here, on a snowy day, I asked a young man riding in the elevator with me, what we were expected to do with the snow that might accumulate on our balconies.  With a straight face he assured me that each of us was required to build a snow man.  Today I was finally able to do that.  Actually it turned out to be more of a snow blob.  I wanted to make a cute snow person sitting in one of my balcony chairs but it kept slipping down into a semi-reclining position.  So now it has kind of a blobby shape with button eyes and striped gloves.  Ah well, maybe I'll do better next time.  

she's a doubter

A friend of mine was very excited a few years ago when she and her husband moved here from Tennessee.  She was looking forward to snow in the winters.  So far she has seen more snow when she has gone home to Tennessee to visit her mom.  In the last few years it seems like every big snow that was predicted either turned to rain or tracked south or north of us.  But now the weather forecasters are predicting 6 to 8 inches of snow tonight or 4 to 6 or 6 to 9 or 5 to 7 depending on who you're listening to.  My friend is so skeptical that she has made a bet with her husband.  If we have less than 3 inches he will pick up McDonald's biscuits for breakfast but if we have more snow she will cook shrimp and corn chowder for supper tomorrow night.  Sounds to me like she wins either way. Let it snow!

What's in a name?

 By definition a curmudgeon is a grumpy, bad tempered, mean old man or old woman.  You've got to admit it's a very descriptive word, just by the sound of it.  It contains a grrrr sound and the word mud.  When I was a little girl my friends and I used to love roller skating up and down the side walk in front of our houses.  We were probably noisy what with the steel wheels and our childish excitement but we were kids after all.  However, our unfriendly neighborhood curmudgeon (of course I didn't know the word then but he definitely was  one) would stand on his front porch yelling at us, holding his garden hose and spraying us as we skated by.  We didn't mind getting wet but we suspected it was a plot to rust our skates.  Today, I must admit, I let a little bit of my inner curmudgeon come out.  I wasn't picking on little children but I was, hopefully tactfully, scolding fellow members of my Bible study group.  Over the last many weeks I had become more and more frustrated over the amount of time wasted (my perception) in casual chat until our hour and a half sessions, originally set up with one half hour for sharing joys and concerns and an hour for the actual Bible study, had shifted to an hour or more of chat and minimal time for the class.  I made a brief, pleasant, non-accusatory statement in which I expressed my increasing frustration, ask if we could please go back to our original schedule and also be sure everyone had a chance to share during the first half hour before anyone took a second turn.  When I finished my plea there was total silence, then three of the eight people said they agreed with me.  Since no one spoke against it. our leader kept us right on schedule today.  But I did notice that the most talkative person in our group, who tends at times to drone on and on, hardly said anything.  She probably was  offended but I don't think I care.  Wow, I may be a real curmudgeon after all.

the ultimate toy

 Today is International LEGO Day.  This marvelous toy was patented in 1958 and has always been my son's favorite toy.  Although when he was five, he was quite fond of his fireman action figure.  My son has amassed quite a huge collection of Legos over the years.  I know because I was the one who packed them up whenever we moved.  Some years ago, when I was in real estate, I had the opportunity to show a buyer a house that my family had lived in a few years before.  It was interesting to see the changes, not many. As I was showing the room that had been my son's bedroom, I happened to glance down into the window well, and between the window and the screen I spied one lonely red Lego and knew, no doubt, that it was one of my son's.  I told him about it when I got home that evening, he was a teenager by then, and his immediate response was "Did you get it for me?"  

I love my library

 Today is Happy Library Shelfie Day.  I'm not sure what a Library Shelfie is but if it has anything to do with taking a picture of yourself in front of some library shelves I'm all for it.  It's got to be a lot safer than taking a selfie on the edge of the Grand Canyon.  Libraries are some of my very favorite places in the world,  In fact, two years ago on a trip to Finland we were taken on a tour of the amazing new modern library in Helsinki.  It was architecturally very interesting and one of my favorite spots on the tour, and not just because it was inside and warm.  As we were guided from area to area having the special features pointed out I found myself thinking "Huh, the ACPL has that and that and that.  So no library envy except possibly for the restrooms, sorry toilet.  If you ask for directions to the restroom they just look at you blankly.  The restrooms, one on each floor, were large open rooms with very private stalls all around the sides and a large bank of sinks in the middle.  No HIS or HERS,  just one big room.  It was all very convenient, especially for large groups like tours. No long lines.  Our local library, the Allen County Public Library, is quite wonderful in it's own way and during this time of shut down, offers on-line books and curb side pick up, but I must admit that I am very anxious for it to be really open.  Our county is in the orange now, so maybe soon.  Fingers crossed.  Maybe I should send them a selfie of me holding my empty library book bag and looking pitiful? 

a spicy memory

 My son sent me a picture this evening of what he and his family were having for supper.  I am not usually a fan of people posting pictures of food but I did enjoy this.  The picture showed a beautiful cookie sheet of nachos made the way I used to make them when my son was a teen. Made with nacho chips spread with bean dip then topped with a thin slice of jalapeno pepper, topped with cheddar cheese and popped into the oven until the cheese melts softly over the pepper and bean spread.  I sent the picture on to my daughter because why should I be the only one whose mouth was watering for something I couldn't have?  She reminded me that they should be served with chili and that really stirred the memories.  This combo was a favorite Sunday night supper for many years,  It pleases me to see this tradition being carried on.  It's nice to have at least one  family tradition.  OK, that's enough reminiscing. Now I need to go add some things to my grocery list.  

Wrap it up.

 Today is Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day.  Now I ask you, what's not to appreciate about bubble wrap?  I have used it many times to wrap Christmas gifts for shipping across the country. Always with good results.  But let's face it, the very best thing about bubble wrap is it's 'popability.'  I'm not exactly sure why, but popping those little pods full of air is very satisfying.  And the rules are easy.  You can pop those little bubbles one at a time with your fingers or walk on a sheet of bubble wrap in your stocking feet.  The noise is almost as good as the tactile sensation.  And this isn't just appreciated by adults. Children love bubble wrap too, sometimes even more than the gift it was wrapped around.