Christmas came and went with very little evidence that Maine was four days into winter. But the 27th blew in with snow and wind and falling temperatures. No one should have been caught off guard, it is after all, winter in Maine. But the plows were late getting around and the careless car owners forgot about parking bans. It's an expensive experience - leaving your car on the street costs around $270 to retrieve your car from the "storage lot". Parking ticket, towing, and storage fee add up fast. Anyway, just about when the supermarket parking lot got cleared another storm is passing through, expecting to give us another four to eight inches, depending where in the state you are. I am near the coast so may get extra, or not as much depending on the direction the storm comes from.
Nick isn't so crazy about the snow anymore. Nor am I. I went to the recycling "bullet" to leave old catalogs, news papers and lots of Christmas envelopes, wrapping and boxes. The containers were overflowing, they had not been cleared of snow, and thoughtless creeps had piled trash bags, boxes, old clothes and toys up outside. Since the trash collectors also took a holiday, and then could not operate in the storm, it was a disgusting mess. But it brought to mind that the victims of Sandy were facing that multiplied a hundred fold.
I put a live tree (well, truthfully a dead tree since it had been cut down) in my patio room, with the help of my son Tom. I put a few ornaments and a string of white mini-lights on it. My family came on Sunday before Christmas. Some extended family joined us and I think everyone just likes being together. I cannot do sit-down dinners and the roast beef was first not done, and then done too much.
I finally made a pot roast from the remainder. We had the traditional lobster and shrimp. Salad and deserts. Lord, give me one more chance to do it right. NO more uncooked/overcooked roasts. No more have done roast vegetables. Next year lobster, shrimp, cold cuts and a veggie platter (home cut, of course),
Tom came again to take the tree out. Now the room is a little empty, but I'm sure I'll find a way to fill it. It's in my nature: an flat surface, and empty space - I'll find something to put on/in it.
Have a great New Year's weekend. Have a great 2013.
janice.major@iCloud.com
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Maine is green! We have had only two significant snowfalls in this early winter season, which doesn't officially begin until tomorrow anyway, so they don't really count.
Several weeks ago we had just enough to bring the plows into the Creek, and then last Sunday, there was a 3+ inch covering which brought them in again. Monday it rained and most snow washed down the drains.
The only remaining visible evidence was where the plows heaped it up beside the roads and driveways. The plows are too big for the job, and all they accomplish besides heaps on the lawns, is leaving behind a hard packed skim which can be very slippery if not scraped off by hand. Monday's rain washed the skim away, so my son needn't have worried that it would be come hazardous. The ever zealous shovelers threw coarse sand (read small rocks) be the doorways in spite of signs asking them not to. Insurance issues, they tell us. Personally, I think walking on small rolling stones is more likely to cause twisted ankles. Yes, the rocks are that big.
The pond was again frozen over for a couple of day, but the mild temperatures have melted it once more, and although the ducks have left, the seagulls, ever opportunists, have been seen floating around, and I heard the deer are going down to it and getting drinks. Awfully steep banking, meant to discourage people from getting into the water, would seem to be hazardous for the deer. I have no idea how deep the pond is. It would seem to me it would make a lovely skating rink, but there are signs that say no to going there. One of my neighbors told me when she first moved in her son was delighted and was skating on it, when along came the local lawmen and shoeed him off.
My dog has gotten very reluctant to venture off the patio for his business. I have told him repeatedly going on the patio is bad, but if I don't stay out there with him, he takes advantage. Last night I stood and goaded him into going into the wet grass and he was like a timid ballet dancer mincing his steps and looking over his shoulder at me asking if I was serious. Hind quarters still on the patio, he squatted like a girl dog and watered into the grass. Sissy. Today it is nice and mild. I put him out and left him while my friends were here for music.
If you're interested in know about the music group, go to Musiclife-janice.blogspot.com (you might be able to get it that way, I'm never sure if it works or not).
So, tomorrow is he first day of Winter and the days will begin to lengthen which is always welcome. We are the first to see the sun rise, and the first to see it go down. There are still only 24 hours in each day, it just matters how they are divided into day and night.
Merry Christmas to everyone. Hanakkuh is over; I hope it was pleasant for all of our Jewish friends. I don't quite understand Kwanza, although I did a little research on it. It seems it was created recently and is a symbol of freedom. Happy Kwanza to all, Freedom is precious.
jmajor2@maine.rr.com
Several weeks ago we had just enough to bring the plows into the Creek, and then last Sunday, there was a 3+ inch covering which brought them in again. Monday it rained and most snow washed down the drains.
The only remaining visible evidence was where the plows heaped it up beside the roads and driveways. The plows are too big for the job, and all they accomplish besides heaps on the lawns, is leaving behind a hard packed skim which can be very slippery if not scraped off by hand. Monday's rain washed the skim away, so my son needn't have worried that it would be come hazardous. The ever zealous shovelers threw coarse sand (read small rocks) be the doorways in spite of signs asking them not to. Insurance issues, they tell us. Personally, I think walking on small rolling stones is more likely to cause twisted ankles. Yes, the rocks are that big.
The pond was again frozen over for a couple of day, but the mild temperatures have melted it once more, and although the ducks have left, the seagulls, ever opportunists, have been seen floating around, and I heard the deer are going down to it and getting drinks. Awfully steep banking, meant to discourage people from getting into the water, would seem to be hazardous for the deer. I have no idea how deep the pond is. It would seem to me it would make a lovely skating rink, but there are signs that say no to going there. One of my neighbors told me when she first moved in her son was delighted and was skating on it, when along came the local lawmen and shoeed him off.
My dog has gotten very reluctant to venture off the patio for his business. I have told him repeatedly going on the patio is bad, but if I don't stay out there with him, he takes advantage. Last night I stood and goaded him into going into the wet grass and he was like a timid ballet dancer mincing his steps and looking over his shoulder at me asking if I was serious. Hind quarters still on the patio, he squatted like a girl dog and watered into the grass. Sissy. Today it is nice and mild. I put him out and left him while my friends were here for music.
If you're interested in know about the music group, go to Musiclife-janice.blogspot.com (you might be able to get it that way, I'm never sure if it works or not).
So, tomorrow is he first day of Winter and the days will begin to lengthen which is always welcome. We are the first to see the sun rise, and the first to see it go down. There are still only 24 hours in each day, it just matters how they are divided into day and night.
Merry Christmas to everyone. Hanakkuh is over; I hope it was pleasant for all of our Jewish friends. I don't quite understand Kwanza, although I did a little research on it. It seems it was created recently and is a symbol of freedom. Happy Kwanza to all, Freedom is precious.
jmajor2@maine.rr.com
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