By the time it was over we had a fresh 17 inches of fluffy, powdery snow. It was very beautiful. The wind made things tough later in the day but the skiing has taken a turn for the better.

This morning Dave called and said he had been to the store to stock up for the impending storm they have now in Baltimore. The shelves were bare, folks were panicking. Winter has hit everywhere now.

Kathi, Dave works for the Social Security Adminstration and he is currently working with the Deputy Commissioner of Social Security to give the "field office perspective" to a number of new programs with the department. It's very common for these details to come up, we have just never gotten this invovled in one before. Last year he had been selected to do a long detail down there which began shortly before the end of the school year and went all summer. I had made plans to join him after school got out and we'd spend the summer hiking in the Shenendoah. At the last minute it was given to another manager and Dave was left holding his head saying what just happened.

I spoke too soon about being glad Patti had the foot of snow because that's what the weather channel is predicting for us...went grocery shopping this morning so I'll have plenty of comfort food. There were so many people in the store, you would think they had never had a snowstorm before. I was actually going before I heard we were getting a storm...something about the cupboards being bare. To think there was a time many years ago when I thought grocery shopping was fun. Crazy...well, heres to being toasty warm and safe at home! Happy Thoughts to all...

Yes, Kathi, I do like the warm, sunny weather here. I feel cold just reading what you all write about the snow and freezing temperatures. I don't remember it bothering me when I grew up in Vermont, but now that I'm used to warmth and sun--from Los Angeles and, before that, Israel--I don't think I could go back to living in a cold place. Visiting is okay, though!

Patti, I am glad you were the ones to get the foot of snow. We have a few inches on the ground and it sounds like the storm this weekend will be a southern New England storm. It is -5 right now with wind chills down to -25. I am glad that its Friday and can hibernate for the weekend. What does your husband do for work that he is gone for 4 months? Lori, California sounds like the place to be today!!! My sister-in-law lives in SanDiego and she emailed me it was beautiful weather now that its stopped raining. I have a couple of "girl" movies I think I'll try watching tonight...Neil is out on the road...so its a good opportunity and sounds better than cleaning! Have a great weekend everybody. Stay warm! Happy Thoughts...

Hi folks, over a foot of fresh snow on the ground and coming down like crazy! I did the driveway at 8 a.m and I'll do it again later. Maybe I'll let Colin do it when he comes home from work. I don't mind it much, I just don't favor the idea of doing in the dark before school. Today it was easy cause it was daylight.

You're right Kathi I do have the opportunity to do crafty or creative things and not have to worry about leaving the mess around. I can work out whenever I want and eat the way I want too. No big suppers anymore.

the glass is 1/2 full.

Richard sounds very exciting. I"ll anxiously await the CD. Our temps have been a bit colder than normal here but supposed to bounce back tomorrow to our normal 50ish. Just finished building a triler to transport our critters and round bales of hay. We took the bed of an old tractor trailer and a triaxel frame from another and welded them together and voila...... drove it home and putting the finishing touches on it. When the Suburbans hooked to it its about 52' or so, not something that everyone could handle but very useful. I learned to work the acetelene torches. See, I'm learning to work with big metals now, its fun.

Pat, you will have a good time visiting Baltimore. We took the kids when they were little and did the Inner Harbor, the aquarium and the USS Constellation docked there. In the meantime, maybe you can get a timer for your furnace that will jack up the temp a half hour before you are due home. Lori, the diet was going okay until I went away for the weekend. Now I am "revisiting" a couple of pounds. Its not a bad way of eating, only lean meats and lots of veggies and good oils (fats). I just am such a chocolate addict and I love bread and alcohol. I eat when I am depressed, happy, alone, with somebody ..... you get the idea. Right now I am leaving to go have my fasting cholesterol done ... ain't getting old great???????? Then after that I think I will go have a mocha latte and a chocolate croissant, hah!

Now is the time to buy the electric blanket!!! Or those little bags filled with corn that you put in the mircrowave to keep your feet warm! Hopefully, the cold snap will not stay around very long. Its past the midpoint in January, the days are getting longer....Pat, you can now do all those creative things you can't get to when there are others in your house-- to keep yourself busy.

Our rain's finished, and we're back to warm, sunny weather. I went hiking with my friend today, and it was so nice out there. Like spring.

By the way, Karen, how's your South Beach diet going? The only diet that seems to work for me is if I'm depressed. Then I can lose a few pounds. I don't recommend it, though!

-25 with the wind chill. I am soooo cold.

It takes forever for the house to warm up after I get back form school. By the time I'm not cold anymore it's bedtime. Whatever, this too will pass

Dave took off yesterday afternoon. Called from Spring Hill, NY around 4:30 to say he was off the road for the night. And so it begins.

Quite cold for GA also. We had 19 this morning when I got up. It is only going to reach into the high 30's. When I go out to the stores, that is what people will be talking about. I notice that a lot of them don't wear coats and complain about the cold ... I wonder if it is denial or they don't own heavy jackets? We had a good trip to FL. It was cold for them too, but sunny and close to 70 on Sunday. Have a good week!

It is COLD here in Vermont. Suppose to be in the minus tonight. The wind has a definite chill. Holiday today and a teacher inservice day tomorrow, so no school/work for me! I think I could like 4 day weekends. What's everybody been up to? My daughter was home from NYC for the weekend. I took her to BF to catch Amtrak this morning. She ended up taking a bus to Springfield, MA because of a train derailment Sunday morning outside of Brattleboro somewhere. Not the passenger train, but cars carrying wood products or something. We didn't know anything about it until we got to the train station. Didn't go to the mailbox to get the newspaper before we left. Anyways, she ended up busing, then having to switch trains twice before getting back to the city. See once you get here its not easy to leave! She really didn't find that amusing....not like me.
Hope everyone had a good weekend and hopefully, day off.