Hats Off To Spring....

I know, I know, it really isn't spring. And if I were in doubt, all I have to do is open the door and let in the raging, bitterly cold wind that's currently blowing its top out there.

But inside, it's toasty and warm and I just finished my newest knitting project: a fun "flower" hat, and it appears I finished it just in time!

The Times They Are A'Changin'

Last week my school district sent over an "accounting" expert to brief our staff on the district's new "energy savings" policies. Gone are our coffee makers, small fridges, space heaters, etc., and we've made an arrangement with Joe's Garden down the hill to use all their old corn husks for TP! Just kidding...about the last part, but not the first!

With all this knowledge in mind, John and I arrived on Tuesday morning to find that the temperature in the library was a balmy 52 degrees! Apparently, they are also cutting back on heat. By then end of the day (3:30 pm) the temp had risen to a steamy 64 degrees. Shades of things to come.....

Coffee Mates

Coffee is about more than just a drink! For some it's become a hobby or a passion and for most coffee drinkers it is also a form of community. "Let's go for coffee" is the new "let's do lunch." I love getting together with a good friend to have coffee and chat, it's one of my favorite things to do

Yesterday was a day off from school and I had the pleasure of spending time with my good friend Eileen, who is actually the librarian who hired me at Sehome. She has since retired...lucky gal! But we try to get together at least once a month. We had originally planned to spend a day together over Christmas break, but the weather nixed that plan. So yesterday we decided to meet at our favorite restaurant on the bay. The presenation of my selection was almost too pretty to eat!

Then afterwards Eileen gave me my belated Christmas present. And it's so perfect: a bejeweled coffee measuring spoon to go along with my handy dandy Aero Press coffee making system that Mauri and Sherry gave me for my birthday (see May's posts). How fun is this?!

My Winter Poem

The weather and the dark are working together to derail my optimism, so I decided to compose a ditty to rally my spirits.

WINTER SOLSTICE

by Ridgely

Winter solstice…winter solstice, what does it really mean?
Darkness all morning, premature gloaming, and all that rain in-between.
Sun has descended, moods are amended, incentive has sunk to the deep.
Nights pass too slowly, light seems almost holy, and the brain is perpetually asleep….
But wait--day is dawning, there’ll be a new morning, on the horizon I see a new year
On December 21st, we’re released from the curse…this pattern repeats, never fear!
So cease all your whining, the sun will start climbing, hope is a season called spring,
Days will grow longer; the sun will seem stronger and you’ll dream of having a fling.
Clouds will disperse, summer will rehearse, the aches in your joints will disappear,
Birds will start calling, buds will stop stalling, your senses will suddenly feel clear.
So rail not at the dark, the sun’s hit its mark and its inevitable climb is at hand
The skies will be blue, flowers will open on cue and it all happens just as He planned!

Aftermath

The "December Storm" of Whatcom County is now just a topic of conversation and most of the snow has disappeared. In our neighborhood there is just one little patch left and it's in our front yard! After a week plus of warmish weather and a week of mostly solid rain, this patch is still hanging in there. Now that's what I call tenacity.

The birds are happy that food is more accessible and a squirrel has developed his acrobatic talents after discovering that he can climb a tree, balance on the clothesline and then hang upside down to eat the suet in the hanging bird feeder. I suggested he send a resume to Cirque du Soleil! It was too dark to get a good telephoto image w/o flash, so apologies for the blur. You can get the idea.

Rain Keeps Falling On My Head....

Day Three of non-stop rain! Schools are closed again. It's a real mess for some folks. Weather is happening.

A picture of my rainman....can you see him?

Rain By Any Other Name Is Still Water

I was on my way out the door early this morning to meet my prayer partner at school at 6:30 am when I noticed 3 messages on my answering machine. I missed them while I was in the shower. Lo and behold the messages informed me that school was cancelled due to flooding! Hmmm, I thought, it did rain hard last night, but Bellingham is not on a river. And we've never cancelled school because of rain. I turned on cable news and lo and behold there were pics of B'ham with closed road signs and a report that we had declared a weather emergency. I looked out the window and my street looks fine; Wally made it to work fine. But apparently there is bad flooding somewhere where school buses must go, so we will be making up yet another day at the end of the year. Guess I'll go outside and build a waterman.

http://www.kirotv.com/video/18429771/index.html

62....whoo hoo!

Yesterday was the bearded one's birthday! It was also the first chance we had to head to Des Moines to see Wayne because of all the "weather" we've had for the past 2 weeks, so we decided to give it a try. We had another inch or so of new snow on the ground with a nice icy frosting. We had a tricky time of it making it from our driveway to the main drag, and we were wondering if this was such a good idea after all. But as soon as we made it to I-5, it was bare and mostly dry. So away we went.

We made it to Waynee's just fine, and Kris and Paul showed up with a surprise Mile High Raspberry Pie! Oh yeah....

But wait, there's more! We headed over to Kris and Paul's place (a mile or so away) and Krissie made scrumptuous pasta and homemade meatballs and salad and garlic bread....and....Waynee (pie maker extraordinaire) had made a beautiful custard pie for his kingship's birthday....such a deal....urp.

Thanks, Waynee, Kris and Paul for all the treats...t'was a good day for himself, don'tchaknow!

Dutch Treat

It's New Year's Day and you know what that means? It's ollie bolen open house at the Gilmores. Lynn Gilmore and Rena Kenoyer are Dutch through and through, born and raised in Lynden, WA. Lynn began a tradition years ago of having her whole, BIG family over on New Year's Day for ollie bolen. Last year she asked Rena to help and included our "church family" in the event. This year is the 2nd Annual Grace Baptist Church and Lynn Gilmore Family Ollie Bolen Party. What is ollie bolen, you ask? Well, first you mix up the batter with apples and raisins added. Then you drop spoonfulls into oil and fry them...

Part of the fun is "guessing" the shapes of the ollie bolen when they are done. They do not form into perfect balls, each one has little "appendages" that make them look like animals and such. It's a lot like making shapes out of clouds, except you can eat them.

Then the next step is to roll the hot, crusty dough balls in cinnamon sugar....mmmmm.....

Then you sit around with about 50 other people and eat them and lick your fingers!

Then you hug the cooks and waddle home to take your cholesterol meds.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!