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The weather this past week has been wild. First the snow, then the Arctic Blastand fierce winds that have kept the temperatures in the 20's and teens. I love snow....when I don't have to drive to work in it at 6:45 am. when there is no way to get to my work place without having to navigate several steep hills, some of which have traffic lights strategically placed in the middle of them...such fun. But we survived, as did the 2 hummingbirds who are still frequenting my feeders. I had to take the feeders in at night to keep them from freezing and then put them back out in the morning. I can't imagine how they survived the frigid night and 50 mph winds that blew last Monday, but they did! The weather was supposed to break by Thanksgiving Day.
The Plan for Thanksgiving Day: drive south to Des Moines, WA, to have dinner with extended family. I was to bring sweet potato souffle and cranberry salad.
The Reality of Thanksgiving Day: 4" of new snow on top of ice as the "Arctic Blast" kept the temperatures in the 20's. We decided that what would now become a 6 hr. drive down and back was not going to work and we chose to stay home instead. But....we have nothing but the potatoes and the salad to eat. What to do....what to do. Well, Fred Meyer is always open on Thanksgiving, so we made a quick trip to the store and purchased a Tur-Duk-Hen! Ready to cook! And....a marionberry pie on sale for $1.99. Can't beat that. Along with the potatoes, the salad and a glass of Sparkling Apple Mango Cider, our meal was complete!
It's been five long weeks since I've had any time to myself. Between work at school, Saturdays at Stoney Ridge and church, Sunday school and small group on Sundays, I've just been a blur as I have moved from one commitment to another. Yesterday I had a blissful 3 whole hours to myself. I lit all my collected lanterns, made a cup of Murchies No. 10 blend, finished reading Elizabeth Goudge's PILGRIM INN and started Jan Karon's newest book, the second in her "Father Tim" series.
I first discovered Jan Karon at the public library when I randomly picked up AT HOME IN MITFORD from the shelf and read the blurb: small town life, quirky characters and a dog...I was hooked. This was long before her books started to make The New York Times Bestseller list. I was completely captivated by the charm of her writing, so much so that I wrote her a 4 page letter. This is only the second letter I've ever written to an author, the first was at the age of thirteen when I wrote to Albert Payson Terhune who wrote those treasured books about Lad and the other collies and dogs that were a part Sunnybank. I read everything he ever wrote. Sadly, dogs have never been an actual part of my life, but they have certainly inhabited my dreams and maybe someday.....dream will become reality!
In the meantime, three hours of bliss, what a treasure.
