Soo here we are

Recently I heard a rumor - actually it was more than a rumor, it was a complaint.  From my back.  About the shoveling.  And the walking on ice.   And the cold.

Ayuh (as we tend to say around here),  it's winter.

As time goes by I find myself with fewer new issues to address on this site so at the risk of repeating myself, here goes.

It's winter and we should be ready. 

There should be plenty of hot chocolate laid in along with enough milk and bread or the equivalent so that it's not necessary to rush headlong to the store at the mere hint of a coming storm.  This past month was the first time I ever heard the term "milk sandwich".  I think it was coined in an attempt to explain why people buy huge quantities of both milk and bread in that "getting ready for a storm" mode that flips in the minute Jim Cantore shows up anywhere in your neighborhood -  or even your state!  If people want to stock up on something useful that won't sour in the refrigerator or turn to bricks on the sideboard, why not buy toilet paper?  Shelf life of at least 1,000 years and definitely irreplaceable when you need it.

Side note:  when I was getting ready to retire several years ago someone asked me what I was doing to get ready.  My answer was that I was buying lots of toilet paper - for some reason they looked at me like I was nuts.

Anyhow, we should be ready with more than the T.P.

There should be gas laid on for the snow blower unless we are lucky enough to have a "plow guy"

The Plow Guy

If you are that lucky, cherish him, treat him well in the summer and bring cookies in the winter.  He's worth far more than the money you pay him!

Moving on. you should have a shovel - a snow shovel - and the back and strength to handle it!  It's a recipe for disaster to jump out there after a summer and fall of sunbathing and perhaps raking a few leaves and start shoveling that first heavy wet snowfall.

As the proud owner of a "bad back" I can tell you it's possible to shovel but you'd better approach it with the same level of caution as you would a sleeping cat:  you never know when it's going to jump up and claw at you for disturbing it!  So use it but don't abuse it!

I have apparently reached that stage of being the "older neighbor" that we are all adjured to look out for in bad weather.  I admit to bribery - I take the couple next door homemade bread and strawberry jam at random intervals during the fall and winter. This has conditioned them to think that if I can't get to their house they won't get any goodies, so the man of the family has taken to emailing me that he will take care of my driveway with HIS snow blower and I should stay inside and be warm - and, by implication, cook.

All kidding aside, I am blessed not to have to go out there and "do it myself" unless I want to.  I do get my snow blower out just so it won't feel left out but only to blaze a few trails in the back yard for the dog walks (sprints in this cold weather) and sometimes just to prove I still can, I do the driveway.

So this is just a short installment in the saga of winter - something to think about and something to be ready for.  And don't forget that damned door key in your back pocket for after the outside hidden key is under 4 feet of snow!

We all know, we got this!

Quick question

Ok!  Now we've had a couple of comparatively minor storms to kick off winter.  Yup, that first one was heavy and wet and the snow blower just sort of pushed the stuff around but it wasn't really all that deep. 

Yesterday we got a mix of snow and then sleet and then pouring rain and then the temperature has dropped like the proverbial rock.  Whatever we didn't get off the driveway or porch is now as hard as that same proverbial rock!

So my question is this:

Now that the last few days are over, what did you discover that wish you had or wish you had done before these two storms?

Myself I discovered that I only "thought" I had doggy safe salt for the porch and/or the "other" salt to finish off the driveway.

Salt can really do damage to a dog's feet - so we were reduced to slogging through the trails I'd made in the back yard to keep his feet safe from the road salt - and we tiptoed across the frozen porch cause, well, it was frozen! 

I don't recommend any particular brand of "paw safe" salt but do lay some in if you have a pet who needs to go outside!

I had gas for the snow blower, I had food and I found both of my snow shovels.  So other than the salt issue we were in decent shape.

One thing I did notice once I ventured out on the roads:  people do not seem to realize that "clean your car off when it snows" doesn't just mean a peep hole on the windshield! 

I suspect these might be the same folks who find the whole concept of using directionals a mystery but that's a discussion for another day.

So check what you wish you had laid in before the storms, clean all the snow off your car before you venture forth and then relax,

You got this!

Thank God it's not me

This is going to be short and sweet and driven by something I saw on Facebook this morning.  It has nothing to do with politics or prepping per se except that the interviews I saw were kicked off by the supposed decrease in Meals on Wheels benefits along with a few other cuts in assistance programs.

Hey, perhaps it won't happen but, then, perhaps it will.

At certain points in our lives we all are apt to need help.  Years ago I applied for Aid to Dependent Children when I had (a) no job and (b) no husband (no loss there) and (c) no money.  Even though I was in legitimate need I still felt ashamed to have to ask for help.

That being said, some of the people that the video showed were in a pathetic way - and it's easy to say they should just grab their bootstraps and pull themselves up but that ain't always possible McGee.  Some were old, some were old and infirm, some were old, infirm and housebound and surrounded by what was obviously a messy environment that they couldn't even clean up and apparently had no one who cared enough to do it with/for them.

I know the video was designed for political purposes but perhaps look beyond that to the actual situation.

So the next time we are bitching about our bills, or the amount of yard work we've had to do or even the day to day tedium of shopping and cooking and cleaning up after it all?  Take a minute to be thankful that we have the money to pay our bills and shop and the physical ability to do the rest of it.

It's like when I see young people jogging and running:  I always think "enjoy your knees while you still have them!"

So enjoy taking care of ourselves while we can, reach out to those who need us and hope to hell that it never comes to sitting in a cluttered room hoping that someone in Washington doesn't decide we don't need any help any more!

And don't forget TC's advice:

Keep your hands to yourself, leave other people's things alone, and be kind to one another. All we have is each other.

Indeed, TC has it nailed as always - look around and see if there is anyone you could help along - best Christmas present ever!

And here we go again

It's been a wonderful fall - full of warm days with just a little rain and actually mowing the lawn into late November (that wasn't the fun part).

There has been plenty of time to indulge in our favorite outdoor hobbies - maybe hiking in the woods and enjoying the changing colors of the leaves or perhaps just road trips with the motorcycle to see what other parts of our state look like.

Whatever your choice of fall activities this year has been a gift for the outdoor lover in all of us.

Looking ahead at the latest weather reports it sounds to me like fall may actually be morphing into winter.  No big blizzards (yet) but cold temperatures and even snow in some parts of the state are coming down the pike.   Perhaps this is a good time to look inside for a change.

I don't mean meditating or contemplating your navel, I mean inside your house.

Every year around this time I try to take a good look at my supplies - not just the "oh my god the world is ending" selection - but also the "how long could I have decent meals without going to the store and where the hell are all my flashlights" area.

I am making the assumption that you checked for soon outdated supplies earlier in the year - and hopefully donated the ones close to the "use by" date to a local food pantry.  It'd be a shame to let them go to waste.

That being said, did you replace them?  Yeah, you know:  did you get newer versions of the things you had to discard or donate?  So there isn't a big gap on the shelves where you keep extra supplies. 

If you are still trying to remember if you replaced the staples you had to toss, that means you probably didn't.  Admittedly the owner of the shelves in my example is set for beer for a while (although I do question his/her taste) but otherwise not in such good shape.

So take a few minutes to look around at what you actually have and make a vow to fill up those blank spots on the shelves.  It's a wonderful smug feeling when the weather turns to crap to be able to be confident that you and yours will continue to have the meals that you are accustomed to.  That you won't have to try to explain that it's actually a new cholesterol lowering diet and they can learn to love oatmeal - several times a day - for several days!

Or, worse yet, that fried mush is actually something you have been meaning to try for a long time....trust me on this one I speak from an epic fail!

There is one outside thing to address - throughout the year I try to keep my car at least half full of gas but in the colder weather I pay extra attention to it.  If for no other reason that a full gas tank prevents the condensation that may, in a real cold snap, end up freezing your gas line and you will go nowhere!  I don't really expect the emergency of having to get out of Dodge at the drop of the proverbial hat but then, the definition of "emergency" must have the word "unexpected" in it somewhere.

And, by the way, where the hell are your flashlights anyhow?

Wish I could write like TC

TC is a Lieutenant in the Bangor, Maine Police Department.  He writes their Facebook page with a flare that is second to none.

 His latest post contained some of the old standard hints for holiday shopping.  Most should be a given - like keeping your packages out of sight and not punching other shoppers over the latest toy because you will hate to have to Skype the kids from county jail on Christmas!  Cause sure as you give in to that urge to HAVE THAT TOY AT ANY COST  someone will whip out their phone, film it and send it to the police and  ruin your holiday (see comment regarding Skyping at Christmas)!

Drive through (carefully) a parking space rather than choosing one you have to back out of - and if you have to back up try to at least glance in those decorative mirrors on the sides of your car.  They are there for a reason.

But I think my favorite in today's post was his recommendation for wearing mittens.

 Middle fingers are not the best way to say, "Happy Holidays." Keep those things down low in the car. If you have a hard time keeping "the bird" to yourself-wear mittens. Mittens make the WOTB (waving of the bird) appear to be a friendly salutation or a "go ahead of me at the traffic-light" wave. Mittens will make you appear kinder.

Anything that makes us appear kinder (or even makes us be kinder) in the tumultuous world of today is worth sharing.

So if you have a hard time controlling your fingers?

Buy mittens!

The thing we don't have - edited a bit

Thanksgiving is traditionally all about being thankful for what we have.  Not a bad thing since most of us have friends and family, food in our stomachs, a roof over our head and a modicum of stability in our lives.

We have the choice of whether to have the 2.5 children along with the cat and the dog (or neither, or both) or instead to choose to focus on a job we love or a hobby that consumes us.  Even in today's not so perfect world a person has a ton of choices on what path to follow...

As a matter of fact you can even choose to be a follower if that is what, as they say, floats your boat!

I know that we don't live in a perfect country where we all get together and sing the same song.  We argue about everything up to and including which weather report is the most accurate.

So what don't we have?

Anyone telling us what to think.  We don't have someone saying "you can't think that" or "man, that's not a popular idea".  We are free to speak our minds or, even, choose to shut up!

I'm not sure exactly where I am going with this Thanksgiving post but I have to say that even when I am annoyed with the way the world is turning I know I am at liberty to say so.  Imagine living where there is metaphorical duct tape over your mouth!

This is still a free country, dammit!

And this would be the edit:

Saying that we live in a country where we are free to speak our minds comes, in my mind, with one caveat (a caveat is defined as a warning or proviso of specific stipulations, conditions, or limitations.

synonyms:

warning, caution, admonition;  proviso, condition, stipulation, provision, clause, rider, qualification)

It's fine to speak your mind but doing so in an abrasive, aggressive or abusive manner does nothing but anger others.  An angry person cannot hear anything but their own anger!

So, speak your mind in a way that may actually do some good and, if not that, at least makes your point without hurtful words.  One of the things that bothers me the most about today's communications is the apparent license to be just as offensive as you possibly can without regard for anyone else.

Hold your family close this Thanksgiving Day (remember "family" doesn't always mean "blood") and be thankful for what we don't have along with all the wonderful wonderful things that we do!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving and remember to be keep your words as soft and sweet as possible cause you may just end up having to eat them!

As I am so fond of saying, you've got this!

But it might be winter

Definitely might be winter!

22 degrees here yesterday and now it's officially NOT Indian Summer any more.  My beautiful flowers- especially the Nasturtiums -

have been reduced to a yuckiness and so cold they froze my hands when I pulled them out of the gardens. Not to mention being slimy and hard to even get a grip on.

My volunteer sunflower which was doing so well sadly never got a chance to bloom.

I had thought the bird bath was just skimmed over with ice but when I dumped it out I found a big honkin slab of ice!  Past time to retire that for the winter for sure.

So, what's to do?

Bow to inevitable and get ready (more ready) for the next season.

In many ways this has been a hard summer and fall.  Too many "moments of silence" for innocents slaughtered and too much dissension among formerly close friends with different ideas of how to "fix" everything.  I stay away from politics most of the time here - at least partly because I'm not really qualified to "fix" anything and just tend to stand to one side and remain horrified at the things we do to each other.

So I focus on what I can hopefully have an impact on!

As in:  do you have that spare key securely stationed somewhere outside your house so when you inevitably lock yourself out this winter you can smugly stroll over, retrieve it and come in out of the cold?   And don't count on the world's battery backups for automatic doors - just don't!

I get to revisit some old favorites:  what will you do if you lose power?  What do you have for extra food in case you're unable to get out to the store? And how about your pet's food?  Is your car kept at least half full of fuel to avoid condensation in the tank and/or being "that guy" who runs out of gas at the absolute most inconvenient time?

Yup, I do tend to go on about the same things - sort of an endless loop of stuff that really needs to be addressed sooner rather than later.  Things that are easy to do ahead of time and harder than hell to try to accomplish if you are playing catch up from behind the eight ball.

I've noticed through life that the 8 ball never seems to be on level ground - just sayin!

So break out the winter coats, the long underwear, the doggy jackets

and whatever else makes you feel warm and fuzzy!

You've got this!