Still and Snow

Friday night and yesterday we had a lovely fluffy snowfall, and we haven't had a wind to blow it all around. Therefore, this morning we have this lovely scene.

It is wonderful to be retired and not have to go forth into the snow, or even get out to shovel, unless you really want to. I shovelled the path for the postman which cuts across lawns from the neighbors, but the squirrels, deer, and bunnies can break their own trails.

I'm sure our local ski operations are ecstatic about a snowfall that's more than just a dusting, and the Continental Cup sponsors are glad we'll have some snow for the ski tournament next month.

You can read more about it at http://www.kiwanisskiclub.com/ which has more information. I expect you will hear more about it here as the time grows closer. No matter how many times I see young men fly off that ski jump, I am always amazed at their courage or their foolishness. Whichever trait enables a person to do that stuff.

This is just straight ski jumping, not extreme tricks and such---and the Austrians always win, but it's a big event here!

Five on Friday

1. Last night at 8 PM when I returned home from a small group meeting at church, our yard was teem in wildlife. There was a "stranger" cat sitting where my car usually sits, watching deer eating the seeds out of the bird feeders. He didn't move, either. I guess he was happy to find a place that wasn't snow covered.

2. The book I'm listening to on my MP3 player has a character who shares my daughter's name. It gives me a little buzz every time he reads it.

3. GoodGuy has been truly suffering with a cold ever since our return from New Orleans. It isn't very lively around here when his main conversation consists of coughing and nose-blowing. It's a week now, so he should be mending soon.

4. Unlike the east coast which has been socked with snowstorm after snowstorm, we seem to get a little dusting of snow each day. More like snow you can sweep, rather than snow you must shovel. It keeps things looking fresh and white without all the inconvenience and dangerous road conditions.

5. Progress report on the sweater? One sleeve is as far as the armpit, one sleeve is started---a bit more than 4", and the body (fronts and back) are about 12 1/2 inches. The pattern says 14, but he wants it longer than that. That's why I'm doing the sleeves so they are completed and I know I have enough yarn. I always worry about that.

Have a fine TGIF day.

Mean Spirited

We Yoopers and Wisconsinites are jubilant because (for a great many of us) our favorite team will be playing in the Super Bowl in a couple of weeks.

The football season is nearly over, but the sports channels and sports talk shows on the radio still have hours to fill. (Some of these talkers must be two weeks out of their Pampers. They talk about Bart Starr as if he were from the leather helmet age.) Ignorance abounds.

But I digress. Poor Jay Cutler, the much maligned quarterback of the defeated Bears---I love that phrase-----defeated Bears--------is catching heat for not playing injured. According to his coach, it wasn't Cutler's decision to be benched with his injury; it was the coach's decision.
But other players are on his case for not playing injured in such an important game.

Then when they still would have lost, it would have been his fault for something else. Not every guy who plays football is a sweetie-pie and Cutler may not be as lovable as Bret Favre or Peyton Manning----but he's not hired to have personality. He's hired to be the quarterback, and he helped get them to the top of their division. His teammates say he's tough. They should know.

You done good, kid! Heal up fast. Enjoy watching the Super Bowl game from your couch. (Thanks from a Packer Fan.)

Deadpan

http://www.caregiverstress.com/2010/07a-reminder-that-laughter-is-the-best-medicine/

In spite of copying the URL, I can't make the link work here. But check on Laughter is the best Medicine, and watch the Invocation. It's a hoot!

(I have a rant to post later about football, but in the meantime, if you need to laugh, check this out.)

I can't believe that she never changes expression!

Sigh of Relief

I try not to talk much about football unless I'm facing my audience. I won't talk much about football today, either, because I know if you aren't a fan it's boring.



Let me only say about my team being the NFC footbal champions by beating da Bears, "Way to Go, Packers!" About their chances of beating the Steelers......only time will tell.



Unfortunately, we will have to listen to weeks of guessing (otherwise known as expert analysis) by the talking sports mavens. Well, we don't HAVE TO listen. We can put on our headphones or go and spin in the workroom while GG has the television on.



About life, I'm optimistic. About politics, I'm a cynic. About football, I'm a skeptic. Show me, Packers, show me.

Recap

It's about time to think about packing up and print out our boarding passes so we're taking stock.


We have not eaten beignets, drunk daquiris, or hurricanes, or had any po'boys.


We've eaten muffelettas, fried green tomatoes, sweet potatoes, bread pudding, crayfish galore(I swear they sneak into EVERYTHING.) Not that I mind. Tonight I had blackened catfish. Time to get our seafood jones satisfied while here.


Today we saw the city to be viewed from the windows of the streetcar routes, and we ended up at lunchtime at a most excellent restaurant called Refuel. Everything we ate was so fresh and delicious. It's hard to stand out in a city known for delicious food at every turn.


The food was fine tonight but the music was more memorable. The performer could sing, and made the most wonderful music on a sax, a trumpet, a flute, and bongos. We told him as we left that his folks definitely didn't waste money on HIS music lessons.

On one of our times here we didn't hear anything but country music, which was a huge disappointment to us. We enjoyed lots of great jazz on this trip.

Another great music city is Savannah. One year when we were there it happened to be the week of the free jazz festival and we were in Jazz Heaven! What serendipity!

We just can't wait to brush the snow off our car in Milwaukee!

Worth a Thousand Words