The Message December 2015 & January 2016

There are no more children.  Our little ones.  Everyone is a grown-up now.
      
 Not exactly true.  The children are simply adults.  We do have a 2-year-old great-granddaughter in Middletown Ohio.  Jocelyn Rae.  She asked to go see Santa this year.  The past two years, she didn't care for the old man in the white beard.  It takes a while.

There is also, no snow this winter.  No white Christmas this year.

We have had a couple of light dustings, and the latest one, the other day stayed around.  And, since we had our tree up and some other Christmas decorations, we felt fine.  

The lichen on the sides of the trees glows brightly on these rainy overcast days.

 Rainy and overcast are what we have....hardly any sunshine until late afternoon.  Temperatures in the 40s.....Good for people who do not like snow, but not so good for people like me who look forward to winter and all the glorious snow it usually brings.

Grammarly corrects my word usage.   So I change bright to brightly. And "rainy and overcast" to "are" instead of "is.

We are healthy, all of us.  Thank God for that.

                                                    ***

Now we have our snow.  January 4, 2016,   everything everywhere covered and still, it falls.  Big lacy flakes sometimes floating on a breeze, and little pebble flakes sprinkling down like Kosher salt.  Then the wind blows in and the snow switches back to lace.  I am happy about it, as are most people.  I took Scout out for a walk this morning since he and I didn't see each other over the Holidays.  He is the sweetest companion.  I walk so much slower than he wants me to, but he doesn't rush ahead.  Instead, this precious mutt slows his pace to match mine and watches my face, when a car drives by.  The sun shines softly between the trees and lights up the witchy looking icicles on the eaves.  Winter is here.  17 degrees for a high today.

January 5 and a little bit warmer.....19, I think.   Scout and I took another walk this morning.  I don't recognize myself these days.  My walking is so slow and labored.  What on earth will it be when I am 90?   If  I am ever going to be 90.

Today we are waiting on word about a college-aged granddaughter's surgery on her knee.  Nicolette plays soccer and injured it badly once before.  It is nearly 5 pm and we haven't heard a word yet.  She went into surgery at 10 am.  I suspect things are not going well.

January 10.....actually things are going well for Nicolette.  She is in pain but handling it well.  Dad and Mom at her beck and call.  She goes back to college in another week and should be able to handle herself (with the help of friends) adequately.

No more worries about winter not showing up this year.  It is here!  Winter storm warning in effect from Saturday evening til Sunday evening.  It is beautiful here in the woods, and we have a young buck who shows up every now and then on the ridge outback.  We enjoy watching the animals and birds on a daily basis.  Cardinals especially show up against all that white.                                                                                                                    **************

It is March 14 now and we've had so many warm days and warm rains that nearly all of our snow is gone.  Early Spring for us this year.  Seemed like such a short winter to me.  I was hoping for more snow, but I guess most were not.

We have Matt over every Sunday now that he lives here.  He honestly adores teaching...hates the weekends because he cannot teach!  He will look forward to those two days off once he has his own family, I think.  But for now, he really wishes he could just continue teaching all weekend long.

We got such a kick out of watching JoJo in a video Chris posted on Facebook.  She is climbing a gentle rock wall and doing it well and talking the whole time.  "This is what little girls do," she says.....So sweet to hear her voice.  They will be here for the 16th of July Family Gathering as will all the others.  It's on my mind already....what to fix...how many can I seat; sleep etc.