And So It Begins, the Snow Again

We had snow here last night.  It painted everything white making it look fresh and clean.  The weatherman was predicting we would get from three to six inches of snow.  As you can see from the amount on the porch railing, I think we received closer to the lower end of that prediction.

I took this picture from my car while sitting at the end of my driveway and looking down my street.  I was on my way to work, but the snow plow was on my street and in my way.  I had to wait for it to move, so since I had the camera with me and had to wait anyway, I took a picture.  The snow we got was a very wet and heavy snow. I like the way it coats the tree limbs when the snow is like that.

Although the snow looks fresh and clean when it first falls, once the plows go through and the traffic hits the road, in no time at all the snow turns into dirty, gray piles at the street corners.

This is one of the main streets in my town.  There was not much traffic this morning here on my way to work.  The roads were not in very good condition.  Many of the area schools were delayed in starting for two hours including my son's school.  We had had three days straight of rain followed by sleet and then snow.  As a result there was a mix of water, ice, and snow all on the roads which made them rather treacherous.

This is how the courthouse looked this morning.  You can see where the snowplow has been through and left piles of snow at the corners.  Later in the day crews came through in dump trucks and loaders to load the piles of snow into the trucks and then take it out to the country to dump it in a field.

There are a few more cars here now that I'm downtown, but I still didn't have to deal with much traffic.

The roads had been plowed and salted, but they were still quite slick in places.

This is how the road in front of the library looked this morning as I arrived at work.

I heard from my son later in the day.  He had driven his car to school as usual.  Unfortunately, he had slid in the parking lot at school and hit the front bumper of his car on a rock wall near his assigned parking spot.  The parking lot at school had not been cleared off.  His spot is on a bit of an incline and once he hit the ice, he was unable to stop.  The car just had a few scratches.  No dents, no one else was involved, and no one got hurt, so it wasn't a big deal.  Still he was upset about the scratches.

Later in the day, the gray skies turned back to blue, the sun came out, and the temperatures got a little warmer.  The roads were completely clear by the time I came home from work.  There is still snow on the ground, but it had melted from the sidewalks, driveways, and roads.  You can see how pretty the maple tree looks out front with the snow coating the limbs.  The snow on the tree limbs was all melted off by this evening too.  No matter what the calendar says.  The first measurable snowfall marks the beginning of winter for me.  I hope you are keeping warm wherever you are.

The Reason for the Crowd

When a giant pig, rabbit, lion, and mouse show up, people take notice, especially if there are free cookies and hot cocoa to be had.

Yes, the "Give a Pig a Pancake" Pig, Peter Rabbit, Larry our library mascot, and the "Give a Mouse a Cookie" Mouse were the reason we had so many people come to our library last Friday night as mentioned in my last blog post.  Some of your guesses were close!

The costumed storybook characters and our mascot walked in the Santa Arrival parade held in my town on Friday night.  

After the parade, the public was invited to come to the library for cookies and hot cocoa and to meet the costumed characters.

 The Mouse brought his own cookie.

 All of the characters had Christmas lights with battery 

packs attached to them while walking in the parade.

The pig had his own syrup bottle for his pancake.

I was there to take pictures of the event while some of my co-workers served up the cookies and cocoa.  We had quite a crowd of kids (and their parents and grandparents) come to meet the characters.  The kids liked hugging the storybook characters, sitting on their laps, giving them high fives, and posing for pictures with them.  It was a fun evening.  I was just glad that I was taking pictures and not wearing one of the costumes!

Random Soup

You know how sometimes you take all the leftovers from the refrigerator and throw them into a pot together to make soup?  Maybe you do that, and maybe you don't, but anyway, I call that random soup.  This blog post today is going to be of the random soup variety.   I'm clearing all the pictures off the camera and throwing them in together here for some random blog soup.  So if you're looking for a well-organized post with a theme and a beginning, middle, and end all tied together neatly with smooth transitions and clever segues, this isn't it!  Now that you've been warned, if you're still willing to stick around, here we go.

I made these Mini Upside Down Pineapple Cakes for a church potluck last weekend.  There were two plates full this size, and I didn't bring home any leftovers, so I guess they turned out pretty well!  (You can click on that link if you'd like to have the recipe.)

*   *    *

I think the squirrels are taking over our yard.  One day this past week I looked out and saw seven squirrels all at once sitting in the front yard eating maple seeds.  That seemed like a lot to be out there all at the same time. This is the view taken from my living room looking out through our large picture window. (I circled them in red to make them easier to see, but you may have to click on the picture to enlarge it.)

Seven squirrels at once seemed like a lot until I looked out another day and saw eleven of them all feasting together in the front yard.  I wondered if maybe this was their Thanksgiving get-together!

*   *   *

The indoor animal (Max the poodle dog) chose to ignore the squirrel take-over, opting instead to help me "fold" the clean laundry still warm from the dryer that I had dumped from the basket onto the couch.  Aren't I lucky to have such a willing helper?

*   *   *

We have had a lot of pretty sunrises lately.  Most of the time I don't have the camera with me to capture them so I enjoy them all to myself.  I did take this picture, but this sunrise, although pretty, wasn't as pretty as some of the ones I didn't get to photograph.  You'll just have to take my word for it and use your good imagination for the really beautiful ones I missed with the camera.  hahaha!

*   *   *

This is me in the Children's Department at the library where I work.  (No, those two mice aren't on top of my head.  They are actually sitting on a bookshelf behind me!)

I was in the Children's Department because this big crowd was about to show up there, and I was getting ready for them to arrive.

Why was this big crowd coming to the library?  I'll let you know that in my next post.  See how that works out?  You can consider this random blog soup post as an appetizer and come back for the main course blog post next time!  (Well, I hope you come back, anyway!)

Give Thanks for Every Thing!

Give Thanks for Every Thing!

I'm thankful for this dish to wash

because it reminds me I've been fed.

I'm thankful for these sheets to fold.

I'm lucky to have a bed.

It doesn't matter if it rains.

I've got a roof above my head.

I have so MUCH to be grateful for.

When all is done and said.

Sweeping and cleaning up a mess,

I own a house!  I am so blessed!

Those who love me, family and friends,

I can't wish for more when I have the best.

I'm grateful for the scent of soap.

It feels so good to be clean.

I'm grateful for my morning tea,

steaming hot, black or green.

I'm grateful for a place to walk

to enjoy  nature and fresh air.

I'm grateful for the time to think,

to pause, and say a prayer. 

I'm grateful for a job to do.

It makes my time worthwhile.

I'm grateful to have the time to laugh.

There's so much that makes me smile.

I'm so grateful for the music

that makes me dance and sing,

"In everything, give thanks.

Give thanks for every thing!"

Lord, for everything, please help me to be truly grateful.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!  

We're Following the Leader, the Leader, the Leader...

My monthly leadership class met today.  Every time I go to this class, the song from the Disney classic, Peter Pan, plays in my head.  Does anyone else remember this?

We had a long day and a full agenda for our class today.  Our morning began at 7:30 and we finished up at 5:00 in the afternoon.  After doughnuts and coffee, we discussed again our group community project.  We haven't decided for sure what it will be, but we are closing in on it, I think.  We also did another team building exercise.

Our topic for the day was county government which covers a lot of territory.  While still at the Chamber of Commerce office, we listened to two speakers.  The first speaker was from our county economic development corporation.  This organization works to help bring businesses to our area and to help the ones who are already here stay in business.  The second speaker was one of our county commissioners who filled us in on his job and what he does for our county.

From there we went to visit the county humane society.  That stop was my favorite of all the places we visited today.  We heard all about their job and what they do there, of course, but what I liked best was that I got to go around and say hello to all the animals.  There were between 20 and 30 dogs there all asking us to take them home with us.  They were sweet and sad all at once--all of them just wanting someone to love them and for them to be able to give their love to in return.  

The dogs were quite lovable, but the cats and kittens were the ones who really stole my heart.  I'm afraid when I am old I will become the crazy cat lady who lives with a houseful of cats.  There were so many cats there.  I don't know how many, but they were in three different rooms---cage after cage after cage.  

There were two in particular that I just completely fell in love with.  They were such beautiful animals.  One was a tortoiseshell with the most beautiful colors, and the other was a calico with the softest fur and the sweetest little face.  They purred and rubbed their heads up against my  hand.  It really just made my whole day to spend that few minutes of time with them.

Next we visited the county title office and the BMV.  This stop wasn't nearly as much fun as the humane society, of course.  At least they didn't make us take a number and wait our turn for the tour, though.  That is the greeting I am most accustomed to receiving when I visit that particular building!   We also visited the board of election offices to learn about the voter registration process.

We had lunch together at a nice restaurant downtown and then headed to the courthouse for the afternoon leg of our tours.  

At the courthouse, we visited the following offices and departments: Clerk of Courts, Court Room, Jury Room, Commissioner's Office, Recorder, Treasurer, Probate Court, Auditor, Juvenile Probation, and Adult Probation.  It was a busy afternoon going from one place to the next. (The courthouse and lawn outside are already decorated for Christmas.  These pictures are actually ones I took a few years back, but the decorations look pretty much the same today.)

(giant toy soldiers guard the entrances to the courthouse on all four sides of the building)

Of the afternoon tours, I think what I found most interesting was when we visited the Court Room.  We sat and watched as two different cases were settled by the judge.  Both of the cases we saw were people who were incarcerated who were petitioning the court for their release.  The first was a woman who had been in jail for DUI.  She was a repeat offender.  She had already served quite a bit of time. She was released but with very strict conditions.  She was to serve three years of probation and complete a stint in a rehabilitation center and go to court-ordered counseling sessions, among other things.  The second person had been in jail for selling marijuana.  He also was released with strict conditions similar to the lady in the first case.

After the courthouse tours we returned to the Chamber office for the close of class and to make plans for the next time that we meet.  The Chamber Director, who is the teacher for our class, had some maple nut clusters and caramel nut clusters waiting for us as a surprise.  The candy he had waiting for us is made by one of our local companies, Spangler Candy Company.  It was a long day, but worthwhile. I learned a lot and had some fun too along the way.

A Day Off...Well, Half a Day Anyway

Our library was closed to the public on Veterans Day, but we were required to report for an in-service meeting in the morning.  It was mostly a fun morning-- not work.  Both breakfast and lunch were provided for us.  In between we did some fun activities and then listened to a humorous motivational speaker talk about ways to deal with stress.


Because we had several new employees in our midst, the director wanted everyone to stand up and introduce themselves, tell what their job was, and how long they had worked at the library.  He added one other fun thing for us to do after our introductions.  He said that they had wanted to get  all of us t-shirts but that it would have been too expensive for the budget (We have about 45 employees including our main location plus five branches.)    


So instead of real t-shirts, they made little cardboard t-shirts with funny sayings on them and pinned them to a string running along one wall.  The shirts were pinned so that the funny sayings were facing the wall.  After our introductions, we were told to go and take down one of the t-shirts and then read what was on the other side to the group.  This is what was written on the t-shirt that I got.

The library director handed out some fun certificate "awards" to us as the next  activity.  This is the award that I was given.

At the bottom of the certificate, it said this.

We played a couple of games next including one where we had to use a straw to suck up a pea from a bowl, run across the room, and then let the pea drop in a bowl on the other side of the room.  We were divided up into teams to do this.  The team with the most peas in the bowl at the end of three minutes was declared the winner.  It was fun and silly, and we had a good time racing around with our straws and peas.


The motivational speaker was interesting and funny and she did a great job with her presentation.  After we ate our lunches, we had the rest of the afternoon off.  It was nice to get a little jump on the weekend that way.


We did have sunshine and blue skies over the weekend too.

My son and his girlfriend went out and raked the yard and moved all these leaves down to the street.

I appreciated their hard work.  Of course, a few more leaves have come down today, but they will wait until the next time we rake--probably next weekend.

Gray Day Gratitude (Truly Grateful Series)

In sharp contrast to my last post which was full of color, today was a very gray day.  You can see that by the look of the sky in this picture.  

For those who may not recognize them, those are snow clouds.  Yes, we had our first snow of the season today.  It wasn't much to speak of as far as snowfalls go.  It was just a series of flurries that didn't stick to the ground.  


The gray weather today seemed appropriate somehow because I was home all day taking a sick day off from work.  I was off sick yesterday too.   Because I have remote access at home to my work computer, I did do a few things for work from home these last two days so that I won't be too far behind in my work when I return, but I didn't do much.  My younger son has been sick and home from school all week.  How nice that we share things as a family, right?  


I haven't written a post about gratitude on this blog for a while, and I think I am overdue.  Even though this has been a gray day, I still have much to be grateful for.  In fact, days like today make me even more aware of all that I have to be thankful for.  This is my gratitude list for today.  I am grateful for:


--a comfortable couch to curl up on which gave me a soft place to lie my head
--a cozy afghan in muted pastel colors crocheted by my mother that helped to keep me warm when I  needed it as my personal thermostat took wild swings and kept me guessing between running a fever and shivering with chills
--my little dog, Max, who seemed to sense that I wasn't feeling 100%, and stayed snuggled by my side all day, keeping me company, watching over me, and protecting me
--chicken noodle soup, hot cups of tea, and orange juice which were in good supply here to soothe my sore throat and to help me keep replenished with fluids
--good music to listen to which helped distract me from the fact that I wasn't feeling very well
--my good friends in blogland who kept me entertained and feeling cheerful with their words and pictures and videos.  Thank you for the smiles today, my friends.
--my son's girlfriend who is back in town for the long weekend. Undeterred by the fact that she was entering our "house of germs" and taking a risk that she might get sick too, she stopped by to visit us tonight bringing caramel apples and a special kind of sunshine all her own.
--the technology of today that allows us to talk to my older son in Florida via Skype on the computer.  We will be talking to him in just a short while.  He has found a job in Florida working at a substance abuse rehab treatment center.  This, in itself, is something I feel very grateful about.  His job is a full-time position in his field where he can stay and continue to work and advance in position as he works toward and completes his masters degree in psychology and counseling.  I am looking forward to talking to him to see how he likes the job by now and to see how he is doing.


As always, I have much, much more than what is on this list to be grateful for, but these are the things that were foremost in my mind tonight.


Lord, for so much that I have been given to help comfort me on gray days like this, please let me be truly grateful.

Color My World

Many of the leaves have fallen here, but last week I took a few more shots of the colors around the neighborhood and in the park.


This is my front yard. 

The leaves have been raked out of it twice in the last week (one of the times was yesterday), and today it looks like this--filled with leaves, again.  There are many left yet to fall from the branches above too.

When driving around the neighborhood, I stopped several places to take snapshots of the color that I found.

The park still held many reds, oranges, and yellows too.

I love this row of trees at the end of the soccer fields.  They look like a row of flames on the horizon.

Here are a few more from the park and from the neighborhood on my walk back home.

When I took this picture, I wasn't thinking about the fact that the cherries were hanging down in front of me from the tree I was standing under, but I liked the way they helped frame the shot when I looked at it later.

Rakes and leaf blowers will be popular items around town here for the next few weeks until all the leaves have come down for the season.

Warning Lights

Like warning lights

that notify

of the impending cold,

the trees flash in red

and orange 

and shades of gold,

giving their all

in a last-ditch effort,

repeating the story 

that's so often been told.