Snow

We are having a storm in North Carolina. Not just a little storm, but a full blown snow storm, complete with wind, hail, freezing rain, snow and bitter temperatures. For many people this is a normal January occurence, but for North Carolinians this is a BIG event. We are used to winter temps in the 40's and 50's. If we do have snow, it is normally a flurry, melting within hours. If you blink you miss it. Our last big storm was ten years ago, almost to the date! That one dumped about 18-24 inches on us, depending where you lived. I remember it like it was yesterday. This one didn't dump as much snow, but the wind chill is 14 at the moment. The bird feeders are very busy. I can hear the freezing rain hitting the windows. Time to bake something........

I hate it when people criticize North Carolinians for panicking when it snows. We are not a state that is equipped for many inches of the white stuff. The hazard that we face is the fact that normally it warms up during the day and then it freezes at night. You can't really manipulate ice. If it were just snow we were dealing with it would be better. I grew up in New Jersey, where nothing closed during a snowstorm. When it normally took 20 minutes to drive home could sometimes take 2 hours. We took it in stride. Saying a prayer of thanks when we finally turned into out driveways. I have lived here for 20 years and yes, I am out of practice when it comes to driving in the snow. By choice, I avoid it. With access to our "virtual" offices online it is easier to work from home. Luckily we don't have that many instances of bad weather, so most of the time it is a non-issue.

It is beautiful. The picture posted is my little not yet discarded Christmas tree taken last night. It is a winter wonderland and I am thankful that it is Saturday. My daughter had to work today and I will not relax until I know that she and her fiancee are home safe when she hopefully gets off of work at 4:00.

So to my friends in NC--enjoy the day!! Take lots of pictures, make a snowman, inhale the sweet cold scent of frozen air, and look forward to the 70 degree weather we will probably be enjoying......next weekend.



I Love NC

Sitting in Panera

I have lost my connection to the internet. I bet you are wondering, then, how am I blogging this morning? I am sitting in Panera Bread, using their WiFi. Sipping good hot coffee, munching on an absolutely wonderful Asiago bagel sandwich (bacon, egg and cheese--zero calories....lol). If only I could have scored the comfy leather chairs...........
My wireless card that is my lifeline to the internet in this incessentaly mobile world has for some unknown reason stopped working. During an update the computer timed out and now I have been trying to uninstall, reinstall, etc for the last three days. I guess I have no choice but to contact the carrier and see if they could walk me through the process. It will probably be someone in Columbia or the Dominican Republic that will take the call. I had to call about our Direct TV last week and actually got to speak to someone in Montana. Come to think of it, I don't believe I have ever spoken to anyone in Montana to date..............
Anyway, I truly have nothing against people from another country. It is just rather surreal to be speaking to someone thousands of miles away about something that we consider a rather personal issue. Maybe internet connection aren't personal to many, but when you are discussing your bank account with a complete stranger that has never set foot on American soil, well, it just kind of weirds me out...............
The reality of technology is sometimes hard to grasp, yet we take it for granted. As I walk into the grocery store I can transfer bank funds from one account to another via my Iphone. As I am looking at the computer screen snapshot of my bank account, I can pay a bill either through my phone or on a website and VOILA!! the money gets debited............Truly amazing, if you think about it. No wonder we go into hyper-ventilation and heart palpitations when we lose our connections.
What we need to react to is when we lose our connections to real people. Weeks and months go by, we say "I've been meaning to call her/him/them. "Oh, she called me.....oh my god, was that three weeks ago??" Shame on us for that. But that is also the reality of it all.
So I will go to Wal-mart, do alittle shopping, no doubt buy at least one think that I do not need or require to survive in this life. Then go home take a deep breath, maybe do a shot or two of tequila, just for good measure and make a call to my new BFF in Venezuala.....................
Peace out my friends, have a lovely Sunday!!!

Stew

I made stew tonight. It is cold out and I wanted to make something that will warm the soul. Beef, carrots, celery, potatoes, onions. True earthy fresh ingredients. Individually they are red, orange, green, white and yellow. But put them in a pot and simmer for several hours and the colors all blend together into a symphony. I normally make a stew that has alittle red wine to add color. Tonight I decided to add tomatoes. A can of pear tomatoes laced with basil. My mom makes tomato based stew, I prefer the brown type. But having it simmering for that last several hours makes me feel like Mom is the cook. She would make dumplings and gently ease the dough onto the simmering pot and let them puff up into puffy clouds. It was my Dad's favorite part of the stew. It is almost 9:30 and alittle late for the dumplings. Maybe tomorrow when I reheat it I will slip some on top. I made an irish stew with guiness a few weeks ago, not a big hit in the house, unfortunately. It smelled wonderful but it had a different flavor. At least I tried something different.
Sometimes different works and sometimes it doesn't. Tried and true is safe and a sure bet. But where would we be if all we ever did was the tried and true? Admittedly this is the first time I used tomatoes in my stew. I feel like I have expanded my horizons a bit. I think that I am going to exercise my right to step out of my box more often. I would say once a day, twice a week, once a month, but part of the reason to do it is to be spontaneously inspired. Sometimes I feel like we need more inspiration, but we choose to play it safe and do what we know, what is safe, what is predictable. I admit, I am not what you would call conventional about alot of things, but I think that I have become rather predictable lately. So tomorrow I will seek inspiration, part my hair on the other side, change my purse. My point is, tomorrow is a new day and why not rearrange the furniture a bit??
Carpe Diem!! Seize the Day!!
Here's to something new!!

Happy New Year to My Friends and Family!!

Lists

We make lists. We make lists for groceries, make lists for chores, make lists for work related tasks. We list our professional goals, our personal goals, our relationship goals. We list our needs, we list our wants. What does it all mean?? Do we have a need to see all of these things in writing? Is it a visual confirmation of our wants, needs, thoughts and innermost desires? I believe that some people need to make lists just to cross off what they have completed. I personally do not have that need. I am blessed with the ability to take pen to paper and remember exactly what I wrote down. Rarely do I need to take out my shopping list in the grocery store. I will admit that as I get older it takes alittle more concentration, but it can be done................
What would be on your list for 2010? It is a new decade.........10 years since Y2K....who ever thought we would survive that fiasco?? The year 2010 marks 20 years since I left New jersey and moved to North Carolina. That would mean that almost two-fifths of my life I have lived in this wonderful state which is now my home. The year 2010 will be the year my daughter Emily will be married. It will be the year I will officially have a son-in-law. And it will be my last year of saying I am in my forties..................but that is another post for another day...................
On my list I would say that I want to pay more attention to me. More time allotted for working out, doing yoga, being creative. Am I comfortable in my skin? What do I need to make a priority this year?
On my list would be time made to learn something new. Stepping outside my box......
At the top of my list would be making more time for Jim and I to get away whether for a weekend, a week, or a lifetime................it has been far too long since we had a true vacation. I love this man more than I ever thought possible. The pure joy I feel just being with him is always enough........it is so easy to not prioritize the need to get away from the norm............but I will add that to my list for 2010.
My list for 2010 will be simple, but meaningful. I have a friend from many years ago that I just found out is dying of bone cancer. My heart is hurting terribly for her and for her daughter. We have a past history that is oddly intertwined, and I am now feeling like I wished I had spoken to her more often. We live 500 miles away from each other, so it is not feasible that I could visit her for a few hours before the inevitable............but would love to make a list of things that I wished we had talked about................if for no one but myself.........
What kind of list would you make??? Would you share it with others or keep it for yourself? Would you write in ink or pencil? Would it be on lined paper or a post-it? Would you number your entries or write them at random?
Lists...............friend...or foe???