Just in time..........

for the January thaw, we got 3 inches of snow and below zero temperatures.

Tonight and tomorrow, 2-3 more inches.

So--who cares.  Right?
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I had to run up to the store to get some milk--just in case I want to hunker down tomorrow.  It took me forever to sweep off the car and get the front and rear windows defrosted.

I don't know what has happened to John.  Last year, every time it snowed the tiniest bit, there he was with his snow blower cleaning off everyone's driveway.  Of course, it was his first winter here, and I think he was trying to impress the neighbor's with what a nice guy he is.  Now--he doesn't care.  LOL
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If you were going to cook something and then share it with others.  Would you taste it first to make sure it tasted good, before you shared it?  I would too.

I can almost forgive John because he had only learned how to cook in the last couple of years, but---Pearl has been married 61 years, she should know how to cook by now, don't ya think?

John made Chili and brought me down a container.  I think he browned the ground beef, put the other things in, cooked it for a half hour and then brought me some.  The canned kidney beans were even a bit hard.  It definitely needed four, a few more hours of simmering.

Yesterday, in between blizzards, Merle brought me a container of hot, vegetable beef soup.  YUM!  It could have stood a couple of beef bouillon cubes in it, the broth was very pale and had no taste.  The potato cubes were still crispy, the onion was tough, when I bit into the carrot pieces, they snapped under my teeth!  There were flakes or pieces of burned something floating around and they didn't add much of a taste to it either.

Wouldn't Pearl know that soup needs to simmer a couple of hours?  Or at least until the veggies are cooked?

So, what do I say, when I give them back their containers and they ask me, "How did you like the.....?"

"Thank you for bringing it to me."
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At noon today, I fought my way into the frozen doors on my car!  Only the passenger side door would open.  I got in, leaned over and started the car.  15 degrees, but it started right up.  That car lived in Wisconsin for a number of winters.  I have never had a problem with it starting, even in minus degree days.  I've had it 7 years and have never replaced the battery.

Anyway, I turned the defrost blower on high, and punched the little button to clean off the rear window.  Then I proceeded to sweep the snow off.  The snow plow had gone through last night, but by some miracle had not piled up 3 feet of snow at the end of my parking pad.

I let it idle and filled up the bird feeders.  I shut the car down at 12:30 and after my Soap, started it up again and took off to the store.

Of course, the main roads are clean, but if you only drove around our park, you'd think we were snowed in!  
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I haven't seen John all day--which wouldn't seem unusual, but for the last month or so, he and Maisey stop in every single, freaking day.

It might be 9:30 in the morning when I'm still in my jammies, 1:00 in the afternoon, just as my Soap starts or 8 o'dark in the evening.

I have watched and when he walks the dog, they go by here and on their way back, she comes up my drive a bit and sits down and will not move.  Sometimes he calls me on the phone to ask if they can come in, sometimes Maisey comes right up on the porch and nudges the door and barks, until I open it.

"We can only stay a minute," then, they come in, John sits in the rocking chair across the room to warm up and Maisey comes over and lays on the rug in front of my chair, for her pet and smooching.  An hour later, they leave.

I don't know if I should be flattered or disturbed that they have to stop every day.  

John says it's Maisey's fault.  That he can't get her by my house, without her stopping and not moving and then he has to carry her home.

Is my street the only street he could walked up?  No.  He could come out of his drive and turn left and walk her that way OR he could walk her up the Service Drive.

Hm-mm.  

I guess I can't complain.  After all, if I need it, he comes and unloads my groceries or 80# of bird seed or 35# of kitty litter, or 10 liters of Diet Pepsi, out of the trunk of my car.  

He does now, ask how my day is and lets me talk where before, it was all about him and all his problems--ad nauseum--the same story time after time.

He is a queer little duck, for sure, but very, very nice.
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Speaking of queer ducks?  Dar stopped over this afternoon.  At least she now has the decency to wait until my Soap is over, LOL.  She brought me three bags of chocolate candy she received for Christmas, accusing her family of trying to sabotage her plan to lose weight.  I accepted thankfully.

I'm at a stage in my life now where I couldn't gain weight even if I wanted too and.....chocolate candy is my thing!

We actually had a really nice chat!  Her other friend, Sheila's mother is in Hospice at home and Dar has been down there.  Sheila has never been married.  She took care of her Dad until he died and now her mother.  She is very fearful about living alone for the first time in her life--she is 56.

Dar keeps telling her how great it is going to be.  (I kind of doubt that).  Her way of trying to cheer Sheila up, I suppose.  They are planning trips they can take next spring and summer.  Sheila is quite timid, a strange little duck, without a lick of common sense and does anything Dar wants to do or tells her to do.  The perfect foil for Dar.
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Today Dar admitted that the reason she works is to take her mind of the fact that she lives alone and is estranged from her four children and one brother.  

She actually apologized for her actions, toward me, four years ago.

"You were trying to recover from Fred's death and I'd just rush in here and dump all my hysterics and problems on you.  How could you stand me?"

"Well--it was pretty hard.  Usually after you left, I was so worn out and stressed that I'd fall asleep for an hour."

"Why didn't you just tell me to go home?"

"Because, you were in worse shape than me.  You were on the verge of an emotional breakdown.  You needed someone you could talk to and get it all out and.....I'm a good listener."

"I'm just so sorry, Judy, so sorry.  I am doing better now.  Right?"

"Most of the time."  and we both laughed.

She still doesn't inquire about how I'm doing and it still is ALL about her, but.....that's just the way Dar is and always will be.  At least now, she only stays about 90 minutes.