Blizzard on the Prairie!

Wednesday morning...7:00 a.m.  This pretty sunrise greeted us we drove by the entrance to the North Dakota State University (NDSU) campus.  We were on our way to the FargoDome to sell our smoothies at a wrestling tournament.  High school wrestlers from North Dakota and Minnesota compete each year in this event which is known as "Rumble on the Red".  The "Red" refers to the Red River of the North which forms a natural border between much of Minnesota and North Dakota.

Sunrise at NDSU

This next photo is the entrance the FargoDome campus.  The windshield was wet because there was a light mist falling.  Notice the florescent patches on the guard's jacket.

Entrance to "The Dome"

Disclaimer: I should say at this point that the photos in this post are definitely not high quality but... a) working with a point and shoot camera and b) shooting through a windshield do not combine for high quality photographs. But you know that. And you've forgiven me for it in the past so...

The Rumble on the Red is an excellent event.   It's winter in the upper midwest but those wrestlers and their fans are made from tough stock...they love their ice cold smoothies whether it's summer or winter.   We like that.

We spent the night in Fargo since the tournament didn't end until 9 PM on Wednesday and we had to be back at the dome by 7 AM on Thursday.

The weather forecast was ominous.  A winter storm warning had been issued for later in the day.   By 2 PM we decided to leave the kiosk in the very capable hands of Kaley who has worked for us for years.  She recruited her mother and a cousin to come in to help so that Jack and I could leave for home.  It's an hour and a half drive in the best of conditions.

Interstate 94 runs East and West from Michigan through Minnesota and North Dakota and on into Montana.  As luck would have it, there was a 100 vehicle chain reaction pileup on I-94 just west of Fargo about that time.

I-94 to the east of Fargo was open and although it was snowing by that time, conditions were supposedly still okay for travel to the East.  Little did we know...

The wind was picking up rapidly and by the time we crossed from North Dakota into Minnesota snow was swirling furiously across the interstate.  The next few photos show the near white-out conditions through which we traveled.   There is near zero visibility during white-out conditions.

Clicking on the photos will probably give you a better view since there's very little color in these shots.

The road before us...do you see the barn and silo through the snow?

The barn and silo as we passed.  We were traveling very slowly but it was so windy that these trees are a blur. 

Oncoming headlights...and blowing snow

The roadside as we traveled...

You can barely see the treeline beyond the fence.

A huge 18-wheeler jacknifed just ahead of us.

I shot this as we passed by...

There really was no place to leave the road as all of the off-ramps were snow covered and it was extremely difficult to see where the shoulders of the road merged into the ditches.  It was safer just to keep going.

We were about thirty miles from home and breathing a collective sigh of relief when we hit an icy patch on the road.  Before you could say "Jack Robinson" we were up to our bumpers in a snowy ditch.  We looked at each other in dismay and I believe I said, "Well, rats!"

To make a long story short.......we called Triple A (American Automobile Association) Roadside Assistance.  I don't know what we pay each year for membership but it's worth every single penny.  They were concerned and assured us that there would be a tow truck out as soon as possible.  About 10 minutes later they called back to say it would probably be quite some time before help could arrive  since there were a great many blizzard related accidents in the area.  They offered to have the State Patrol come to give us a ride home in which case we would abandon our vehicle until it could be pulled out of the ditch.  We said that would be wonderful.

And then something fabulous happened!  A tow truck (Glenn's Towing from Garfield, MN...bless his little heart) just happened to be heading west when he apparently noticed our pathetic situation and our flashers blinking.  He turned around at the next exit, pulled up on the road beside us and offered to pull us out!  Jack was still on the phone with the AAA lady and when Jack told her about this, she said to have him pull us out and send her the bill!!

Being pulled out of the snow...

The  tow truck that saved the day!

Fifteen minutes later we were on our way.

I can't decide whether it was pure perfect luck or divine intervention but I don't really care...we made it home safely and we didn't even have to get out of the car.

We left Fargo at 2:22 p.m. and it was nearly 7:30 p.m. when we pulled into our driveway.

'Snow Kidding...it's cold!

Remember this little garden angel?

Well, here's what she looks like, today...

That's the snowbank from plowing the driveway.   If I could climb over it to pull her out, I would.  But I can't.  There's a better than even chance she'll be completely hidden before long.

This is officially the snowiest December in Minnesota history!   And it looks like we're in for more by the end of the week.


Our Christmas was hectic.  The house was a perpetual mess.   The kitchen was action packed...either in the midst of meal/snack/dessert mode or  in the midst of cleaning up the mess from meal/snack/dessert mode.    There were kids and toys and games and parents, aunts and uncles everywhere.   It was noisy.  Snowy boots.  Snow melted and dripped from the clothes on the pegs in the entry and there were puddles everywhere.

It was pure Heaven.  Wouldn't have changed it for the world.

I borrowed a space heater from my friend, Diane, so that we could use our three-season porch (it worked GREAT!) and today I returned it to her.  She lives on a farm about a mile away.  I snapped these photos while I was there.

Icicles!

A snowy pine tree

A gourd birdhouse...probably vacant.

Now, the house is silent except for Jack and me puttering about...and a football game or two.  It's pure bliss.

Tomorrow we're going to the Cities to see his sister and her husband.  Their children and grandchildren are visiting from Connecticut and Ohio and we haven't had a visit with them for several years so it'll be fun.

I'll be catching up with all of you in the next few days, I hope.  We may well be snowed in over the New Year weekend so I envision lots of blogging time.  Yay!

Countdown to Santa Baby

Santa Baby

Today is Monday...the kids will be arriving Wednesday.  That leaves tomorrow to do all that needs to be done before they tumble through the door bearing children, snow boots, scarves, hats, mittens, suitcases.

I might not get another chance to post...time will tell.

Even if we weren't having Christmas guests, I'd still bake cookies and whip up a batch or two of bonbons or fudge.    Like Grandma Verna's Sugar Cookies and Ginger Pumpkin Bread.

These are Grandma Verna's sugar cookies.  She wasn't my grandma, though...she was Jack's aunt...his cousin Bill's kids' grandma (whew!).  But these sugar cookies are beyond delicious.  Some day I'll post the recipe.  I don't do fancy decorating...just white icing glaze and some colorful sprinkles.

This is Martha Stewart's Ginger Pumpkin Bread.    Funny, but I made it a couple of days ago and we have yet to try it!  Hope it's as good as it smells.

Here's the link to the recipe:  Ginger Pumpkin Bread


Our Christmas Eve repast will be mostly snacky stuff...cheese, crackers, dips, chips, mixed nuts.  Nothing really exciting, actually.   A big steaming pot of clam chowder will be ready whenever anyone feels like a bowl.  We'll have a variety of breads...like that Artisan Bread recipe I posted a few weeks ago.  And cookies and candy and hot cocoa and apple cider.  Maybe eggnog and hot toddys, too. 

We have mountains of snow and I told daughter Stefani to be sure to pack snowgear.  The kids will have a ball sliding down our hills.  I'll try to get some good photos of all the action.

So, if I don't "talk" to you before the Big Day, I wish you all a Happy Holiday.   Meanwhile, I have Eartha Kitt's rendition of Santa Baby running through my head.   Good grief!

Snow Birds

No, not the retired snow birds who head south the second the weather turns iffy.   This cartoon cracked me up...we're not insulating but we're staying home most of the winter!

 We had quite a snowfall, last night.  Jack is out snowblowing driveways as I type.

I stood at the kitchen window for a very long time, this morning, watching the real "snow birds" in our cranberry bush, the trees and our bird feeder.

Snapped quite a few photos and although they're not high quality shots because of the window, they're good enough to share.

We've got chickadees, juncos, blue jays, sparrows, nuthatches...all the brave little bird species that don't "get out of Dodge" in the winter.  Bless them.

A bluejay in the wisteria vines

A rascally woodpecker on the bird feeder!

A sparrow on the cranberry bush

A sweet chickadee - look at its beautiful markings!

This chickadee was busy grooming himself - or herself.

A Junco...my only capture of this bird.

Two bluejays in a tree

It's winter here, of course, so all of my pictures seem to be in black and white.  I wonder if it's my camera?  Or if that's just the way it is in Minnesota?

"Hear! hear!" screamed the jay from a neighboring tree, where I had heard a tittering for some time, "winter has a concentrated and nutty kernel, if you know where to look for it."  ~Henry David Thoreau, 28 November 1858 journal entry

A Holly Jolly Good Time

Our porch Christmas lights...buried under a blanket of snow!

Friday night we're going out with some of our friends/neighbors for a casual Holiday meal. We're going to a local restaurant called The Depot Express that actually was a depot back in the day. Burlington Northern, I'm told. They're famous for their pizza but there's a full menu available with popovers served with your meal. Yum!

It'll be fun.  Casual...just jeans for the most part.
We're going to have a gift exchange with a twist.  Instead of purchasing something, we're going to each recycle a "white elephant" Christmas/seasonal decoration of some sort.  Something that's still nice but we're ready to let go of it.

Jack is giving a tin Santa box with two decks of cards.  I think I got it at a thrift store a hundred years ago and we just never used it.  But it's nice and we do play cards with some of these friends so I hope one of them gets it.

I also had this gift bag that was handmade from a woolly sock.  I clearly remember when I bought it...it was at a craft fair and I thought it would be great to put a bottle of wine in it for a gift.  I love it...it's as cute as can be.

However....it's too small for a bottle of wine.  So it has been stashed in a drawer for several years.  I put a bottle of beer in it and that's our other contribution to the gift pool.

Jack came home, yesterday, with a snazzy Santa hat that he's going to wear.  He's such a ham!  I will wearing my usual black turtleneck with jeans...I think I have a dozen black turtleneck sweaters.  It's my winter uniform.

Jack said he saw a Santa hat, today, that's black and it says, "Bah, humbug!" on it and he's going to go buy it tomorrow for me to wear.

We'll just look so classy, won't we?

Two Irresistable Chocolaty Holiday Sweets

I've moved these two great recipes to my Crafty Lady Recipes blog.  So head on over there if you're planning to  make them.

I didn't want to delete the post entirely because of all the lovely comments!

Cashew Cluster

Peanut Butter Bonbon

"There are four basic food groups: milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate, and chocolate truffles." - Anonymous

Recipe Teaser...

This recipe (plus another)....tomorrow.

Donner Lake - Photo Finish Friday

Donner Lake
(Click to enlarge for a much better view)

I just love Photo Finish Friday because it gives me an excuse to wander through my travel photos and share some that are really special to me.

This is one of my favorites.  I don't believe I've ever posted it.  We passed by Donner Lake on our way home from a housesitting assignment in Mendocino County.    It was April 2009 but the mountains were still snow covered.

The lake and state park are situated on the edge of the Sierra Nevada mountains in the northeastern part of California.  It's a spectacular drive.

Have you ever heard of the Donner Party?   It was a group of pioneers (Donner was the name of one of the families) who set off in a wagon train headed for California during the winter of 1846-47.  They became snow bound in these mountains where many of them died.

It's a most interesting but tragic and fairly gruesome story.  If you like, you can read more about it at the Legends of America website.   History buffs, enjoy!


As always,  thanks to Leah at The Goat's Pail Lunch for creating Photo-Finish Friday!

A New Look

So I messed around with the blog, today, and came up with this template.  Can't leave well enough alone, I guess.

The header background photograph is actually a Lake Mary sunset.  I took it standing on our deck some time ago.  We do have remarkable sunsets, especially in the fall.

The background is a Blogger background.  There was another that I liked, too...might give this one a few days and then try the other.   I can't decide if this is too "cold".   Maybe warmer colors?

Maybe I'll use this for the "winter look" and a warmer background for the "summer look".  I could change the header photo to a summer view of the lake.

Or not.

Let's just call this a work in progress.

Stay tuned.

A Wintery Garden

Yesterday morning when I walked out to get the newspaper, I took  my camera.  The snow was just pristine and there was absolutely no breeze.   I don't know what the temperature was but it didn't even feel very cold.  I must be adjusting to winter.  Thank goodness.

Garden Angel

Snowy Sedum

Wisteria vines on the front porch

Winter Lace

Snow on the clematis

Simplifying Christmas - Part One

A Bowl of Vintage Ornaments

I am SO not ready for Christmas and it's almost upon us!  But I'm not panicking...we've adopted a "Simplify Christmas" philosophy.

The thing about Christmas (and Thanksgiving and Hannukah and other special holidays) is that it's such a busy time. It's expensive. It's chaotic. And although we look forward to it each year, we also often dread it. That's sad.  So I wrote an article for Squidoo last year on how to simplify.  This is just part of the article...I hope you find it useful.

HOW TO SIMPLIFY GIFT GIVING

When we were children we received one gift from Santa Claus and perhaps another from our parents.  Santa gave us something we really, really wanted...like a doll or books (I loved Nancy Drew mysteries so those were high on my list).

Our parents gave us something useful, usually...mittens, for example.  We also had Christmas stockings that were filled with oranges or apples or one of each.  Maybe some nuts and candy canes and probably a chocolate bar.

The tree wasn't even put up until right before Christmas and there were no presents under the tree until after Santa came (duh!).

Somehow or other times changed and giving gifts became an exercise in excess...bigger, more expensive, and more of everything.   It wasn't fun, anymore...it was stressful.

So here are some suggestions on simplifying Christmas gift giving...these can all be very budget-friendly...try to think outside the box.

Remember, it's the thought that counts, right?

:: Give your time. Create a gift certificate to teach a skill that you have to someone who has always admired your work. Or for pet sitting or baby sitting.

:: Give something hand made. Jars of jams or jellies or pickles.  Make caramel corn, special holiday cookies, fudge or some other homemade goodies.  Those are truly gifts from the heart.

:: Prepare a gift basket of special teas or coffees. Tuck in a teacup or coffee mug or two and perhaps a pair of vintage napkins.
 
 :: If the person loves vintage or collectible items, check out the local antique or resale shops or go online to Ebay for just the right gift at a reasonable price.

:: Give gift cards. To bookstores for a book lover, or to a favorite clothing store or a special restaurant.

:: Give tickets to an upcoming performance or an event that you know the person would love.

It isn't the size of the gift that matters, but the size of the heart that gives it.  ~Quoted in The Angels' Little Instruction Book by Eileen Elias Freeman, 1994