The Word for Christmas 2008 is 'LATE'

I'll put the detailed weather whine at the end of this post for readers who aren't tired of hearing about it. For now, let's just say that even if the roads were clear and safe, we can't get the car out of the driveway until there is some thawing.

Presents for our Christmas Eve family get-together at Mom's in Kalamazoo are still waiting to leave the house. Gifts from Idaho and North Carolina are waiting at Mom's until we finally have our Christmas party.

It was a no brainer decision to postpone our celebration. Daughter Heather wasn't feeling well and just wanted to go to bed. Granddaughter Kimmy needed to travel sixty miles to her dad's house. She usually goes Christmas Eve after our Kalamazoo party, but the roads were expected to get treacherous and we wanted her to go earlier in the daylight and before the freezing rain. Then, there's the little problem that DH and I can't get out of the driveway. Not that we want to get out of the driveway.

Christmas Eve and presents will be rescheduled when Kimmy returns, everyone is healthy, and the roads are not hazardous.


Brother Dave living in the boondocks of Portland, Oregon was snowed in and without power for Christmas. His gifts to the family are unmailed, but I know what I'm getting and the anticipation is making me smile.

Dave is getting socks. Large, shoe size 14 socks. And they're not done yet. One has the gusset half decreased and the other is ready to have gusset stitches picked up. This is Kaffe Fassett Regia and the colors are making them an enjoyable knit.

These socks were never promised by Christmas and everyone is OK with them not being done by then. If Dave likes his handknit socks, I'll do better next year with getting them done on time.

Sister Carrie's February Lady is done but needs a few finishing touches and a trip to the post office. I hope to mail the sweater and the socks early next week. Weather permitting.


This little gem was not late. A Christmas present from DH.

I've been wanting a small camera to carry around in my purse, and this one is perfect. It measures 3.5 inches x 2 inches and is 3/4 inch deep. I think I'm going to love it.


Detail Weather Whine
It's been a week since the last time we had the car on the roads.

We are living in the middle of a very hard ice glacier and hopefully watching for signs of melting so we can get out to the store. So far everything is still frozen solid, so I'm thinking it will be this evening at the earliest. (For those not into the Michigan weather report, it's supposed to be in the 50s by tomorrow.)

We don't have snow anymore. Thanks to the snow, rain, freeze cycle we have about a foot of heavy, slippery ice in the yard and driveway. Can't shovel it and the car is frozen into it.

Good grief! This weather is totally insane. It will be interesting to see where all the water goes once things start melting. The ground is too frozen for it to just sink in. The wet vac and pump are ready and on alert in the basement.

On the radio they were saying in town, Kalamazoo/Portage, the gutter drains are clogged with snow, ice, and leaves that never got picked up thanks to early and continuous snowfall. They're asking people to get out and clear the gutters so the streets don't flood. Doesn't that sound like a fun project?

Morale is OK around here. We're having "fun" discovering things in what used to be the back of the cupboards and the freezer isn't empty yet. Most important, we still have plenty of dog food.