List Of L's
1. Liver
2. Long Hair
3. Lemon Meringue Pie
4. Loneliness
5. Lake Season
Alrighty then; shall we on?
1. It is a small and continuing Sadness in my life that even though I truly love Liver, I only get to eat it once or twice a year. I grew up eating Liver at least once per month, expertly sauteed in gorgeous caramelized onions and served with mashed potatoes. Often, it was accompanied by my other Food Crush, big fat lima beans doused in butter, salt, and pepper. All of this was lovingly prepared by my mother, St. Patsy, much to everyone else's chagrin, at the request of my father, who also loved liver. Now, no one cooks it since Dad has been gone for 16 years, and everyone else hates it except me. Happily, a restaurant in Niagara-on-the-Lake that we like does it wonderfully (mashed potatoes, even!), so I can at least get it there occasionally.
2. After the Pixie Debacle, my hair has grown out past my shoulders and I could not be happier. Actually, that is A Lie. I could be a teensy bit happier: my hair could stop being recalcitrant and obdurate and, overall, an asshole. But I am trying to Be Mindful and Remember My Growing-Out Angst. I also want to mention my continued impatience? bemusement? overall wonderment? at the (largely male) reactions to my husband's very Long (and always well-kept) silver-streaked Hair. No, everyone (Men), he is not in a band. Sigh. Wow.
3. Oh, Lemon Meringue Pie, I fear that I will have to break up with you. No one else loves you the way I do, and even when I buy the smallest size of you at the pie shop, I struggle to eat you before you become yucky. And, let's face it, I do not ever eat the Meringue (who does? ugh). What I need is Just The Lemon Part, in jars, and with a shelf life of several weeks. I know--lemon curd--but I want it to be Pie-Perfect.
4. While I was teaching, I found it very necessary to keep my Work Life and my Real Life separate. I was also very Private. I needed that for my sanity and to minimize my stress. And it worked pretty well. I left Work at Work, and Home was my sanctuary and never the twain met. Unfortunately, the Flaw in that plan has come to light now, and that flaw is that sometimes, I get a little Lonely. Teaching--at least for me--was such an intense and intensive career that I didn't make many Outside Friends; certainly not while I was actively raising my boys. Now, with Rick at work and me at home, there are times when, unless I make witty observations to the cats, I go the entire day without speaking to anyone. Please don't suggest a part-time job or volunteering. Both of those would certainly want me to follow a schedule, and I am not going to do that. Honestly, I just can't.
5. Spring has finally come to Ohio (but my snow shovels will stay on the deck until the end of April, just to be safe), but that last Winter Storm this month almost pushed me over the edge. Rick and I are even more eager for Lake Season to start, and I caught him leafing through a fishing lure catalog last week. There will be fewer snakes this year since all the shoreline bushes have been taken out, so my axe is retired. We became quite well-known last year for being The Ones With The Wineglasses On The Boat. (Why are we the only ones?)
Again, sorry for being so Late with the L's. Let's hear some of yours, or, as always, your Comments on mine.
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join a gym, a reading group, yoga lessons, garden or cooking group...
ReplyDeleteSillyak--No on the gym (who socializes at gyms while working out?). Ditto on yoga--do people chat during yoga? Anyway, thank you for thinking of me and offering suggestions. I'm not looking, really, to make a posse of New Friends, per se. I'm more musing on the failure of my early philosophy and ... just sharing.
DeleteI recently started going to the gym again. I can tell you that if there is anything I try to avoid while I'm there, its any kind of socialization. I prefer to be left alone, get done what I need to, and then roll out and get ready for work. And it isn't just because the clock says 5:30 AM. The fastest way for me to abandon the bike or elliptical that I'm on is for some stranger to think that this is the perfect time to talk about politics or the weather. Brutal. I've got a really solid group of friends already, and I'm not interested in some booger-eater trying to make nice during my workout. I'M TRYING TO WORK ON MY BIS AND TRIS, BRO!
DeleteJared--Someone trying to be friendly doesn't deserve to be called a "booger-eater". Stop it immediately. Imagine someone reading your last sentence and calling you a Meathead or Musclehead, not knowing that you read Donne and Coleridge. And write astonishingly beautiful poems yourself. Now behave before I smack you. XXOO
DeleteThe last sentence was supposed to read that way sarcasstically/mockingly. You're right, though. Aside from the woman with strong opinions about the perceived fairness, or, I suppose, unfairness of the death of female WWE Superstar Chyna, most folks are at least pleasant.
DeleteThank you for the compliment regarding my work. I'm writing a ton lately.
#TeamDonne
I don't care for liver, but am glad you found somewhere that makes it for you. My hair is not long, but not short either; pixie cuts are a trick because no one except Audrey Hepburn looked good with one. I love lemon meringue pie, but Z-D doesn't so I buy it a piece at a time at an upscale grocery. I second your decision to not get involved in the volunteer world; I did for many years and learned that politics are alive & well therein + who needs schedules? Lake season sounds lovely to me; I'm sure that other boaters are drinking wine but don't have the style that you have. Imbibe proudly, I say.
ReplyDeleteAlly Bean--Oh, how absolutely and perfectly convenient to have a source for pieces of good lemon pie! I am so envious.
DeleteAnd thank you for understanding re: the Closed System of the Volunteer World. I am sort of astonished by this and how commonplace it is. I was hoping to get involved in one of our Local Institutions in an area of my Expertise, but believe me when I tell you that there was absolutely No Way In. None. No information existed for one to Get Involved. That place is locked up tight. So...lesson learned and okay!
Never thought of that angle regarding others having wine sans wineglasses! Thanks for the perspective. 100 pts. for you!
oh, its volunteering, but if you do somethingnatnthe minion level, it mght be fun. anyway critter socialization at the humane society might be enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteSillyak--Certainly they would like some sort of regularity, such as when I would be showing up. That is entirely understandable and sensible, but not what I want to do. I chafe at a regular schedule.
DeleteMy hair has been long since I was 21. I recently got it cut the shortest it has been since then, but that is still a good 3 inches or so below the shoulders. I was getting ready to cut it all of due to the frustration of the unruliness of my many incoming gray hairs, but I found a miracle product that makes my hair perfectly smooth. Now, I do have to blow dry it, but I have fine hair so it doesn't take that much time, thank goodness.
ReplyDeleteAs for the not having people to talk to situation, I am in sort of the same boat? I do have people at work that I talk to, but that is only really my boss as we share a workspace.
In dealing with my daughter and her issues since she was born, I have found that my social life sucks and I only have a few good friends left with no new ones on the horizon. But before I went back to work, I would also go the whole day sometimes without talking to anyone except my kids and I was curiously OK with it for the most part. I would actually crave NOT talking to anyone and welcomed the sound of silence.
I don't really like lemon meringue pie, but it's my dad's favorite. How about Key Lime? Will anyone compromise with you on that? It's still got the tartness in the heavenly pie crust. We have a couple of bakeries around here that sell little mini-pies that make up about two servings. Anything like that in your neck of the woods? I would suggest a lemon filled doughnut, but we all know the answer to that.
Toastmasters? Although there definitely is a schedule there. Red Hat Society? Are those still around? There has got to be a wine tasting group somewhere that you can join!
Gina--I am--and have been for eleventy thousand years--married to my blow dryer. I used to have ridiculously thick hair, but now...sigh. Let's not even.
DeleteYou know, when I was working and blabbing all day to more than a hundred people and had to listen to tons of hallway noise, I craved silence, too. I didn't even listen to the radio in my car for years and years. Now, years into retirement, I'm finally normalized. Took a while.
LOL on the doughnut comment! You are the best. That gets you on the Comment Leaderboard. The Key Lime is a No Go around here. I like it, but Rick not so much.
RED HAT?! I am not that old. But thank you for thinking of things. It's not so much that I need a group. It's hard to explain.
Is there a minimum entry age for the Red Hats? Every time I have gone to a place where they have chosen to meet, they seem to be having a grand time. How about a MOOC? Dammit, I want to live vicariously through you, you have to find something that works!
DeleteGina--All the Red Hats I have ever "known" have been about the same age as my mother. Vivacious, but with about 25-30 years on me. Plus--The Hat! I look awful in hats.
DeleteDarling, why on earth would you ever want to live Vicariously through me? Because I am retired? Bless your heart. Run away to Ohio anytime you want, seriously. We will jaunt off to the lake and I'll sail you out on the boat for a Wine Cruise. Fishing is Optional. Doing Nothing is Mandatory. Tell me when.
We had liver a few days ago. Calves liver with bacon (I got asked for onions but didn't start soon enough.) We go to the Niagara on the Lake area every six weeks or so, so I would love the name of the restaurant. It is hard to find good liver around here.
ReplyDeleteMy opinion on hair is well known.
There are people you can be among and still be lonely. That was how I felt this morning at one of my volunteer spots. Thank goodness for books. I still do graphics jobs part time and that keeps me in company. On my own choice of time.
Love lemon pie. Love meringue. Not sorry. I have a fine recipe for lemon squares that satisfy the pie craving and do not descend into weeping slush after 24 hours.
I have buds. And JG found one hepatica yesterday. I have the YD's dog. Again. I hope the buds survive until she leaves.
Hugs.
You can always talk to me on line.
Mary G--Yes, calves' liver but no bacon. I am not fond of bacon, especially with other foods. Once you add bacon, it overwhelms everything and that is all you taste. The locals merely call the restaurant "the golf club" as it is the one adjoining the country club right in Old Town. I honestly have no idea what the real name of the country club or the restaurant is!
DeleteNever be sorry for your food (or any, really) preferences. I have a recipe for lemon bars also, and it has a sort of shortbread crust. I love it as well, but SO WORKY. That is the Deep Satisfaction of the local pie shop, all that wonderfulness and none of the work.
All of our blossoming trees that have survived the wicked late snow/freeze are now in bloom. It is the pretty time here in NEO at last. Only a few tulip trees have made it, alas, but those that survived are glorious. Thank goodness.
Thank you for your kindness. I am always grateful for my virtual friends.
If you're bored and/or lonely, you could always call. I know you claim to not be a phone person, but we've had lovely conversations on the phone. You can do it. My number has not changed.
ReplyDelete- Mikey G.
Mikey--Thank you, dear, but you are at work during the day! And, really, it's not so much that I wanted someone to Fix Things as that I was Just Sharing and Musing. But thank you very much.
DeleteI sometimes go all day without speaking to anyone other than my cats. That's not a problem; the problem is that they answer back - in my voice.
ReplyDeleteI'm sitting here thinking/wondering/worrying if cosmic/karma/passage-straight-to-hell is going to rain down upon me (and the cats) if I use "Kosher" noodles instead of "Kosher for Passover" noodles for the noodle kugel I'm making for my family on Saturday night at my small family Seder. If I opt for the "Kosher for Passover" noodles, I have to go to a teeming grocery store tomorrow. I'm only having my son and daughter-in-law (who isn't Jewish but is raising the kids Jewish), my two small grandgals, and my brother. I don't think anyone gives a damn, but I just don't want holy retribution on Saturday night from a vengeful god. Any advise?
Gammyjill--Piper and Marlowe say very little, but they do use their own voices and language. Thank goodness.
DeleteWell, it depends upon your depth of faith, I guess. Kosher for Passover noodles would have to be made with a special flour, right, since pastas and breads are typically NOT eaten during Passover? So...up to you and how willing you are to either brave the crowds or, if necessary, lie to your family.
Everything went well. No one asked the provenance of anything. No one cared. They came - my son, Dil, 3 year old, 5 month old, and my brother - we ate while the 3 year old fussed a bit (not having a good week). One of my cats - Robin, the tuxie - had jumped up on the table and stolen the shank bone from the Seder plate. We found it under my bed. My other cat - Alice, the tabby - really liked the 5 month old. It was a hectic, messy, but fun evening. But, next year, dog food...
DeleteGammyjill--Sounds like you pulled it off...or, that Robin did! Glad it was a fun evening.
DeleteHi Nance:
ReplyDeleteHere are my five L words.
First: LONGEVITY..It runs in my family and I hope it lasts a few more years for me.
Second: LISTERINE..Once, when my son was about 5 he was watching a commercial on TV and they said if you used Listerine you would not have bad breath. He asked me what germs had to do with bad breath and I explained to him that Germs HAD bad breath so if you killed them with Listerine you would not have bad breath. He still remembers this valuable lesson in Biology and every once in a while it comes up and we have a fun memory.
LOVE..I'm not sure anything in the World compares to the wonderful feelings you experience the first time you are in LOVE..When else are you going to have butterflies in your stomach,a big smile on your face,and a really strong longing to be with that person you love?
LAUGHS..A sense of humor is one of the best things a person can have. No matter how dire a situation may be, if you can find something to smile about you can usually weather the storm. This is no laughing matter; being happy is a serious business...So, smile and the World smiles with you, cry and .....Oh! you know the rest.
THE LORD... I heard this story about the Lord and will share it here. One day St. Peter was guarding the Pearly Gates and two really disreputable looking guys came along to be let into Heaven. St. Peter took one look at them and said,"I'll have to ask the Lord about you guys. I'll be right back." He goes before the throne and says, "God, there are two terrible looking mugs out there who want to come in." The Lord says,"This is Heaven, and all are welcome here. Go let them in."
St. Peter goes out and comes back in about five minutes and says, "Well, Lord, they are gone." The Lord says, "Who, those guys?' St. Peter says, "NO, THE PEARLY GATES!"
Nancy--Great L List.
DeleteI was startled momentarily by the quote you included in Laughs. My father always used it, and said it this way: "Laugh and the world laughs with you; cry and you cry alone." Back then, I'm sure he said it in the context of not making a big deal out of nothing, but now that I look at that quote, it's really a shitty thing to say! True, but what a terrible commentary on people and society in general.
Re: the Lord--at one point, there was a tasteless (albeit dangerously funny) bunch of Jesus jokes going around, and one never failed to make me laugh. It was, of course, the worst one. Sister Marguerite is surely plumping my pillows in Hell for that one.
No brain cells left on a Thursday night to make a witty comment, but I do get it about the need for silence after school days. Even an extrovert like myself needs silence after day after day of listening to EVERYONE IN THE WHOLE EFFING BUILDING bending my ear. Hence my sitting in the beach as often as I can. My blog post this week is mostly photos because I'm about out of words this far into the school year. Forty days left and baby, I'm counting.
ReplyDeleteRose--Never feel pressured to Wax Witty here in Comments. (We'll leave that to Nancy!)
DeleteFond memories of The Countdown. Mine started as soon as we were out of double digits remaining, and it went up on the front board. Those numbers were scrutinized by everyone in the room. As if I would ever make an error--ha ha, it is to laugh.
Here's to a Quick Thirty-Nine!
Our computer person puts it on our desktop background so we are all reminded daily. This year I'm grateful for it.
DeleteHere are some L Words that I'm fond of.
ReplyDelete1. Lob. Not necessarily anything other than the way the word looks when spelled out. It looks like the "L" is tossing something over top of the "O" to the outstretched arm of the "B". I dig it.
2. Legitimate. I just feel like it has gravity. If something is legitimate, it cannot be challenged otherwise, and it is set in stone. I like the finality of it, kind of.
3. Landslide. I like the idea of it being totally overwhelming. "The Cavs won in a landslide". Think about it. They essentially fell upon that team and suffocated the hell out of them until it was over. Also probably the second best Fleetwood Mac song of all time.
4. Listless. It almost sounds like a whisper when you say it. It sounds wispy and faint and frail. It sounds like what it means. Not sure it gets too much better than that. It is also a really eloquent way to tell someone that they did just an awful job. "Terrence, your performance was...listless". Poor Terrence.
Jared--
Delete1. Lob--never thought of that; nice.
2. Hate the slangy 'legit' even though I have terrific memories of the MC Hammer song. You know why.
3. I like this word; the song is good, too. But I am a serious Fleetwood Mac/Stevie Nicks fan, so I am terribly biased.
4. This word is a winner for me, too, along with Languid. Put them together and there is a major Summertime Metaphor or old-timey woman in a boat image happening there.
(You must be slow at work today. ;->
OOOOOPS!! Here's the other end of those parentheses! )
DeleteNailed it. It is brutal. I offered my friend $7.00 to put a highlighter into my eye so I could leave. She declined.
DeleteToo bad I missed the "F" list. I have a couple of good ones. Fox News never tires of calling Barack Obama our "Feckless" President. That's when another "F" word comes into play as I throw that invective at whichever blonde they have popped out of the big box of blondes they keep to READ the news.
ReplyDeleteNancy--Although I appreciate you Scouting The Opposition, please stop watching Faux News. Unless you are doing it to make certain your heart and blood pressure are capable of Sustaining A Jolt now and then.
DeleteMy response got lost in cyberspace so here's the gist of it.
ReplyDeleteLiver- Liver was a mainstay in my family since my mother thought it was the perfect food. Plus, she loved it. I hated it then and I hate it now. One of the foods I that make me nauseated smelling it cooking. Southern collard greens is a close second.
Long hair - I haven't had long hair since the early 70s. Had it cut with my first child and haven't looked back once.
Lemon Meringue Pie - Unlike you I DO eat the meringue. But like you I want only one or two bites. Not sure why since I really love it.
Loneliness - When we first moved here I was blown away by the number of organized clubs there were. But when I attended a few and heard about "charters" and "mission statements' I was turned off. Been there. Done that. I belong to two book clubs and a knitting group and that's enough for me. If I attend, fine. If I don't attend, fine so there is little obligation on my part. Like you, I refuse to join any others that require me to be at a certain place and certain time. My time is my own and I plan to keep it that way. I have neighbors and we visit back and forth but they are no more fond of coffee klatches than I am. I have a car I love to drive and wander our mountain roads, finding all sorts of interesting places not on the beaten path. Those are things I enjoy and do not commit me to a schedule. No suggestions for what you should do about your loneliness, except that I think you should try to find out why it's a problem. Speaking only to cats some days is not a problem unless you perceive it to be. Are you afraid of turning into a "cat lady?" Does depression possibly play a role? Is there anything different about the days when you feel lonely? Like you said, your blog is for your own musing but some of us can't keep our opinions to ourselves.
We used to live on a lake year 'round and just loved it. Only canoes were allowed so the wine was on the dock. Now we have access to four private lakes in our community. I often go down at dusk. You would be right in with the wine drinkers here. Many have pontoon boats and there's plenty of wine flowing on most of them.
NCMtWoman--My brother used to gag if he came into the kitchen on Liver Days. Seriously. I get it.
DeleteRE: The lonesomeness. I am not afraid of being a cat lady. Piper and Marlowe are the Last Cats. Even though they are pretty self-sustaining for Rick and me if we go on a jaunt, they still limit me a bit as far as having to be a consideration for travel, feeding, etc. Plus, Piper especially is an incredibly generous shedder, and I have really become irked at the constant level of cat hair EVERYWHERE that requires constant effort constantly. SIGH.
You and I are similar in that, likely after careers of strict schedules, we dislike Command Performances of any kind. Once I retired from teaching, I retired from all things about it that I disliked: bells, time increments, schedules, regimented potty breaks, etc.
Interesting how getting one's hair cut short after becoming a mother is often the defining moment. I had lots and lots of people tell me that over the years.
Holy shit! I just saw that I have 500 points on the Leaderboard! How did that happen? Is there a prize involved? Is it because I'm incredibly wordy?
ReplyDelete"L" words I like:
Lunatic, languish, llama, lollapalooza, and London.
Liver--not only no, but HELL NO.
Long hair--haven't had it for over 40 years. If my hair is over 2 inches long, it's time for a haircut.
Lemon meringue pie--don't really care one way or another, and not a pie fan in general.
Loneliness--not an issue for me. I like solitary and have never felt lonely. Many people are a lot of work, and I really look forward to that quiet time at the end of the day when I don't have to interact with anyone.
Lake season--not a season in southern California. However, I love the ocean, and it's only 30 minutes away. Easy to waste a fair amount of time sitting on the beach and daydreaming.
LaFF--I forget which Wonderful Remark got you your Points, but there they are, and they are the Envy Of Everyone. Your prize is the latter AND my Eternal Adoration and Admiration, as well as the Fame And Glory conveyed by the Leaderboard.
DeleteI agree that many people are insanely Calisthenic. One such person is often my mother, but she is Not Optional. Plus, I will allow her this characteristic in her Old Age and after raising four children.
Also, I will overlook your Lack Of Pie Fondness since we are sympatico in so many other things. Liver is always going to be a Difference between me and others. That is a Standard Given.
I was really hoping for a tiara, but the Envy Of Everyone will have to suffice.
DeleteHey, Nance....You know the old saying "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer." That's why I watch Fuc*s News..Only doing my duty for Nance and Country! Somebody has to do the dirty work of watching Douchy and the other blonde called "Not Gretchen"....
ReplyDeleteNancy--You know, Gretchen got her start here in Cleveland. So many do...!
DeleteMy Ls:
ReplyDelete1. Lackadaisical (it's my summer frame of mind - I'm getting started early!)
2. Luna Lovegood (I'm rereading the Harry Potter books)
3. Least (my church is shutting down its emergency shelter because we're too tiny to manage it anymore, and now I'm worried about the "least of these")
4. Loss (my stepmother wasn't ready to leave us & I'm not sure I was ready to let her go)
Don't like liver, but I do love livermush (that's a NC delicacy - sort of like scrapple).
My bangs are ALMOST long enough to tuck behind my ear. So close! And yet so in my face at a moment's notice. Sigh.
I LOVE lemon meringue pie! But I need the whole package because otherwise the lemon is too tart. And actually, if I lived near you I'd just come over & eat the meringue off of your pie for you. (And that sounds really creepy - ha!)
I don't have a great many friends (I mean really good best friend type friends) & I used to worry that I'd be lonely in my later years. But I find people be to worky & energy thieves & mostly want to spend my time alone. Except when I don't.
We were this | | close to heading to Niagara Falls for our vacation this year! But then Mike decided he needed the ocean, so we're going to Dewey Beach in Delaware in a few weeks. I'm not really an ocean gal - give me a nice rhododendron grove in the mountains instead - but his mental health has more urgent needs than mine these days. That's the beauty of working from home - it's a (mostly) drama-free environment.
Bug--I want to like Lackadaisical, but it sounds ugly to me and it is not fun to type. I completely respect its Philosophy, though.
DeleteAnd I vastly prefer the word Scrapple to Livermush, which sounds completely awful. Sorry.
It does not sound even remotely creepy that you would be my Designated Meringue Removal System. I would be completely On Board with that. Let's arrange a meet-up at a restaurant that serves pie just so that can happen. We can arrange it via email.
You and I are both Decidedly Not Beachy, probably for the same reasons. I wrote about it on my Stuff On Our List blog once, and I'm sure we would concur. As far as Niagara Falls--just a suggestion, but it's not really a restful or lovely vacation spot anymore. It's really become commercial and loud and brassy now. I highly recommend Niagara-on-the-Lake during Shaw Festival if you both like live theater. It is picturesque, walkable, there is Fort George for history, a ghost walk, and the wineries, a brewery, and other things. When the Professor is feeling less in need of his Water Element (although it is right on the lake and the river!)
I hope the both of you recover your Best Selves soon and rise from the Valley of the Shadow.
Ugh, Liver. In another life, I worked at Mr. Steak, and on Sundays only, we had Liver and Onions. And all of the people who ordered it were SO ADAMENT about how they wanted it cooked. "There's only one way to eat Liver and Onions, and that's WELL DONE/BLOODY RARE/MEDIUM!!!" It was crazy. I feel about Lemon Merangue Pie about the same as I do Liver. No thank you. But that's good, because if we were to go out to lunch somewhere, you could certainly have my share.
ReplyDeleteI do wish we lived closer, and you, me, Gina, and Ally could go for walks and have a nice chat whenever we felt like it. Mikey could join us if he were so inclined. As you know, I work from home. So I end up going to the store pretty much every day, which at least gets me out of the house, and I consider myself to be sophisticated and European. Another thing I like is driving for Meals on Wheels, which is solitary enough that there are no cliques or anything like that, but I get to see all of my darling old people, and I love it. It is a set time, but only once a week. And some people offer to be an alternate, so there is no set schedule. The downside to that option is you get different routes, which would get me lost. I like knowing where I'm going.
Oh, and my Grandpa used to love Lemon Merangue pie. I once made it for his birthday, and the cat ate the Merangue off of the top. Maybe you need a cat?
ReplyDeleteJ@jj--I have two cats, thank you, and they are NOT ALLOWED any table foods/people foods. Piper is already pushing 25 pounds. Both are large cats, but Piper is the size of a dog. And fat. On DIET FOOD his whole life. Sigh.
DeleteI wish we all lived closer as well, especially since we seem well-suited and not worky. We could hang out in various configurations and my wine cellar could fortify us.
My grocery store trips this week were almost daily, thanks to forgetfulness and picking up items for Jared, who also forgot some things on his trip. Tis also the season for Driving St Patsy, so I have been behind the wheel as a Chauffeur lately, too. And now, the lake is calling, so my Prius is getting a workout.
We are still very cold here, thanks to Our Friends In Canada, however; yesterday it did not even reach 50. But I am finally putting the snow shovels away.