R.O.C.K. in the USA

Ok while I sit here all frosty-paws in my new fingerless arm warmers...yes, it's a knitted sleeve that goes right up the arm...like something Helena Bonham Carter would wear in Howard's End...I remembered that I have done something interesting in the past two weeks!

I went out to see John Mellencamp. He played at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium, a relatively small place and we had great seats. He was in great voice and still had lots of rock and roll charm. It's just that he tended to play a lot of melancholy stuff that I admit I don't really know! Lots of songs about poverty, being buried in pine boxes and loss of faith. I mean, like, an hour's worth of the stuff. We had to wait until the end of the concert to rock out.

But still when he sang "Rain on the Scarecrow" it gave me chills and brought me right back to 1987 and the apartment in Somerville I shared with 3 girls. We had a rented TV set andput a sign on top that said "we're not here for a long time, we're here for a good time!". We played that album (yes album, big black plastic circle) over and over again and ran out to see him in concert whenever we could scrounge up free tickets or money to pay for one. So since I have actually been seeing him in concert for over 20 years it's like we've grown up together, it's just that he has no idea who I am ; )

"this land built a nation
this land made me so proud
son I'm just sorry
there's no legacy for you now
rain on the scarecrow
blood on the plow"

3 Valentines

I thought it was cute, the boys didn't seem that excited. When is a mother to know when the moment has passed for curling ribbon and stickers and candy and cute Valentine's for teenage boys? I think maybe this was the year. Two of them sort of acknowledged me and one never even opened the card, just grabbed the Russell Stover Strawberry Whipped heart and was on his way. Hey, don't feel bad for me. I learned my lesson and next year I'll spend the money on myself ; )

frosty days

I know, the blog has been mighty quiet, my friends. I am frozen, that's why. Brain is frozen, ideas frozen, joie de vivre frozen, creativity frozen in a solid block of ice. We have had such a long, cold stretch. When the sun is shining mid-day, and the harsh wind isn't blowing, I would say I am relatively comfortable in my Lands' End down jacket walking the dog for a half hour or so.

But when it gets to the 4 o'clock hour and the sun gets low in the sky and the nighttime comes and it is so cold that if you don't wear down (wool will not do!) you just shake....brrrr....it's just getting to be too much for me. Sunday night I went to the movies and saw "No Strings Attached" with cutie pie Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman. The movie was cute enough, but it was set in California and it was GREEN and there were FLOWERS and people were wearing T-SHIRTS! It was a two hour visual vacation.

But having to make do where I live in the frosty-freeze Northeast, I will say that behind a local elementary school, there is one heck of a sled run and the colder it gets, the faster you go. It makes for a good way to spend Sunday mornings. I have learned to be pretty happy drinking my big cup of Dunkin's and eating cold donuts...

while I watch my sons pummel each other with snowballs.

Today it's the "Super Storm"

They are running out of names. Blizzard, Snow Storm, Super Storm. Yes, another snow day...another one. 4 weeks, 4 snow days. It's almost laughable. And in between the actual kids-are-home snow days there will be 3 inches of snow here, 5 inches of snow there, just enough to make it slow going but not enough to cancel activities. But on those nights when you have to go out to a parent meeting and it's 14 degrees with a wind chill...brrr, that's the nasty part of winter. So this was breakfast (lucky kids) and I am at least very well stocked up on food so none of the children will starve.

As God is my witness, if Mother Nature does anything to that roof which protects my fabulous $2,500 retractable awning which is not even a year old...it will be my breaking point~ so in the meantime I watch the glow of my Island Spa candle and breathe deeply.

And these were all he had

on his feet. See story below for details!

The Long Slog Home

I saw him off in the distance in the neighbor's backyard. When there is no snow, there is a path marked with stones that the kids can use to go from yard to yard. So I don't know what Ronan was thinking trying to cross this after our 3rd snowstorm in as many weeks.

He looked like something out of Little House on the Prairie walking home from school over the Kansas plains after a sudden storm.

Determined, I will give him that. What hat? Zip my coat? Gloves? I am in 4th grade. Too cool for such things.

Finally, he made it safely home. He tied up his horse in the barn and came in to momma who had some soup in the cast iron pot over the fire.

Yo, Second Snow Day

Two snow days in two weeks? Wow. The kids will be in school until the 4th of July at this rate. Of course, the high school senior is being oh-so-smug that he gets out of school in May and won't need to make up any days this year. The brothers didn't appreciate that. This is dad, umm, yes in shorts and boots and exposed leg taking the dog out to play this morning. Can't explain the attire, ever.

Ronan asked for this. "Bury me in snow...please!" I was inside and missed all of it, but I guess it looks like he's having fun.

This is what I was doing. I wanted to re-create those chocolate dipped/mini m&m pretzels they sell at the candy stores for big bucks. It worked pretty well, but next time I think the pretzels should be bigger. These were the "thins" and they didn't hold the candy terribly well. However, they taste great!

Then I made apple and pear crisp. I have made it so many times that I could do it in my sleep. Always a hit, another A+ recipe from
the Barefoot Contessa. Can you tell I was hiding inside today? Kept thinking about going out, but then the wind would blow and I just kept cooking.