Another Snowstorm

Monday we had the second snowstorm of the season.  We received about 8 inches of heavy wet snow.   Thankful that school was already closed for the week due to deer hunting season.  I am sure it sounds strange to many that school is closed.  There are so many students who request advanced makeup and who just stay home to hunt the days in the high school are "wasted" days.  So this year school is closed. 

This year my mom, our boys and their families, and our nephew with his significant other will be joining us for Thanksgiving dinner.  It definitely fills our small home.  I am working at cleaning house today and plan to bake pies on Wednesday. 

I am going to try to sneak in some sewing time Thursday night and Friday.  I am NOT a Black Friday shopper!!!

I received word this morning that a very good college friend lost his battle with cancer yesterday.  Gary was the type of friend who would and did anything he could for you.   Many memories are flooding in today.  Thinking of when he gave me a ride from college to visit my grandmother in the hospital.  How he would show up at the apartment at meal time with a knock at the door.  Bev and I even kept his pet piranha during his student teaching. He and his wife have visited in our home.

So--cherish your friends.  Let them know they are important to you.

Returned for a label.

In May I sewed a Christmas Tree Skirt to give  a special young couple for a Wedding gift.  Last week she returned it for a label.  I don't often label my quilts.  I don't like putting my name on things.  I know I made them and the people I give them to know I made them.   I have started becoming more selective who I give quilts.  This afternoon I finished the label and have it ready for their tree.

                  


Today Grandson #2 rode their little snowmobile over to show us.  He stopped in the house long enough for me to go outside to watch him.  All of our snow has stayed with an additional couple of inches.

Friday night I am going back to meet with the mom and dad again whose son was killed a few weeks ago.  It was more difficult than I expected.  I have done this many times.  However, this time it was very parallel  to the tractor accident which killed our son.  Another little boy who loved farming with his daddy.  Many of the questions they asked brought back many memories that had been buried deep in the mind.  I spent two hours  there last time.  This time  Herb is going with me.  The dad asked if he would come also.   I am so very thankful that I am able to use our experience to help other people through a very difficult time in their lives.    I share with them that we are part of a very exclusive club and we want no new numbers. However, when a tragedy occurs we stand beside each other. We understand as no one else.

What happened to Fall?

Northern Wisconsin is missing the last few weeks of autumn.  We went from 40 degree weather to 16 inches of snow in a day. 

This is the view tonight from my kitchen window.

 

The snow started early Monday morning.  School was released at 12:30.  By that time we had several inches.  The buses became stuck in driveways.  When the teachers left the parking lot we had to shovel out cars, push some to help them out, or make tracks for other cars to follow.  We all drove home in white out conditions with many vehicles in the ditches  By the time it ended we had 16 inches of snow. 

 School was open again on Tuesday morning.  Something that has been a source of frustration for many parents.  There were 40% of the students absent at the primary school.  None of the buses were able to run their usual routes due to country roads being impassable.  Two buses did not pick up any students.

Yesterday Kasey related this story to me.

 "There were only 10 kids on our bus.  Bob couldn't pick up lots of kids because their roads weren't plowed.  We almost got stuck.  Bob stopped the bus and told us to buckle the seat belt if we had one.  I moved to a front seat with a seatbelt.  Then we went forward for ten seconds, then backward for ten seconds.  He tried to go forward again. THE WHOLE BUS JUST SHOOK.  Then he went.  We didn't have to get pulled."

I already had all my sewing planned out for Tuesday when I thought it would be a snow day!!!  I will try again this weekend. 

For my long time blogging friends, here are Kasey, Cole, and Colby at Halloween.  They made their stops at all the "adopted" grandparents before coming to our house.  They are blessed! We are blessed with friends who love our grandkids also!