New England's Narrow Road

January Snow

The winter has not been a good one. Last year (2013-14) there was a lot of snow and truthfully I handled it much better than all the sleet and freezing rain this year. Up until today there has been only a crusty frozen few inches covering the ground. The driveway is a mass of icy ruts from the melting, rain and re-freeze.

When it rains in winter I have water issues to deal with. After the all-day rain last weekend, I had many inches of water to push out of the garage. First I had to dig trenches in the driveway to direct the water off to the side. Thankfully I had a door put in on the back wall, and it comes in handy in pushing the water out the back.
The water problem is an easy fix. The garage has a drain, but it’s clogged with sand. It’s been like that since I moved here a few years ago. So a new drain, in the back corner at the lowest point would solve the problem.
Just like all the other problems, big and small, nothing can be done about fixing them without money to hire someone to do so. So I deal with the issues as they arise, as best I can.

At least today it’s snow coming down and not rain. It should never rain in winter. In fact it should never get above freezing. That is when all the problems occur. Ice forms and makes walking treacherous and shoveling impossible. These are the things I forgot about while living in Florida for 27 years. I remembered the snow, but not the ice. Shortly after I moved north in 2005 I fell and cracked my head open on black ice. A few stitches later and lesson learned.

If we end up getting more than the 3-7 inches predicted, I will have to start up the snowblower and try to clean up the driveway. It was a bit difficult getting the thing started last time, which was the only time I’ve had to use it so far this season. Usually by now we’ve had a number of big storms here in New Hampshire – like the big one in October 2011. My daughter is disappointed as she likes to go snowboarding. The slopes have been making snow, but it doesn’t compare to nice, fresh powder.

This snowfall looks so pretty. Maybe the rest of the winter will be normal.

Happy New Year, There’s Always Hope

Happy new year to all. I suppose there is always the hope that it will be “happy”. The 31st of December is the birthday of an old friend of mine. I always thought it was the best day of the year to celebrate a birthday. Everyone all over the world is partying so it’s a festive atmosphere everywhere. I’ll have to remember to give her a call later.

As far as hopes for a happy year to come, what does that mean? I’d rather be content, healthy, and settled, which I suppose would convert to being happy. In the new year I hope for an increase in business income. I’ll continue to work on becoming healthier and get off my medicine.

Don’t make resolutions you can’t keep, but maybe making one little resolution would be a good idea. I’ll have to decide what that will be. It will not have anything to do with losing weight! I should blog more, and procrastinate less. I’ve already begun painting pictures, which was a lifelong goal of mine. That could be an easy resolution to keep. Paint more! Working more on my art and get it posted for sale in my store.

Tonight I will watch the Stooges or the Simpsons until I fall asleep relatively early. No champagne, but I will have a glass of Irish Whiskey (or 2). I wish you a fun and safe new year’s eve, and success and health for 2015.

2014 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 12,000 times in 2014. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 4 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

Rain Seems Right for This Christmas

winter Christmas snow — White Christmas?

The day before Thanksgiving this year (2014) we had 13 inches of heavy, wet snow (as seen in my photo). We had a white Thanksgiving, but it seems that dreary rain will be the visitor on Christmas day here in New Hampshire and I suppose most of the northeast.

We have to accept what comes, and I have no young children who will whine about not being able to go outdoors and try out the new sled. I do feel bad for others who have children who will whine. At the moment the left over snow, from that one and only big storm is hard and frozen. I guess most of it will be gone once the rain finishes with us. I hope the winter won’t be filled with rain and ice and mush.

Christmas will be practically nonexistent at my house anyway. It will be pretty much like every other day. I will work. Make some food and possibly build a fire – just for the ambiance. My son will spend the day up in his room playing guitar and my daughter will visit her boyfriend. My Christmas meal will be a simple turkey and stuffing bake (no big turkey – ugh), with cranberry sauce and gravy. I am planning to make a cheesecake, which the kids will enjoy.

Joy for the holidays is missing. The country is a mess, with those who are supposed to be leading us, at all levels, lacking in decency and moral beliefs. When people can march through the streets in the USA and chant that they want “dead cops”, there is something seriously and frighteningly wrong.

Christmas is the day we try to leave that behind and just enjoy family, and the reason behind the celebration. But I will be glad when all the talk of the importance of family is over with. Anyone who is alone at the holidays knows how I feel. There will be no big meal created by relatives all pitching in. No waiting for special people to show up at the door, or traveling to see family. No fabulous desserts made by Auntie, or cookies baked by grandma. No long table filled with loved ones sharing stories and laughter. Festive times are a thing of the past – the far away past.

In my own heart I celebrate the birth of Jesus every day. I depend on him always, and pray for his help throughout each day. Christmas makes me wonder how well Jesus really likes the fact that we do the holiday the way we do. I suspect it does not please him as much as many would like to believe.
This year, rain is the perfect accompaniment for the holiday.