Friends from West Shokan past....

A childhood friend, Debbie Burgher, posted an old picture from the 70's (that's 1970) of her brother on Facebook. What memories were stirred as I perused the photos that were attached.

I grew up with the Burghers, my siblings even babysat some of them. As I went through the photos, I discovered some of my own family, other friends and places I had been to in my youth. It was very weird to see my memories through someone's eyes other than my own.

Mathew

This picture of Mathew is a typical one. Burgher's always had dogs. One great dog they had while we were young, was a German Shepherd named 'Shep'. Shep was very protective of all of the kids, but he was especially protective of the Burgher kids. Shep's only 'flaw' was that he chased cars. That too was probably a way of protecting us.
 

Eddie

The Burghers were an active family of five kids and Bob, the Surveyor (dad), and Rosie, the Reader (mom). Everyone loved Rosie, she was always smiling and chuckling. To say she loved to read is an understatement. Books were everywhere in their house, on their tables, the back of the couch, under her arm or in a bag. Rosie wore a path to the local library.

Debbie was their eldest daughter, Eddie their eldest son. Debbie and Eddie were older by enough years that I looked up to them and respected them when they were around, but they weren't around much because they were mostly away at college. They were instrumental in organizing our summer outings as they were our 'chauffers'. They also took on the role of protectors for all of us. I remember one particular outing to my first play. It was Fiddler on the Roof at the Woodstock Playhouse. I will always be grateful to Debbie for including me.

Patty

The siblings next in line were Patty, Mathew and Andy. Patty was a couple years older than me and had great hair and a beautiful smile. She was always fair and inclusive. She took on the role of "mom" in a good way for the group. She'd yell at her brothers when they picked on others or would run to the aid of the underdog. The Mullers always knew she would grow up to be a great mom.

Mathew, was the tease. He probably was also the closest to being the bully of the town. He just liked to control what he could -- like all the boys who were younger than him. I remember him commanding my brother, his brother, and the Molloy boys to line up and "march" in military fashion to the bus stop. Then he would line them up in the order he thought appropriate to get on the bus. Of course he always stepped in front of the line before the bus stopped so he would get on first.

Shep

I do remember in later years, one new kid that was kinda "Woodstocky" (he had long hair) who refused to follow Mathew's commands. Shep (odd coincidence he had the same name as the dog), though being the shortest of all the boys, always stood up to Mathew. Mathew seemed in a quandary as to what to do with him. Once he may have tried to "command" his army of boys to beat him up, because I do remember some chasing going on, but Shep never let himself be bullied by Mathew, that I can remember. Many times Shep walked home alone, because the other boys were too frightened to befriend him and go against Mathew. Shep was also brilliant and articulate - kind of nerdie to us country folk. I don't think the other boys quite knew what to make of him. He could often be seen with a camera in his hand, which also made him different from us. In later years all the boys seemed to become good friends. He and my brother, Rick, still maintain a friendship. (BTW, Shep's photos are posted throughout this blog.)

Andy

Another title for Mathew Burgher, was that he was the local heartthrob. I don't know any girl that didn't "love" Mathew for a part of her life. He hooked up with Sue Henderson either late in high school or after and they had three beautiful boys together. The last I saw him he still was a tease but I don't think he commands anyone anymore.

Andy, the youngest of the Burgher brood, was just a cute little kid. Very shy and to himself, he was always quietly smiling and observing.


Growing up in a small town, the kids got to know each other well. Boys and girls usually played together in the early years. Then we divided into groups of boys and girls. Upon entering High School, we all made new friends, but would come together in the summer time for special outings. We would go to the county fair, camping, tubing on the Esopus or catch a play in Woodstock. Our age differences didn't seem to matter. The older naturally watched out for the younger. Many of the families were related, but that didn't cause a problem either. It was like we were all one HUGE family. Fathers and mothers from different families had no problem correcting those that were not theirs. Most of the time everyone respected each other. Though I do remember someone calling Mrs. Maug (Maugs were stern Germans with heavy accents) "Mrs. Maugie Daugie" because she sent her husband to yell at us for having a snowball fight in front of their home and leaving the snow in the road!

Kevin

Molloys were our closest year-round neighbors. West Shokan was also home to many NYC "summer people". Chris Molloy and I became friends because we were in the same Kindergarten class and that started a great friendship that went on for years. I will never forget his offer to come in and warm up after our trek from the bus stop. He had an older sister, MaryPat; and younger brothers Kevin and Terry and later, sister, Meghan, came along.
 
Their yard became our early playground along with Burghers' because they had so much open land. Burghers had play equipment and sheds and cabins to entertain us.

Before we had organized recreation activities and a park, we played basketball in Molloy's driveway. We always managed to pull together enough kids to play baseball behind the Molloy's chicken coop (it never had chickens in it as far as I can remember, only lots of newspapers) or we went swimming at one of the local swimming holes.

Ingrid

Ingrid Opsis was our unofficial lifeguard and swimming teacher. She became our official lifeguard, swim coach, and trainer once the town pool opened.

Patty & Cathy

As the years passed, West Shokan had some new families move into town. The Finkens, lived next door to the Burghers and had at least three girls. Kay, Mary and Clare. Clare and I became friends, but they must have moved in the later years of high school because I don't remember seeing them much. I ran into Mary at church in Poughkeepsie last year, she said Kay and Clare were in the New England area.

The Shields brought a bunch of girls of who we got to know -- Holly, Cathy and Patty.  Ann Roser and I had some great times at their houses (three!) in the small plot at the bottom of High Point Mountain Road.

Marjorie

The Hydes moved in up on Moonhaw Road. Marjorie and Jimmy. Marjorie was wild and a smoker. Jimmy was quiet and young.

The Giuliano's lived in Boiceville first and then moved to West Shokan. They were related to the Hendersons. Dino, the dad, was known for his sales pitches. Mary, Janette, Michael and Gina were great looking kids. I can only remember once getting together with a whole gang to go Trick or Treating all over West Shokan...kids today have no idea how to walk miles like we did for candy. The goal was to make it to DeSannas where a bowl of goodies awaited us on the front porch. That same year a man gave us wax bottles filled with juice and Janette was afraid it was alcohol, so she wouldn't let us younger kids drink it.

Ann Roser and her brother Chris lived down past the library. Ann and I became close friends and remained so through just about all our school years and early 20's. We try to stay in touch to this day. She, Susan and I were a pack in the elementary years. Karen Dunn occasionally joined us at Susan's. Susan was the only daughter of Bob and Jean and lived with her brothers Robert, Ricky and Jimmy. Many nights I ate dinner at their home or watched Captain Kangaroo on their t.v. on Saturday mornings. Susan's bedroom was the coolest with a closet that went through to another room. For some reason they only lived in the upstairs of their house while the basement was above ground on the first floor. That was always strange to me.

The Steens lived down the road from us too. Vanessa, Carl, Robert and Adam moved in sometime in the elementary years. One swimming hole was across the road from their house and a popular sledding hill was just behind it. We swam, skied, skated and hung out at their home in between. They had a porch too. The older homes had porches and many times we sat and talked on those porches.

So many people, I can't recall them all. People who touched my life in so many ways throughout my impressionable years. I am happy that so many had a positive impact on my life.


As we reconnect through Facebook and emails, it is astounding to me to hear from those who were just in West Shokan for a small period of time say how much they loved being there. Of course if you asked me in my teen years what we thought we would have said we couldn't wait to get out. Thirty minutes to shopping, jobs; at least 15 minutes to the high school (not stopping). And for a girl trying to get dates from boys she met in high school it was torturous, especially when they would ask "could you meet me....???" (and that was when gas was .59 a gallon!)

Local store & Post Office

Only a local store combined with the Post Office for treats, the paper or some cold cuts and ice cream was local hangout for some of us. The Town Park came later and brought outsiders in. Not that we didn't want them, but they sure diluted our friendship pool (no pun intended.)

I think most of us look back on our years in West Shokan with a passion for calmer, quieter, slower times. Many lessons were learned without electronic gadgets and even t.v. for some. Everyone watched out for each other; included each other; and no one was fearful (too much) of anything. It was a time of unlocked front doors and keys left in cars. Sure there were disagreements and hurt feelings and we had our share of social problems, but all in all we were a family inter-related through the situations we experienced together. It was a great place to grow up...not perfect, but great.

Photo Credit to Shep Siegel fo all the photos on this page.

Countdown?

Today I am home taking a sick day because I had a scheduled laser surgery this morning. Nothing serious. It is a neat way to take care of varicose veins, a hereditary trait passed down from my mom. Mom had serious varicose veins. I can remember how awful they looked when I was growing up. Of course mom had seven kids, so that didn't help. I can't imagine wearing those support stockings she had to wear year round. Several of my brothers and sisters have the same problem, but none as bad as mom. Mine bothered me a bit but probably no where near as mom's did her. I decided to take care of mine while I still had good health insurance.You may be wondering what's up with my insurance...or the title to my blog.

I presently work for the New York State Tobacco Control Program. I work part time in the Community Partner aspect and the other half in Tobacco Cessation. The work is interesting and rewarding, but it's more of the behind the scenes work rather than directly helping tobacco users quit.

We are a grant funded program that came out of the lawsuits between the government and the tobacco industry. They lost and NY State gained $85 million a year to help us deal with the ramifications of tobacco use and try to prevent people from taking up this deadly habit that would most likely end in addiction and ultimately, death. This particular job has its perks. Great pay, great benefits and a sense that you are doing some good in the community. Each grant has a fiscal agent to oversee it and make sure the initiatives are met and the expenses are in line with the program. Our fiscal agent is the the Health Alliance of the Hudson Valley (aka Kingston Hospital) and when you work for a hospital, you tend to get pretty good health benefits.

All that background to say, in this time of fiscal crisis of the federal, state, and local governments, not to mention skyrocketing business expenses and daily living expenses, everyone is cutting budgets. New York State has decided to cut a huge part of the Tobacco Control Program. This is the second cut in three years and both were for 30% or more!

At the moment, we have been told $17 million has been cut from the whole program and each day we wait to hear how the TCP is going to factor that cut into our budgets. As I said, I happen to work in two of those areas. Three weeks have gone by so far and still no official word has been given. Rumors are flying. 5%, 8%, 10% cuts or the shutting down of whole modalities have all been passed along. This week we were told to cancel our recognition event. That's no big deal really as it doesn't affect our payroll. A small sigh of relief, there. I have been threatened many times over the past three years that my position may have to be cut to save the other two. The sacrificial lamb so to speak?

This all would not be such a huge dilemma if my husband, Jim was working, but while he has been looking for work, applying for jobs and gone on a few interviews, nothing has panned out. I am grateful that my job pays well enough to sustain us.

While all this appears to be a gloomy prospect, I have to fall back on the promises of the God I place my life in, to provide. He ALWAYS has in the past. Sometimes in amazing ways, sometimes in delightful, surprising ways, but always just what we needed at the time.

I have a peace in knowing something will come along. I am excited about what changes lie ahead. I rest in His arms and allow Him to carry us through.

The laser surgery was just a way to repair a problem that may have only gotten worse, while I have insurance to take care of it. I thank God for his provision both now and forever.

Things that make life easier ....and safer

Years of experience have taught me you are never too old to learn how to do things better. I wish I had known about these things when I was a young mom. I did search for shortcuts and for healthy alternatives, but was often duped by media hype (ads) or was so busy with three boys, a husband, a home, a job and life in general that I didn't have time to stop and think...."What is this doing to my body, or my family, or the planet."

For instance, I always wanted to recycle. Good for the planet, right? But in order to do that I had to clean and sort all my paper, plastic, cans, etc and then store them until we could get them to the recycle center that was only open for a few short hours a couple days a week.

I always wanted to feed my family healthy food, but to come up with an idea, ingredients and a recipe that everyone would eat -- lost to a box of precooked, pre-seasoned, mixture that somehow we managed to "enjoy".

I have tried to pass on what I have learned to my sons. It has been a hit and miss experience...so I am taking the time to jot some things down that may help them and you if you are reading this. I hope if you have some to share, you will add them to the comments.

Biggest time saver I ever learned:  Don't clean what doesn't need to be cleaned!!! I thank Don Aslett for that tidbit. His books (before internet) were loaded with tons of hints on cleaning. Check out his websites/blogs for some great ideas.

Another idea from Don was to wash windows using a sponge, squeegee and paper towels. I will trust you to look up the steps for clean streakless windows.

Oh, and keep cleaning supplies where you use them (i.e. paper towels & cleaner for mirror, counters, toilet, tub in the bathroom). Of course you need to keep in mind that if children are around these items should be up high, out of reach.

This one I used for a while and then just returned to it after I learned there were propellents in those canned sprays.  Misto just fill it with your own oil, pump and spray.

READ FOOD LABELS! Avoid anything that contains:
hydrogenated oils, corn syrup, food coloring or that has a list of ingredients a mile long OR anything you can't pronounce.

Try to use cleaning products that do not harm you, your family, the items you are cleaning. You have to experiment on this. Shaklee products are excellent however they are costly up front, but if used as directed may actually save you money. Vinegar is a great cleaner. Lemon juice is a great stain remover.

Substitute natural things to color items.

Red - beet juice after you cook them (and eat them) is naturally red!
Tea - stains things to make them look aged.
Carrots - try using the peels to dye things orange
Blueberries - blue duh?

Many folks suffer from allergies. So make sure your laundry, bath, and kitchen cleansers do not contain fragrances. Just think about that a minute. In a normal day we shower with a scented soaps or shampoo, rinse with a scented conditioner, maybe put some moisturizing lotion that also has some scent to it. Then we put on deodorant so we don't smell! Yet is smells. (I have even seen one scent called "locker room"...yuck!!!)

Eat food as close to its natural state as possible. Overcooked and processed food have most of the nutrients leached out of them.

Soda is loaded with sugar and diet drinks are loaded with chemicals to make you crave more food. Sugar, too, tells your digestive system it wants more fuel. So keeps sugary drinks and food to a minimum. Try seltzer mixed with half your favorite fruit juice (the 100 % kind). Wallah! A healthier drink without all the processed sugar!

Vacuuming not only removes dust from your carpet but also dust mites and other critters that eat off the stuff that gets embedded in your carpet, so vacuum at least once a week. Throw rugs can be tossed in the washing machine once a week.

Sheets should be washed at least once a week, two at the very minimum. Dust mites live in the mattress and feed off of your dead skin...air the bed out before making it so the moisture from your body can dry out. You can also buy bed sacks that cover your entire mattress and pillows to cut down on the dust mites.

A new gadget that makes eating fresh pineapple more enjoyable is this: Pineapple Corer/Slicer

 I have always loved fresh pineapple, but the work to get out the fruit was just too much. Now I'll probably eat more of it with this tool.

I do have more ideas, but this is enough for now...

Oh, try never to pay full price on anything. Patience and a knack of negotiating can get you the best deals and save $$$.

What more could you ask for?

Leaving on a jet plane...

Today I made our flight reservations to go visit our two younger sons in Florida. This is probably our only destination vacation for the year and a respite from the jobs and winter weather. We so look forward to the warmer temps but not as much as the time spent with our boys. (Yeah, yeah, I hear you all saying, "Boys? They are in their twenties, when are you going to call them men?" It's a carryover from my mom who called all men more than twenty years younger than she "boys". Jeepers!)

Dan, Bryan & Aaron the day Dan moved to Florida.

While we are in Florida, Aaron and Corinn are moving into a new house they will be renting. With a cat and a dog, they are looking forward to having their own place away from smoking neighbors. We will be helping them move while we are down there.

It is so funny for Jim and I to think about the many times our kids have moved compared to us. Jim moved once in his childhood. I never moved from the house I was born in. We met and married and in our 30 plus years, have moved from our childhood homes to our two apartments and then to the home we are in now. A mere three times!

All Dan's belongings fit in his car!

Moving Aaron's couch up to the second story apt.

Bryan moved to college in New Jersey to two different places, then to Potsdam where he also lived in two different apartments, back here and then to Long Island, then to Florida and to Georgia and while in GA has moved twice. Aaron moved from here in NY to Florida and has relocated twice since moving there. This one will be his third move. Dan moved from here to Florida to live with Bryan & Jess to attend college. He and Aaron moved into an apartment together so Dan could finish college and then they moved into another apartment before Dan moved on to his own apartment just before Aaron got married.

That's Corinn's dad helping Jim move his son-in-law to be.

Bryan we helped move all the but last two times. Aaron we moved both times and Dan moved himself with Aaron this last move. The really funny part is just about ALL the places they have lived since moving out are bigger than the home they grew up in and we NEVER had any family help us move. Only once did we enlist the help of a friend and it was mainly because he had the truck!

Maybe this is why my back is giving me so many problems as I get older...I have learned I can no longer lift, shovel or push ANYTHING. So I will happily pack, unpack, cook, clean but not move one box or piece of furniture while I am on my working vacation.

Hope I can get to the pool to relax my sore muscles! ;)

Florida or bust...not!

Homemade Granola

Yesterday I made my own granola using a recipe from Jane Brody's Good Food cookbook. I didn't have all the ingredients so I added my own -- Delicious!

As a few asked for the recipe I am placing it here:

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup honey
3 cups oats
1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
1/3 cup chopped Flax seeds
1 cup nuts, chopped or sliced
(any combination of almonds, walnuts, pecans, etc)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup wheat germ/bran
2/3 cup dried fruit
(cranberries, raisins, chopped dates, chopped apricots, etc.)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Melt butter in a baking pan (13 X 9) or ovenproof skillet.
Add honey and mix with butter.
Add in the oats and next four ingredients and thoroughly coat mixture.
Bake for 15 minutes stirring often.
Add in wheat germ/bran and bake 10 more minutes or until lightly browned.
Remove from oven and cool before adding fruit.
The granola will dry out as it cools.
Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
Store in cupboard for a few weeks, or better, in the refrigerator for longer.

Food for thought...

Is anybody out there as frustrated as I am with our government's irresponsibility in protecting our food supply? I know, I know, many of you, but it just keeps getting worse! I mean what is the FDA's job, if they don't inspect and regulate our FOOD???

Last week I had the opportunity to do a presentation to a group of alternative health professionals. These folks are natural health providers and most were organic farmers and activists for the health and well-being of the human race as a whole.

Andrew Weil's "Quiche" recipe made with mostly organics.

During the discussions and presentations I found out some new things:

1. Those cute little carrots we buy for a snack for our children are soaked in bleach to kill bacteria.
2. Some potatoes may also be soaked in a solution as one attendee said she let a bag of potatoes sit for about a week in her kitchen and when she opened the bag, her white potatoes had turned green. (We are warned NEVER to eat GREEN potatoes or areas of the potato that are green.)
3. Most bottled water today is PURIFIED tap water, not spring water -- read the labels carefully. Not saying the purified stuff is necessarily bad for you, but you are not getting what you are paying for. Plastic bottles of course are terrible for our environment.
4. Filtered tap water from your home may be better for you than some of the spring waters.
5. Much of our produce is sprayed with chemicals to keep it FRESH. Almost all produce is irradiated. Some is coated in wax (or as we read today "shellac"!) to maintain the freshness. Any idea what wax does in our system (not to mention shellac)?
 6. Of course our meat supplies have been known to contain hormones (and we wonder why our kids are so "developed" at such young ages), antibiotics and chemicals from fertilizers for years.

Again, I ask what is the FDA for?

By there own definition they are:

An agency within the Department of Health and Human Services  and consists of Centers and Offices, which are listed in menu at left (see http://www.fda.gov/AboutFDA/CentersOffices/default.htm for this menu or click "left").


The FDA is responsible for protecting the public health by assuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation, and by regulating the manufacture, marketing, and distribution of tobacco products.


The FDA is also responsible for advancing the public health by helping to speed innovations that make medicines and foods more effective, safer, and more affordable; and helping the public get the accurate, science-based information they need to use medicines and foods, and to reduce tobacco use to improve health.

And don't tell me they aren't getting enough money to hire people to cover the jobs. We all know the second term for "government" is "WASTE"...

Years ago I learned the fact that what we put into our mouth affected our immediate well-being and long-term heath. So I did my best to prepare meals that I thought were healthy for my family. Assuming the government was overseeing the production of food coming into our country, being manufactured in our country and being sold in our supermarkets and eaten in our homes, I rarely worried about what I bought unless it was a funny color or wilted or just plain looked bad.


If you do attempt to get through the FDA website you will see it is huge and covers so much more than food. I am sure millions of people are employed by the FDA to do parts of the job from office administration to inspections. I have heard for years how inspectors are few, so much gets through without being opened, let alone inspected.

Then we have the whole idea of pasteurization! This was started to kill bacteria in milk that was collected in the barns of dairy farmers in days of old. Now many of you that have an idea of what pasteurization entails knows that they heat the product to kill the bacteria and just like chemo kills cancer cells and all the GOOD cells in one's body, pasteurization kills all the good stuff in our food as well!

Today you can't buy any juice, milk or any dairy product for that matter that is not pasteurized. Those farmers that wish to sell raw milk, must meet stringent criteria to do so. Thereby keeping many dairy farmers from doing so. The only other solution is to buy your own cow.

My personal Juice Master (Grandson Elijah)

I even try to juice the oranges I buy for fresh squeezed juice that isn't pasteurized...I am kind of surprised that the government hasn't made the fruit farmer find a way to pasteurize the fruit from the tree before it gets to the supermarket. I do see pasteurized eggs now (how do they do that and not have hard-cooked eggs? We probably don't want to know.)  Good grief! What are we coming to?

I think we already have that answer:

People dying of all kinds of cancers that they can't find the cause.
Children developing autism for unknown reasons.
Populations of people so obese that the next generation will not outlive their parents.

Organic food was the answer and many have jumped on the bandwagon. No longer given the stigma it had of being "granola" if you bought organic food, the industry started taking notice.To the point of Monsanto wanting to force farmers to use their seed to for crops. Seeds that are loaded with chemicals. Yes, even the organic farmers would be forced to use these seeds.

If you don't know who Monsanto is, please watch the movie FOOD, INC. and other documentaries on the food industry. It 's disgusting what our government is allowing. When will health take precedence over the mighty buck?

I empathize with my daughter-in-law who tries valiantly to protect her family by providing healthy, clean food for her family. It's a full time job! It's coming down to growing your own vegetables, eliminating all meat from your diet or raising your own chickens, cows, goats or any of your own food. The cost to buy it from someone else has been prohibitive. The prices are coming down, but as the demand is going up the non-organic food producers are trying to get the standard for "organic" to be lowered rather than bringing their standards up to meet the federal standard -- enter Monsanto once again.


Please get involved. Watch when the votes come up on items dealing with our food supply.  If you want to get involved or learn more please research it on line. If you know of any particular websites, please put them in the comments to share.

Mmmmmm....Hot Chocolate!

Nothing says winter time to me than a snowstorm. It's at that time we want to breakout the hot chocolate and marshmallows.

Today we are having snow squalls -- when it's sunny one minute and looking like a blizzard the next. It is a sign that winter is on it's way out. That doesn't mean we are finished with major snow storms, by any means. I can still remember a major snow drop one year on May 7. And I do mean DROP. Snow dropped, tree limbs with leaves dropped, power lines dropped and some roofs dropped. Power was out in the area for more than a week! I worked at a craft store and people were coming in to purchase craft kits and yarn because they had nothing else to do! It was like a flashback to Little House on the Prairie. Candles were selling like hot cakes. (Why do we say that? Did hot cakes ever sell fast at some point? What is a hot cake anyway?)

Today we decided since I finally bought some mini marshmallows and I couldn't get warm even after baking and making soup all day, we should have a cup a chocolate. So you can see I used the biggest cup I have -- a Christmas gift from my grandson, Elijah and we made some delicious hot chocolate. Yum, it hits the spot and warms you to the core!

Everyone is complaining of winter and yes I sometimes wish it would move on. But this year has been so exciting. We kicked off with a small dusting early in December and then had a major blizzard the day after Christmas. Since then we have had snow storms for almost seven weeks straight. A saying was going around, "If it's snowing, it must be Tuesday!"

I loved it. I hate nothing more than having snow before or after Christmas and then mud, slush and yuck for the rest of winter. So I have been celebrating winter, as you can see by my wreath, that I refuse to put away. (Over the star it says, "Winter Wishes"). And wearing my favorite winter sweater that says, "Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow!". (I have been asked by coworkers to leave it at home. lol!)

 We currently still have about a foot of snow on our picnic table and a good ten inches on the ground. But the driveway and pathways are clear. We did warm up enough to get some melting and then some new creations appeared.

Amazing how as one season slides into the next there are always new things to enjoy. I sometimes feel sorry for those that never get to experience the change.

Of course there are those like our two sons in Florida who are happy as clams to be in the heat and away from the cold. Our son Bryan was flabbergasted when he moved to Florida and realized some people had never experienced snow. Or worse yet, their KIDS never experienced snow! Funny!

Like me, he can't imagine a winter without snow and ice...at least the fun part of it. No one likes black ice or driving through storms, especially with inexperienced drivers or just plain dumb folks that take no precautions.But I hope to never have to live in a place where there is no winter. That just wouldn't seem right.

I almost feel people don't understand how to enjoy the fun winter can provide. I got a glimpse of that when I was shopping for marshmallows. I happened to see some in Bed Bath and Beyond. Now what on earth are marshmallows doing in BBB? As I picked up the bag I noticed they weren't exactly the fresh fluffy kind I would have expected and then I noticed the Marshmallow Shooter... what is the world coming to?

(Note: I did not buy those marshmallows. I went to a grocery store and purchased the deliciously sweet, squishy, fresh minis that are just right for a cup of hot chocolate.)

So enjoy the winter wherever you may be. I will hunker down with my books, my sweaters and a very large cup of hot chocolate!