Marsbarn Designs...

Having lost all momentum, I might need a rolling start

When I lived in Tasmania, my beloved host sister had this car.  It was a Holden from the 70's, if that means anything to anyone.  I swear it weighed about a million tons, and had a faulty ignition.  We would park it only on the top of hills so that when it was time to start it, we could do a downhill roll start.  We would disengage the break, get the car rolling downhill, and pray the car would start before we got to the bottom of the hill.  That's about how I feel on the last day of this year.

It is past 10:30.  I am still in my PJ's.  I should be showering, but I just can't get my butt into gear to do it.  I have fed my children, so the morning is not a total failure, right?  I have done nothing to rebuild my sewing room. There is just this big empty hole where my table and stuff will go.  I would love to say this bothers me.. but at the moment, I (gasp) kind of like the space.  I know I'm not the only one in the blog-o-sphere suffering from after Christmas lethargy.. This is the time, that timeless space between Christmas and New Years, where people either run about being inspiring or sit in their own bog of Not-Doin'-Much.  

I know I will snap out of it soon, and if I don't manage it under  my own steam, the girl's return to school will be my downhill start.  I would rather build up speed on my own, but will take the rattlin', screaming, rolling start if I must.  

(I should add, that if a hill were unavailable, Miss Blair would park the car where she would be assured of finding attractive menfolk to push start the behemoth for us.  But that would be a different metaphor, and totally unrelated to my (post teenager) life.)

Welcome to my snowflake geek-out, or Yes, I am scientist at heart.

Last year my mom gave Sweetheart G a Field Guide to Snowflakes. So, now that Christmas is done, and we are soaking up the last week before school begins, I've sat down to identify the different flakes I photographed during our record breaking snowfall.  (Yes, I am this kind of geeky person.) (And yes, if you are still recovering from snow induced shock, you may want to look away.)

So these flakes.. which fell in huge clumps which looked like this on my coat:

Are Fernlike Stellar Dendrites which are falling as "interlocking crystals".  Although this formation of snow isn't uncommon, even my guidebook writer sounds impressed by their beauty as they fall.

This photo shows how the individual flakes overlap and grow together as they form in the clouds.

 

We had a small amount of freezing rain in our big storm, and this snow fell right after the freezing rain.  I think these flakes are  "Capped Columns".  They are two octagonal plates joined together by a  squat column.  This snow formation is rarer than the Dendrites and occurs when a warmer front pushes upward as storm fronts pass by.  This sounds a lot like the weather changes we were experiencing.

This snow was some of the last we had in quantity.  These "Needles" and "Crossed Needles" really made me wish I had a camera that could be hooked up to the microscope.  Apparently (according to my book) the solid looking shards are hollow and layered, and actually look more like elongated squashed long armed snowflakes.

  

I won't say that I wasn't getting a bit tired to being housebound, and I was thrilled when the snow melted enough for us to travel around town safely,  but I am already pining for more.  After all, there are 32 more different types of snow I haven't seen yet!  

So much, and yet not enough for a post

Ack.

Today's post just isn't coming together.  

I could write about: 

-how it takes 3 days to blow the chunks out for your nose to feel normal again after you cough Vietnamese noodles and pork into your sinuses. 

-the very satisfying Cassoulet I made for last night's dinner.

-the two trips we took to Lego Store in less than 24 hours.  (The Lego wall is dangerous, man.)

-the joy of watching three girls spending hours and hours building and making up stories for their Lego world.

-the bittersweet tug of hearing someone else claiming your childhood nickname as their own.

-my extreme ambivalence about the girls return to school in a week versus my regret that Big E's vacation ends tomorrow.

There are so many things I could write about, but I guess I'm just not in the mood.  I think I'll go watch Hunt for Red October with Big E.

Things that go Ka-thunk in the night.

**KA-THUNK**

 

Pause.  Silence.

Me: What was that?

Little e's voice, very small: Sorry Mom.

Me: What was that sound?

Little e: My toe.

Me: Your toe made that big 'Ka-thunk' noise?

Little e: And.... the rest of my body.

Me: Are you hurt?

Little e: No Mom.  I just fell.

Me: On the stairs?!

Little e: Sorry Mom.  (pause) Will you tuck me in?

This is how slugs are born, I'm pretty sure.

We are still in the midst of family time and fun meals.  Our snow has given way to heavy cold rains, and while I am thrilled to walk miles in the snow, walking in 39 degree rain leaves even me chilled. 

We are faithfully working our way through the Christmas treats.  The candy is almost all gone, all that remain are marshmallows and chocolate bark.. oh that that tub of caramallow filling that I don't know what to do with.  The cookies are beginning to dwindle as well. Bunny dropped off a plate of lovely treats that freshened our redundant selection. Of the cookies I made, the sparkling lemon sandwich cookies were my favorite.  The last three cookies were saved and then doled out carefully to beloved ones.  I can feel the time coming when tea treats are offered to the refrain "Christmas cookies AGAIN?" 

Grandpa D and Grandma K are here for another day, and then they will return to the work a day world while we keep Auntie E for an extended visit. 

For the moment the rains have stopped and I am determined to get in a long walk today.  I must get out and move my body!

I need some exercise that doesn't involve eating

So here we are, the day after. The festivities continue merrily along, although I'm not sure my pants can take much more calorie ladened fun.  Grandpa D, Grandma K, and Auntie Eva are due in from California later today.  The snow and ice continues to melt, and I am afraid that floods will be the next adventure ahead.  For the moment, it is a lovely sunny day and I am hoping to get a walk in this morning

The 24th was grand.  We hiked out into the snow to have lunch at a local Pho restaurant.  My lunch had an added entertainment of my getting pork and noodles up my nose.  I coughed on a bit of unexpected spice and as I choked a bit, I managed to get some of my lunch lodged in my sinuses.  Ya, that left me with an unexpected tingle as we walked home.  Still, lunch was delish and we all needed a meal outside of the house.

  

That evening Papa D came in a borrowed 4 wheel drive truck to get us for Christmas Eve dinner.  My worries of ice were unfounded, but we did a fair bit of slaloming on the slushy secondary streets.  Yes, it is true, none of our secondary streets have been plowed. Ahh the wisdom of the city (and its lack of money).. it boggles the mind.  

Big E's folks ventured bravely to us from the south.  I'm not quite sure they understood the honesty of our winter weather until they turned their van onto our street.  There is a set of ruts through the 12" deep snow, slush, and ice that hold a vehicle like a slot car.  Big E had to go out and dig them a parking spot, and a side track so the van could move from the trail.   We had a cheerful monkey bread breakfast (it was the best monkey bread I've made in years!) before starting in on our presents.  Then we ventured out again to Grand M's house for Christmas day dinner.  Stuffed, we hurried home so Big E's folks could get out of the snow and ice before dark.

Twas the day of the night before Christmas

The monkeys were snuggled all sweet on the couch 
watching dvds of Looney Tunes in our little house.

Christmas Eve is here with a fresh blanket of snow.  Later today our snow is supposed to change to freezing rain. (Oh joy.)  Today the girls pulled the second parts of a puzzle/treasure map from their last Advent stockings. Will they find the hidden fairy door that allows the fey into our house?   Will my hints frustrate them or excite them.. ah who knows.  It's just a little something to look forward to until this evening when we venture out to Grand M's house.

I, Christmas Heretic

 

Today was one of those in-between days.  This was a day filled with chores, last minute loose ends, and the irritability that comes with being in the house together for a week straight.  Today the snow lost its crispness, and even started to melt in places.    

We are being threatened with more snow tomorrow, and I am torn between my love of the white stuff, and my desire to celebrate with our loved ones.  I want it all.  I want the winter wonderland and the ability to travel.  I was gauche enough to suggest having our Christmas Eve dinner at my Mom's during the day, so we could get home before the roads froze up.  I was universally denounced as a Christmas heretic.  

Not much to talk about but the snow

Hmmm... what to talk about.. um.. how about the weather? 

We had more snow last night, at least another 4 inches.  We have well over 16 inches on the ground in our neighborhood.  The snow makes the most delicious sound when you walk on the untouched areas.   There is this hiss has you go through the powder on top, and then a crunch when you punch through the crust of ice from that freezing rain of yesterday morning, and then a "shhoomp" as you go through the snow underneath. We continue to play in this rare winter wonderland.  Big E has been digging out neighbors, and chatting them up to see who needs help.  I took a hike today to the hardware store.  It was a three mile hike, in and out of knee deep snow. 

Why?  Well, I could claim it was to buy suet for the wee birds in our yard, but really it was for the pure pleasure of moving through the snow.  

Of course, having these little bushtits swarm the suet, when I was still hanging the brick did make me extremely happy.  

And this little guy was brazen to the extreme. Ahhhh... snow.

A Christmas of my childhood

This is like a Christmas a of my childhood.  I haven't experienced this much snow in more than 20 years.  When I was little, all of my Christmases were spent in rural Michigan at my grandparent's house.  In the best years we had snow like this.  We've had about 8 inches of snow so far.  

This morning we woke to freezing rain, so when we went out there was a 1" thick crust on the snow.  Toffee snow Sweetheart G called it.  Walking wasn't slippery, but it burned a lot of calories as you high step along breaking through the snow.  

The fridge is stocked with food, we have no where we need to go, and I hope in years to come Sweetheart G and little e remember this Christmas as fondly as I will.