A New Year Approaches

Winter Sunset
Source

As 2025 winds down I have to admit that, for me, it was a good year. I'm retired, no one to answer to as far as how I spend my time (well, other than The Missus Herself but she's not very demanding), no need to set some artificial corporate goal, no need to really do much of anything except stay alive.

Yesterday's post was gloomy, which should teach me to stay away from the MSM, which is hard to do when watching football. Oh well, I can ignore most of it but sometimes the "news" leaks in.

And yes, I still watch professional football, yup, it's got issues but for the most part I enjoy the competition and have since around 1965 when I first really started paying attention to such things.

Probably due to my paternal grandmother remarking that due to my size, I should play football. As my dear grandmother was four-foot-not-much wearing heels, everyone seemed big to her. But she mentioned it, I adored her (still do) so I decided to check it out.

Watched it ever since.

Now you may wonder who I rooted for back in that day. Well, this was back when the cognoscenti said that the five year old AFL sucked, the NFL was the "real thing" so one shouldn't bother with the upstart league. (Which eventually took off and then was absorbed by the NFL.)

The Patriots back then were the Boston Patriots and, as my father despised everything Boston, wasn't even an option. Besides, they were in the AFL.

So I must have rooted for the New York Giants right?

Nope.

Dad was a Yankees fan, Mom was (and still is) a Red Sox fan. Boston versus New York, the smart move was to avoid rooting for either city. So who was the best team back then?

The Green Bay Packers under Vince Lombardi. So I watched them as much as I could. As they were in the playoffs a lot back then, it was easy to follow them.

These days? Well, I still have my old love for Green Bay. As I lived in Denver during the Elway era, I like them as well. (As The Nuke was born in Aurora, right next door to Denver, she is still a Broncos fan, and will probably stay one.)

Retiring to New England I arrived just in time for the Brady/Belichick era. Now that was a wild ride and a lot of fun to experience. But now ...

Where was I?

Oh yeah, watching "the football" on TV and being exposed to the MSM. Anyhoo, I try not to let that affect me much, yesterday it did.

Sorry/not sorry.

But yes, 2026 is right around the corner, it's so close you can smell it. For me it's just a different number on the calendar. I don't do resolutions or any of that. Every time you wake up in the morning offers the opportunity to change, to start something new, you don't need to buy a new calendar to do that.

So the years march on, I'm still here, and until the Good Lord decides otherwise I shall remain.

Plans for 2026? Yup, visit kids and grandkids, same as it ever was ...

Same as it ever was.

Sturm und Drang¹

Clearing Up - Coast of Sicily
Andreas Achenbach (PD)

As the new year approaches, there is much to be concerned about in the world. And there's little enough the average person can do about it. All we can do is pay attention and (hopefully) point out when something is too egregious to tolerate. But to whom does one point this out to?

Our politicians have mostly been bought and paid for by the dark forces in this world. By dark forces I mean the greedy and evil people whose sole reason for being seems to be to accumulate ever more power and ever more money. (I suppose the latter leads to the former, for who without money has any power at all?)

New York City and Minnesota seem to have already fallen to the darkness, as have large chunks of Europe. At least that's what it looks like to this humble scribe. No matter where you live, your "representatives" have failed you badly. And they will continue to do so as long as there are no term limits.

Pay attention in the new year, do what you can to arrest this nonsense. Remember, your local politicians are just as bad as you think they are, it's not those "guys from your state," it's the politicians from every state in the union.

They don't serve you, they serve themselves on behalf of their dark master. Remember that at election time.

Throw them all out.

That is all ...

¹ Storm and stress (German). According to Google's online dictionary: a literary and artistic movement in Germany in the late 18th century, influenced by Jean-Jacques Rousseau and characterized by the expression of emotional unrest and a rejection of neoclassical literary norms. Emotional unrest, oh yeah, we've got that in spades!

Well…We made it!

As the title indicates, Mrs J, the Three Dogs and I managed to successfully transfer to College Station over the last couple weeks or so.  It was not beyond its exciting moments though as the whole process kept us busy beyond belief.  Sleep at night is not difficult. However, we tend to awaken in the morning with our muscles warning us that we're in our 70's not in our 20's any more.

The festivities started with the two of us separating our "Stuff" into two piles.  One pile to transfer to the rental house and the other to go directly into storage awaiting the completion of construction on the new home.  We did most of the packing of the first pile. Unfortunately, we didn't get all the way done and the movers offered to pack the rest.  Given that I am still wearing my neck brace 24-7, I was willing to take them up on the offer.  Being much more practiced on packing and moving, they quickly got ahead of us.

Yep, a lot of stuff we wanted delivered to the rental, didn't and without unloading our two storage containers, we're doing without or buying new ones.  Not optimum!  But we'll get by.  

 I mean it's not all bad news.  The Lord might have intervened and directed their action.  The rental house is SMALL!  3 Bedrooms, 2 Baths and about 1200 sq ft.  

Bryan-College Station Regional Association of Realtors

Anyhow, College Station is a medium large City.  Texas A&M adds a lot of young'uns to the melee.  Seems the need to drag race their cars on the streets is still a trend as it was 55 years ago when I got my license.  I think the Lord might be repayig me for old transgressions.  Yes, my blood pressure does go up a bit!

But, we got most of  some of the boxes unpacked. (No Beans, not even close to "All").  Mrs J being the kind, thoughtful and planning ahead type of person she is, made reservations on the Disney Magic sailing out of Galveston for Cozumel and Presidio.  A little 5 day jaunt with the 3 Grandkids, Son and Daughter and their Spouses, Mrs J and I.

Oh, I forgot! 50 million rug rats running full blast around the ship, below my lower range of neck movement which includes vision limitations.  Fortunately, Mrs J was willing to take me by the hand and keep me from trouble.  I learned that finding a place to relax, with bar service and close proximity to a restroom (less than 50ft) made the situation a lot more survivable.  Having been to both ports multiple times (No, I don't want another serape, Thank You!) I stayed on board for both. 

 

 

Oh, my Word! The quiet and service was wonderful! Even got a nap in!

But...All things must come to an end.  We got back home and mysteriously the Boxes hadn't unpacked themselves.  Little J, LJW and Miss B went to visit LJW's Mom, so we're back to the process.  Fortunately, the unpacking is well underway, maybe 75%  of the boxes.  Phase 2 is now underway.

For those who don't know or have forgotten, Phase 2 is the put things away phase.  Or, more correctly the "Where the heck (insert a different verb that defines frustration better) is the XXXX?"

 

But Progress is being made, the garage is getting fuller, and the stack of recyclable cardboare id knee hiigh and getting taller.  Man, I wish I still had my truck,  for a lot of reasons, Neck being one.

Speaking thereof, while you're reading this, I'll be visiting my new neurosurgeon and hopefully he'll give the go ahead to take my neck brace off.  Permanently.  We'll  See!

Fortunately, we haven't experienced replacement so far during the move.  Forecast for the rest of the unpacking is still up in the air!

As you can see a slow and boring week.

 

Or Not! 

Happy New Year!

Greetings from Maryland!

OAFS Photo

There is something to be said for the silence of a cold, overcast winter's day in December. Away from the noise of the city and suburbs it gives me a sense of peace, of calm that lets me escape from the woes and cares of everyday existence. Such as they are.

Kids and grandkids went out on an excursion, The Missus Herself is napping, and I'm outside, wandering around, doing nothing except watching and looking.

Saw a couple of squirrels doing squirrel things in the nearby wood, there was also a woodpecker of some sort, pecking wood. No doubt seeking sustenance wherever it can be found.

Sure, modern life isn't far away. The occasional car driving past on the street, which is some distance from where I stood. Plus the occasional aircraft from Baltimore Washington International, which isn't far away.

But even those sounds are muffled, perhaps by the cold, I don't know and I don't care, it simply is and it's something to be savored.

For back home, though I love the place, it's always noisy. Police and ambulance sirens, some idiot man-child revving his over powered engine and, far too often, two or more idiot man-children racing their cars on the streets of the town. Yes, I don't like that concept, far too often it ends with someone being hurt, or dying, in a crash. Life is too short for that nonsense.

Feel the need for speed? Join a racing club, they have those ya know, don't endanger the citizens with your infantile automotive antics.

Had that happen once at Chez Tuttle et Nuke, we were outside and we could hear loud engines off in the distance. Eventually they showed up in the quiet neighborhood, roaring down the dead end street (about a mile further on it loops back) making hellacious noises and traveling at a speed well in excess of the speed limit.

Numerous phones came out to take pictures and call the local constabulary. I noted that both vehicles had illegal tinted covers over the license plates on the back and no license plates on the front. All the windows were heavily tinted, even the windshield. Don't know if the police ever caught up to them or not. Silly idiots will eventually kill themselves or go to prison after killing someone else, that type always seems to. Knew a few of that type hoodlum back in the day, none of them survived to their 30s.

Anyhoo, it's quiet here right now, and it's oh-so-pleasant.

Christmas Lives on!
OAFS Photo

OAFS Photo

Chez Tuttle et Nuke
OAFS Photo

OAFS Photo

Enjoy the day!

I Don't Care What the Calendar Says ...

Source

Christmas is always much anticipated by this old coot, it's been that way for years. Nothing has changed. What has changed is the feeling of depression once the day itself has passed.

Since I retired I've felt the same excitement upon the imminent arrival of my favorite holiday, but once it's over, I haven't felt that old "well crap, that was too short" feeling. Mostly as I'm on permanent vacation.

No need to mourn the dwindling days off from work, no need to think about having to get up early after a week or two of outright sloth. Nope, that's over and I'm loving it.

My holiday is 365 days a year, just wish I could convince others that the spirit of Christmas doesn't have to go away when the actual day is over. I remember our neighbor across the street when I was a kid. Their tree went up on Thanksgiving and came down Christmas Day.

Yup, Christmas Day. Their tree would be out on the curb awaiting the trash pickup. I found that to be weird. Still do.

Ah well, different strokes ...

Christmas stays inside me until it's time for the rest of the world to celebrate it. It's getting more and more to be "who cares what the world is doing, I've got Christmas in me."

And so it shall remain.

Merry Christmas.

More Music, Why Not? And a brief rundown of the Holiday, just because I can.

 My wife, Mrs. Andrew, found this little ditty on the interwebs on Tuesday, so here it is.

The "Candlelight Carol" by Aled Jones.  He looks Irish but he's Welsh.  I know, what does it matter but I looked at him and thought 'Irish' and was wrong.  Sigh, even I get it wrong sometimes...

And another one from him, "Walking in the Air" which was written for the 1982 movie "The Snowman."  What makes this a remarkable piece is he's accompanied by... himself, as a kid.  Seems A. Jones was quite the phenom as a child and has been actively singing professionally since 10.  Sing with yourself, what a thought.  And he didn't blow out his voice like a lot of child singers did (looking at you, Charlotte Church (which was caused by her manager/parents pushing her too hard without the proper training.))

Other than that, Christmas was good for the Beans household.  No major injuries or illnesses, though our local disease vector friend (an adult woman who has a child... and, yes, kids as disease vectors, it is a thing) came over a few days ago to drop off presents and left a bug for us to share and enjoy.  Dinner was cooked, two turkey breasts roasted, cornbread dressing, candied yams and whole berry cranberry sauce from a can just like God and Ocean Spray intended, with a 12th of a homemade pecan pie and a 12th of a cherry pie (homemade crust, filling from a can) for each of us, presents were unwrapped and sickeningly sweet Christmas movies were watched.  And all the leftovers properly put away for lunches and dinners over the next five days.

Living in an apartment complex is sometimes quite noisy, but this year was quiet. Neighbors were either gone or respectful and the (legal) Mexican Americans in the complex just north of us had a big family to-do that started on Christmas Eve around noon and has been going on since (I think they did a pig in a pit, and the men tended the fire.  Smelled good, very good.)

 Tad warm as it peaked at 78 Fahrenheit, but it's Florida so the weather at Christmastide is flaky.  The first time I saw snow in real life was 12-25-73 in Satellite Beach, FL, south of The Cape, and we watched snowflakes fall and turn to rain about 2" from the ground, or waft towards our picture window in the living room and turn to water.  Then there were the high 80's Christmases, which isn't fun, skeeters for the Baby Jesus is not right.  And everything in between.

Hope everyone had a decent non-injurious holiday.  Sometimes having a quiet non-panicky, no-drama Christmas is the best.

Merry Christmas!

Source

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Luke 2:8-14 KJV

May your Christmas be merry and bright.

May you spend time with those you love.

May peace be yours now and always.

Merry Christmas, my friends.

Peace on Earth ...

My Music Faves? Why not?

Sarge and Beans may be taking the day off so I'll pass along my favorites.  Carol of the Bells is always a must for me at Christmas.  Plenty of versions out there, but the Choir ones are the best.  Manheim Steamroller has a very popular one, but it's a bit overdone for me.  This one by Lindsay Sterling is a good compromise between the two though.

Have you come across Stella Katherine Cole?  She made it big on Instagram and YouTube before being discovered, and now she tours Europe and the US.  While I love some contemporary Christmas music, some of the classics, or in this case, the classic sound settles in my soul and makes me happy.  Miss Cole reminds me a lot of Judy Garland.

That ones an old standard, but this is an original that came out last year.

Speaking of Judy,

This one is classical perfection, although almost a sad version the way she sings it.  

Speaking of semi-sad Christmas songs, Joni Mitchell has it with The River:

Not a Christmas song you say?  Well, the lyrics do mention Christmas ("It's coming on Christmas," "singing songs of joy and peace"), but the singer wants to escape. 

"Themes: It's about regret, loneliness, and a desire to skate away from emotional pain, a feeling many connect with during the holidays.   I admit it's not a traditional Christmas Carol (nor is Wham's "Last Christmas" or any of the modern Christmas-themed songs), but it has a lot of depth and plenty of singers have covered it.

Mitchell described it as "A Christmas song for people who are lonely at Christmas." I'm not sure there's much demand for that category, but then again, I'm not usually sad so maybe I wouldn't know.  However, that description hits a chord with me because of what an active duty co-worker admitted during our pre-holiday Safety Standdown, that he was feeling sad and lonely and was making plans to end it all, just before someone intervened.  

For me and mine, Christmas is super joyful, but to a lot of others, it just compounds the loneliness and it's not a happy time for them.  My son doesn't like Christmas because he can't adjust well to all the "much-ness" that it brings and it's too overwhelming for him with his autism so I'm sympathetic.  

Anyhoo, on to the next song.  While not technically  sad, just sad sounding is this one, which I have called the saddest Christmas song of them all because of its slow pace and plodding piano.

But I love it, along with the entire album.  It's on regular rotation (literally- I have it on vinyl!) in my house, along with Nat King Cole's A Christmas Song album.  

As for others, I enjoy the modern standards-  Band Aid's "Do they know it's Christmas?", that Wham song, and Cold Play's Christmas Lights.  One could say those modern songs are drivel, but I guess you could have said that about some of the older ones that have become standards- like Darlene Love's "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home),"

Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas is You" is another now standard, but it's overplayed and I'm tired of it the day after Thanksgiving.

I'll close with a modern song that really expresses the reason for the season.  Merry Christmas everyone.

Merry Christbass!

 So the wife has been getting funky with the Christmas carols and songs, and the more I listen, the weirdness of Bass Singers is taking over.  So, well, Carol of the Bells, always a nice tune, well done, a perfect example of multiple voices creating a greater piece than just the individual lines,  Musical gestalt, so to speak.

Here's the normal version, from "The Santa Clause"

Why this one?

Because, even though it's a stupid Disney movie with the great Tim Allen in it,

it's still one of the better versions (just watched it last week, in fact.)

Then there's Geoff Castellucci's version, of where he sings every part, from low bass to high tenor.  Pretty impressive.

Yeah, he does it all.

My wife says that voice makes underwear fall or something.

Sometimes she makes no sense.

Then there's "White Christmas."  It's not your Judy Garland nor your Bing Crosby version, though I think Der Bingle would approve.

Or "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen"

Okay, I'll stop with the Bass.  

I find that music really puts me in the feeling of the season more than even ornaments and lights.  So I've been focused on it and just wanted to share the joy.

And, boy, I'm gonna share the joy the next episode... muhahahaha...

Alive and Well

OAFS Photo

Just to let you all know that The Missus Herself and Your Humble Scribe arrived safely at our holiday destination. We're happy, grandkids are happy, the granddogs are a happy, and Tuttle and The Nuke will eventually be happy once their workplaces shut down for the holidays.

I remember what that felt like, though it be a year in the past.

I just thought I'd jump in here and say hi while Beans entertains you with Christmas music. Speaking of Christmas music, here's one based on a poem by Longfellow, written during the Civil War when the country was being torn apart. (Tip o' the hat to Brian up in Minnesota.)

Never despair, God's in control ...

Longfellow wrote this on Christmas Day, 1863, here are the original words ...

Christmas Bells

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I heard the bells on Christmas Day

Their old, familiar carols play,

And wild and sweet

The words repeat

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And thought how, as the day had come,

The belfries of all Christendom

Had rolled along

The unbroken song

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Till ringing, singing on its way,

The world revolved from night to day,

A voice, a chime,

A chant sublime

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Then from each black, accursed mouth

The cannon thundered in the South,

And with the sound

The carols drowned

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

It was as if an earthquake rent

The hearth-stones of a continent,

And made forlorn

The households born

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;

"There is no peace on earth," I said;

"For hate is strong,

And mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:

"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;

The Wrong shall fail,

The Right prevail,

With peace on earth, good-will to men."

Peace be with you, now and always.

Ta Da!

Well... finally got on line! Posting a blog post on an iPhone should be "interesting" to say the least. 

Anyhow, the Disney Magic is about 2 hours out of Cozumel. The population on board is about 25% Grandparents 65+, parents 30 + 30% and kids 10 and under 45%. 

One must be VERY careful and keep a downward view or one or more of the younger gang will take you off at the knees.

Still they're fun to watch as well as the parents trying to corral them!

Getting too hard to write on my iPhone. Talk to you next week

Come on, Emmanuel! Seriously....

 It being the Christmas season, it's time for me to get things all wrong and screw up but I'm not doing to do that this time.  Hopefully.  And no random assault singing clowns this time.  Hopefully.

I really like the carol "O Come, O Come Emmanuel."  A favorite one before I married and a greater favorite after, as Mrs. Andrew also shares my love of it.

Within reason, of course.  Parameters are:  Must be understandable if in English.  Must be orchestrated correctly.   No going Gospel or Progressive Jazz or Streisandish or Midlerish or Neil Diamondish or whatever.  Operatic treatments will be shot, same with Sarah Brightman (like a lot of her music but....)

Ya know.  Basic song, sing it.  Make it your own.  But stay within the lines.  Which leaves an awful lot of potential choices.

Like the bog standard version:

Traditional Choir.  Good but... there can be some flexibility.

Better is the Anna Hawkins version.  She has some serious pipe on her.  Clarity of voice and of diction.  And tossing in the Hebrew is a nice touch:

Decidedly not bog standard.

As I said, clear voice and diction.

Nice musical arrangement.

Filmed in Israel.

A little farther out in left field we come to Leah.  Who is the voice for a symphonic metal band.  You know, Heavy Metal but more symphonic.  Like if Alan Parsons (of Alan Parsons Project - progressive rock,) or Jeff Lynne (of Electric Light Orchestra - progressive/symphonic rock) did heavy metal.  She's known (seriously) as the "Enye of Heavy Metal."  

And that's Symphonic Metal.  Harsh, but good sounding.

Great voice, too.

Way past left field, still very listenable, clear voice and diction is... uh... Geoff Castalucci, who sings bass.  That would be pronounced "Base" juvat.  Not Bass like the fish, Bass like the guitar, and, yes, I still irritate, after 39 years of wedlock, my bride by occasionally pronouncing it like the fish because I see the words in my head spelled out before I talk, sometimes.  Bass as he sings in the bass register.  Not tenors like most lead singers, nor baritones like a few lead singers or the second voice, the bass guys who usually just add sound in the background.  

How low can you go?  Geoff goes really low.

But very correct notes and diction.

So that's 4 versions of 'O Come, O Come Emmanuel.'  All done well.  (actually I tossed the first one on there so I don't know how it sounds but it's just for comparison with the other three.

No singing clowns!!!  Whooo hoooooo!!!!

On the Road Again ...

Source

The Christmas season, for us, officially begins today as we head out to see The Nuke and her tribe. This has been a much anticipated journey as Christmas with the young'uns is always a blast. As long as I get to play with their toys! (And Lego is very much a thing with Roberto right now, Finnegan as well, but he mostly just takes things apart.)

I mean it's been two whole weeks since we've seen them! (Yes, I'm kidding, I wanted to just stay there from Thanksgiving until shortly after New Year's Day but I was overruled. The Missus Herself had things that needed doing around Chez Sarge, so home we went.)

So today is a travel day, going by automotive conveyance as air travel around the holidays, any holiday really, is something to be avoided. I've been there, done that, don't really want to do it again but probably will when I'm too damned old to drive that far.

Sigh ...

Not sure how much content is going to be posted over the next couple of weeks, so bear with me. I mean it's the holidays, I plan to do as little as possible, other than play with Legos.

If I don't post for a while, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and enjoy yourselves with family and friends.

I'm going to.

Ciao!

Note: I've been retired now for exactly a year. Just thought I'd mention that. 😎

Things to do when you're Retired ...

Source

Being retired gives me time to seek out and find interesting stuff on the internet. Then spend hours watching things like the offerings from the German YouTube channel PARALIGHTWORX.

I've watched a number of their World War II short films, which are generally very well done using accurate equipment and uniforms. Hollywood should hire these guys! Here's an example of one of their WWII films - 

(Note, turn on CC for subtitles in English.)

It's not just WWII, here's an excellent vignette for a small party of Romans cut off somewhere in the Teutoburger forest¹ -

(Warning, this one is rather bloody.)

If you want more, you should visit their channel's home page here.

They've even done some Napoleonic stuff, I'm just starting to scratch the surface here. If you have an interest in military history, you should check them out.

As I find things like this, I'll share. For now, enjoy!

¹ The Teutoburger forest was the scene of a battle in 9 AD where Germanic tribes under the leadership of Arminius (known as Hermann in German) destroyed three Roman legions. And by destroyed I mean not one Roman survived. Yes, the battle is a big deal in German history.

Remembering ...

Sasha (2016)
OAFS Photo

So that photo above popped up in my Facebook memories today, which triggered a massive wave of memories and emotions. Because Sasha has been gone for over four years now, her sister Anya for over two. We don't have cats anymore for a number of reasons which I won't go into, suffice to say, I miss those days.

Sasha used to "help" with the Christmas cards, pretty near every year of her long (but not long enough) life, from 2003 to 2020. That's a lot of cards.

My Helper
OAFS Photo

She was an excellent cat, as was her sister. Man, I miss them both, a lot.

I mentioned to The Nuke the other day that an old high school friend of mine had passed away, shortly after Thanksgiving. She mentioned that she's starting to see old friends in the obituaries. I suppose it comes with the territory as you get older. Don't like it but hey, circle of life and all that.

I like this song, love it as a matter of fact. You don't have to listen to it but it sums up my life pretty well now. (Other than the "Got no money coming in" line, I do have a very nice pension. Couple of 'em as a matter of fact.)

Enjoy or not, as always, this is America, your choice.

Inside

Ian Anderson

All the places I've been make it hard to begin

To enjoy life again on the inside, but I mean to

Take a walk around the block

And be glad that I've got

Me some time to be in from the outside

And inside you

I'm sitting in the corner feeling glad

Got no money coming in but I can't be sad

That was the best cup of coffee I ever had

And I won't worry about a thing because we've got it made

Here on the inside, outside so far away

And we'll laugh and we'll sing

Get someone to bring

Our friends here for tea in the evening

Old Jeffrey makes three...

Take a walk in the park

Does the wind in the dark

Sound like music to you?

Well I'm thinking it does to me

Can you cook, can you sew?

Well, I don't want to know

That is not what you need on the inside

To make the time go

Counting lambs, counting sheep

We will fall into sleep

And awake to a new day of living

And loving you so

Source

Another day ...

Another day of living, another day of loving ...

Nice work if you can get it.

Winter hat Begonnen¹

OAFS Photo

Our first measurable snowfall here in Little Rhody occurred Sunday morning, the 14th of December. Now I know that the first day of "official" winter is Sunday the 21st of December, which means that at some point in that day the sun will be perceived to be directly over the Tropic of Capricorn, winter really starts earlier, meteorologically-speaking.

When the cold starts moving in, and staying, that's winter. It's been down in the low-20s and even the low teens over the past week or so. So it felt like winter, just didn't look like winter here in the northeastern United States. Now it looks like it and feels like it. Which, as I get older, gets wearisome. Especially when you have to heat the house and pay for that luxury. Which up here is actually a necessity.

OAFS Photo

Now I know it isn't a lot of snow and I like that. It makes things prettier than being all brown, and it doesn't impede driving and it isn't much to shovel. As Chez Sarge faces south, and the driveway slopes to the south, clearing the driveway, even when it's bitter cold out, isn't really necessary if the sun is out. Anything less than three inches will pretty much melt on its own. We (I) still have to clean the automotive conveyances off, but that doesn't require any lifting.

This isn't the first snow I've seen this year. If you remember my post from a week ago (here), we saw snow the day we left Maryland, after our Thanksgiving trip to see the lads, Roberto and Finnegan, and their sister (for whom I have yet to pick a nom du blog). It wasn't as much and it wasn't as cold, though lately Maryland has been matching Little Rhody degree for degree as regards coldness. Something I hadn't anticipated but am getting used to.

In fact over the last couple of years, they've seen more snow (and deeper to boot) than I have up here in Little Rhody. That big old ocean just out there from Chez Sarge really keeps the temperatures moderated as compared to inland. While they're within a stone's throw of Chesapeake Bay, less than ten miles, they're nearly a hundred miles from the Atlantic Ocean. If you look at a map you'll see that Chesapeake Bay is much bigger than Narragansett Bay.

Speaking of which, we're less than a mile from Narragansett Bay and we're less than 15 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. So we definitely have a maritime climate in these parts whereas in Maryland The Nuke and her tribe are further inland.

So winter, as I mentioned above, doesn't officially start until the 21st this year. But by my reckoning, winter begins at the end of November, beginning of December. Sarge-officially, I consider December, January, and February to be winter. Fall is September, October, and November, spring is March, April, and May, and summer is June, July, and August.

While May can feel like summer, as can September, I consider those transitional months containing elements of the two seasons either side of them. Same goes for March, while I consider that to be in spring, it is also a transitional month from winter to spring.

Where I grew up, Vermont, we saw elements of winter (i.e. snow) well into April. Saw the same sort of weather in Colorado as well. I once drove from San Antonio (TX) to Fort Collins (CO) starting the 1st of April, which was a bright sunny warm day in Texas, right through into the 2nd of April, where it was snowing like crazy all the way from New Mexico to Canada. I was lucky enough to follow a snow plow over the Raton Pass!

As an aside, a very dear friend of mine was born on the day I went over the Raton Pass. She asked me how I could possibly remember what I was doing as she was being born, I just looked at her and said, "Driving from southern Texas to northern Colorado in a snowstorm isn't something you forget!" (And yes, I have some young friends, besides which, she was the best boss I ever had.)

So enough about the weather, as Not Your Uncle Skip says, "when you've got nothing to really post about, there's always the weather."

Some of you are no doubt wondering when the next installment in my World War One tale is going to come out. I wish I knew. Ever since the Muse and I shared an Italian coffee Friday last, she's been missing in action. Probably on a bender again, she's been working hard and keeps complaining, "I thought we were retired!" Which we are, but ...

It's the holiday season, Christmas for some and Hannukah for others, and truth be told, I just don't feel like writing much. The news is effing depressing, politicians who control society mostly (nearly all?) suck, and I'm just waiting to go see the grandkids at Christmas. Not going to see my breakfast buddies again until January and I'm in a holding pattern of sorts. I'm kinda the electronic device sitting in the charger until I'm needed again, the tanker flying the racetrack waiting until someone needs gas. My morale is shaky and I'm playing too many games on the computer. (How many is too many? YMMV)

I've given serious thought to quitting this blogging thing, I realize that it's become too much a part of who I am to do so, but I can ease off on the throttle a bit. Being a writer is not something you can just walk away from, it's addictive in many ways. You don't even have to be good at it to be addicted to it!

So that's where we're at.

By the way, juvat's Monday post, wasn't that strange as can be, but surprisingly it worked. At least for those who've been following the "juvat saga" as I call it. Vehicle mishaps, moving to another town after years of living in the same place, getting old, and yes, I'm paying attention. That sort of thing might happen for Your Humble Scribe. Not the vehicular mishap part, but the moving somewhere else? I just don't know. Once my mother is gone, that might happen, but our roots are awfully deep in these parts.

But the damned winters, they get to me at times. (Once the summer starts then I'll bitch about how hot it is!) But you never know, man proposes, God disposes. We shall see.

Personally I'd hate to leave New England, my roots are incredibly deep here. There are many folks here that I love deeply and I would hate to not see them again. My ancestors, at least those I knew personally and those in the generation before them, are buried here.

Geez, I'm such a geezer.

OAFS Photo

I snapped the photo above on Tuesday, firstly to show that the snow which fell Sunday, as little as it was, is still here, showing just how cold it's been. But if you look closely, you might notice the little tracks all over the backyard. (See the detailed photo below.)

OAFS Photo

Rabbits, we have quite a few. They drive The Missus Herself crazy as they love to eat all of her plants. A couple of years ago they wreaked havoc on the vegetable garden so two years ago we installed a chicken wire fence around it. So now we get to eat those vegetables rather than feeding the rabbits.

We have a lot of wildlife around here, rabbits, deer, turkeys, foxes, coyotes, and the neighborhood has a resident hawk. The hawk does more to keep the rabbit population under control than the coyotes, I know this as I found a partially eaten carcass in the backyard last summer while mowing the lawn. I knew it was a bird which had done the deed due to the way the carcass had been pecked at.

Nature, red in tooth and claw, if you pay attention, you can see it in town as well as in the country.

Anyhoo, that's enough for now. Expect days with nothing and days with just a little over the rest of the month.

I might even go "on sabbatical" in January. I'm still up in the air on that.

Stay tuned.

¹ Winter has begun. While the title didn't have to be in German, I like German, so there.