Stuck indoors, again? Read a book (or ten)

Winter is not leaving without a fight, it appears, so if you’re huddled up inside today, tomorrow, until summer, here are some book suggestions to keep you company.

I also found some news for any Anne Rice fans reading this blog. The author of Interview with the Vampire is releasing a novel titled Prince Lestat about vampire Lestat de Lioncourt, in October. Here’s some more info if you want to read more. 

The Chase by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg. FBI Agent Kate O’Hare and internationally know thief Nicholas Fox return with more excitement and adventure.

Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by James Dean. Since it’ll be a long time before any of us can wear shoes of any kind, other than boots.

Slammed by Colleen Hoover. Because she’s a writer, mom and ninja who can spin a tale like crazy. Plus, this and a few others are already optioned to hit the big screen!

Since it’s Seuss month, and my baby just had a birthday: Happy Birthday to You by Dr. Seuss. Read something fun with your kids!

Happy Reading!

P.S. I like taking pictures of drinks and sharing them when they look this good. Cheers!

A Warning to Winter Storm Titan: I’ve got my pickle juice ready

If you live north of the Bahamas, it’s probably been an interesting and long winter. Either you’re under piles of snow, dodging ice storms, or listening to most of us complain about the piles of snow and ice storms. Doesn’t matter, we all dealt pretty well with it until a few weeks ago. Now, the conversation is about when spring is coming and warm weather getaways. 

So, as this week's named winter storm approaches, (when did we start giving these things names?) I’m preparing the family for the next phase in keeping snow and ice at bay—pickle juice.

No, I’m not drinking it, although I have before, and wow, has it got a kick. I actually got the idea from Jersey. New Jersey. And Wisconsin. Sometime around the end of January talk started circling about whether our area would beat the all-time record snowfall for the month. Snow became the focus of our discussions, on the news, at school drop-offs, and as everyone repeatedly rushed the stores to grab supplies before the next system hit.

During all this snow, it appeared our area dealt with it as best as can be expected with state/county/municipal budget reductions (read: fewer crews, fewer snow plows, and less salt). What I learned as the discussion continued, was other areas had run out of road salt too. What did Wisconsin do? Turned to cheese of course. It was too good to be true, but the New York Times reported it! Milwaukee was working on a program to “repurpose cheese brine for use in keeping city roads from freezing, mixing the dairy waste with traditional rock salt as a way to trim costs and ease pollution.” Apparently, it coats the roads better. I love they even specify what kind of cheese works best. It’s worth a read, even if only for a giggle, although if it works, we could all be doing it.

Or, like New Jersey, we could reach for the ‘pickle juice.’ They used a briny salt and water mixture resembling pickle juice to help melt snow. Plus, they’re saying it’s more economical than spreading salt alone.

I like economical and ecologically friendlier—even if it stink up the streets—option. Besides, we’ve been to seven stores this past week, and no one has salt! I don’t even normally spread the stuff, it took us three years to use the last container we had, but work and school won’t wait for a May melt.

We need a pickaxe to get through most of the snow turned ice left behind from January. And since Winter Storm Titan is about to bring more snow, followed shortly by Winter Storm whatever-its-name is, I figure it’s time to try the pickle juice. I’m talking about actual pickle juice from a jar that still contains edible pickles. 

So, we’ll see what the week brings. Perhaps, we’ll never have to buy salt again, or maybe we’ll attract the local animals for “Pickle-fest” and be forced to move. You know, on second thought, maybe we’ll just skid our way in and out of the driveway and wait for the spring thaw!

Happy Snow Days! #springwillcomeagain

Counteract (Winter) Cabin Fever

Here are three ideas for beating the blahs of being indoors during harsh weather.

Take a trip to the beach indoors: Get out some plastic bins and pretend to make sand castles. Pretend to “swim in the ocean” around your family room and get some exercise.

Pack a picnic: Lay out an easy to wash blanket and prepare a picnic lunch with sammies, apple slices and sipppy cups.

Go on safari: Make sure the house is warm and let the kids wear shorts or cropped pants and adventure gear, like a sun hat or binoculars. Don’t have binoculars? Make some out of a paper towel roll. 

Snow Tracks by K.Gibson

A Garage Door and a Dublin Mudslide

This looks harmless, but don’t be fooled. It’s three inches of plastic pain-in-the-you-know-what and the reason I practically had to crawl under our van the other day. Ok, so it was the Dublin Mudslide ice cream that made me do it, but it all started with that three-inch red nemesis.

The basic storyline is this. I’ve been doing the mommy-runs-around-town in frigid temps thing for a while. I needed a break, nap, drink, but I had to get a kid to school, another home to nap, and we were out of milk, bread, water, you get it. I summoned up the strength to get the first one to school and headed to the store. I’d made a mental list of essentials, but I knew with more snow coming, I’d better get what I could and get out. Then, there it was. The decadent flavors calling to me – Dublin Mudslide. Figures – ice cream in a snowstorm.

I get everything I can, mudslide included, and get on the way home. By the time we get there, my little one has had it, needs a nap. He’s unloaded first, since I only have a few bags. Unloading the rest, I bump my Siberian faux-fur hood on the plastic hanging from the ceiling and sit a bag back in the van so I can move the handle out of my way. You know what happens? The bag falls open and the only thing I bought for myself drops out and rolls under the van. Sigh. It may be cold, but the ice cream’s mine and I’m getting it. Somehow, it rolled almost exactly in the middle of the space under the van, so I couldn’t just reach for it. I had to get on my hands and knees as the snow is puddling in our garage to get my delectable treat.

And so I did. Then as I went to rush inside and clean myself off, I accidentally shut the sliding door on the garage handle. This is the same handle that controls the garage door. Snows coming and I can’t get it shut for anything. Plus, I have no idea what I’m supposed to do to make it work again.

I fuss and fidget. Running from one side of the van to the other in order to find out, again, and again, nothing was working. Nearly 20 minutes later, it worked. Some combination of jerking and pulling freed it so it could move the door. I was so cold when it was over I ended up having coffee instead. My Dublin Mudslide would have to wait, and it was well worth it. Just imagine – Irish cream liqueur ice cream with chocolate-chocolate chip cookies and a coffee fudge swirl. Yum, brr! Happy winter!

Glory (Snow) Days

When we woke up this morning, it felt like a blah winter day. A brown-grey palette covered everything, ground to sky.

We got moving, slowly. I went out to run errands when it unexpectedly started snowing.

One minute, I’m buying buy pens, then I’m staring at a real snowstorm. Big white flakes blew everywhere. Honestly, I was elated. Nuts, right? Nope, just eager for some winter weather. It’s been mild this season, that’s fine when I need to run errands. But, not good when the family wants a snow day.

A couple weeks ago, I let my kid pick out a shovel. It was odd for a 50-degree day, a few people even laughed. I knew they were probably right and we wouldn’t get much use this season, but I let her have it anyway. Why? Because it’s still winter! There’s still a greater chance of snow than sunny and 70. Plus, it’s time to retire the dustpan and get her a shovel her own size. (Yes, my kid pushed around a dustpan. It was small enough she couldn't get hurt lifting a ton of snow, and she loved it.)

So glad I did. Today, when I asked if anyone wanted to go outside and shovel, I heard a shriek, “Yes!” Her response was so enthusiastic I had to laugh. It won’t last, I thought, someday when she’s a teenager she’ll probably ignore our requests or be too busy to make snow angels.

We geared up – it only took us 20 minutes – and went outside.

Let me say, having kids makes a lot of things more exciting. Like, shoveling snow. So, we played and shoveled, shoveled and played. We dug ourselves paths, threw snowballs and built a mini snowman. No facial features, but still recognizable.

When finished, we trudged in, tired from all the activity. We peeled off our damp gear and made hot chocolate. Flushed cheeks, warm mugs and marshmallows. It was the perfect end to our snowy play day. 

Melting

Warm weather follows the deep freeze. A sign of things to come...