There’s a lot of snow on the ground here at the cottage and a bit more came down during the night. This reminds me of – was it last year? – when December and January were relatively snow free, and then February came along, and pow! Snow, and lots of it.
Unfortunately, it’s coming at a time when I will need to get into the city fairly frequently. Ah, well.
My homeward bound bus arrived at our bus station around noon yesterday and Don whisked me home. We watched some episodes of our new favorite television series, Schitt’s Creek, last night. Have you seen it? The first two seasons are on Netflix and the third season is now airing on a cable station called Pop. It stars Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara (two of the funniest people on the planet) as well as Levy’s son Daniel and a host of other wonderfully talented actors. It’s filmed in Canada. We are completely besotted.
It was rather heavenly to be tucked into the sofa next to my husband once more. And I was only gone two days. What will we do when he’s on the West Coast for at least three months?
This life of ours is topsy-turvy sometimes. Long periods of togetherness and no separations and then, suddenly, I’m away. Then I’m back. Then I’m in NYC. Then Don goes away. Then I go away. And our heads are spinning.
I’m going to have to figure out how to post next week. I’ll be going back and forth to the city a lot, and those days usually end up being 12 hour days, so there won’t be time to post – only to eat, sleep, and repeat. I’m not sure yet how many days are involved, but I might pre-write some posts and schedule them.
This arrived in the mail yesterday. I pre-ordered it from Amazon. It should have arrived on Thursday but the snowfall was so intense that there was no mail delivery. That rarely happens. I started it last night. Crombie is a wonderful writer and I love her recurring cast of characters. But, it’s been at least two years since her last book and I’m having trouble remembering the details of that story – and she refers to it in this book. The fog is gradually lifting as chunks of it come back to me. I could pull that book off the shelf and re-read the ending, but I want to sort out this little puzzle for myself.
I missed my Peet’s French Roast while I was gone. There was a mini-Keurig in the room with some dark roast pods, which was helpful. But the creamer was that powdered stuff that comes in a packet that has – to me – an awful, almost chemical-like taste. Once I was able to grab breakfast downstairs, I had another cup with actual half and half. (My one vegan fail – I can’t give up half and half. I’ve tried vegan versions and I just don’t like the taste.)
This morning? Back to Peet’s, with the first cup served by my husband, bless his heart.
Happy Saturday.
Half and half is the best! :-)
I agree!
I binge watched Schitt’s Creek last weekend and I loved it. Daniel is the best!
Daniel is my favorite!
Cream and butter–the true reasons why I could never go vegan :-) My family teases I probably have both running through my veins, Thanks so much for the mention of Schitt’s Creek! I have an all by myself day and wondered what I might stumble across to watch. I know the heavy snowfall is a “*itch” for all of you having to attempt to navigate around in, but for this old gal sitting in N. Central Texas it is magical to see on tv. Friends in Pennsylvania sent photos from the area we used to live in and snow was piled high. While living there, we purchased a REAL sled from an Amish family in Lancaster. As luck would have it, we lived near the perfect hill for sledding and we adults bickered over our turns–ha! Such happy memories and lots of photos to relive those days. Enjoy the snuggle time on the couch with your sweetie!! Wishing you Peace this Saturday~
I have no problem eliminating butter as we’ve been using a vegan butter for a few years now. Milk? Don’t miss. But half and half is a problem.
I hope you like Schitt’s Creek!
Glad you made it safely back from the city, Claudia!! I’m a half & half girl myself!! Love it! Thanks for the Netflix suggestion, Schitt’s Creek!! I’ve seen it advertised, and now will definitely tune in!! There is more snow headed this way, so I will look forward to it!! I’ m also looking forward to D. Crombie’s new mystery!! Have a cozy day!!
I think we’re getting snow tomorrow? Just as long as I can get out the door on Monday morning because I have to be in the city for rehearsal.
Yes, snow day tomorrow….safe travels for Monday, Claudia!!
Looks like we’re only going to get an inch here, Francine. Yay!
We watched Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner with our morning coffee…love that movie! No new snow here… a bit of a warm up…very little bit. Hope the weather holds up for you. When does Don leave again? Enjoy your day together….you’ll get through this! ;)
Don won’t leave until mid-March, though we thought it would be a week later. Just heard that they’ve moved up the start date for rehearsals, so he’ll have to hit the road while I’m still working on Anastasia.
So nice to curl up with that man of yours and enjoy some time together. I’ll check out that show on Netflix. I finished another Karin Slaughter book last night. Now to pick something to start today. No lack of choices for sure. It is cloudy today and probably rain tomorrow. I’m trying to stay in and get well. Take care.
Sometimes, even though I have a very big TBR pile, I can’t decide what to start next. What to do? xo
As I flip through stations, I come across that show all of the time. Didn’t know a thing about it… but I DO love those to actors, and have enjoyed them in several movies they have done together. Glad this next storm I saw on the news this morning is going north of you. It does seem that once a pattern sets in it does last for several weeks in a row.
Hope you have a peacefully quiet weekend as you gear up for your busy week!!
The show is very funny and touching, as well. Thank goodness we’re only going to get about an inch of snow. I HAVE to get into the city on Monday!
So lovely to think of you all warm and cozy! :)
off subject: I want to send you something I wrote but I want you to choose where it shows up. Can I email you??
Yes, you can. The email address can be found by clicking on the envelope icon at the top of the sidebar.
Thanks. Guess I’ll have to skip it. I don’t remember how to get into my Google account. Oh, well. :)
I used to feel the same way about half-&-half. When I started drinking coffee in college, I was definitely a half-&-half girl, and at school we had the real thing [my parents just used whole milk at home]. But then I got my first teaching job and the little coffee station in the teacher’s room ONLY had that powdered stuff in a jar. You know, the stuff that sinks to the bottom of the cup when you first spoon it in, and then bobs up again like a drowning victim? Not the easiest stuff to blend into liquid, in my opinion, and as I learned later, full of chemicals we shouldn’t be ingesting anyway. Yuck. So one day a few weeks later I’m having lunch with my sister in a restaurant – where I was offered REAL half-&-half- and I’m complaining about the powdered junk at school. And my sister says “Why don’t you do what I do and just drink it black? It’s just SO much easier. You never have to be concerned about the powdered stuff. Or that stainless steel pitcher of cream that you don’t know HOW long has been sitting out. it’s been sitting around. Or those little tiny creamer cups. Or stirrers or anything else. You taste the real coffee so much more too. All you do is pour it, and off you go…” That made sense to me – it surely would be easier. But I really didn’t think I’d enjoy coffee without anything in it so I basically just forgot about it. Then a week or so later, I was getting coffee at school and the creamer jar had nothing but dust in the bottom. And no replacement to be found. So I drank my coffee black for the first time ever and wow, I actually LOVED it. I hadn’t realized until then how much the creamer had been masking the real flavor. So now I recommend this to everyone! When you drink a really good coffee too, like you do with your Peets, it’s even more noticeable. Have a nice cozy weekend at home! Peace.
#Resist
I drank it black for years, so I’ve been there. Now I can’t imagine how I did it! When I had gall bladder problems, I couldn’t drink it black any longer and I still can’t deal with the acidity, so half and half is it for me. Don drank it with half and half for years and now he drinks it black. We’ve switched. Don’t worry I get the full flavor with my Peet’s and I think it’s enhanced by the half and half!
If you have coffee acid problems, there’s a brewing method that supposed to really zap a lot of the acid. I THINK it’s the cold-brew method, but I’m not sure. I’m sure it’s Google-able though. ☕️
Thanks, Janet.
I loved Shitt’s Creek. Very funny show. Good to laugh in times like these. Enjoy your weekend together! xo
It is very funny! I’m enjoying some time to read and clean and listen to music, April. Have a lovely weekend.
I finished Garden of lamentations last night! Love Deborah Crombie. Not saying anything else about the story… enjoy!
I will, Betsy!
Have not heard of Schitt’s Creek, though we don’t watch much TV. I’ll have to keep it in mind next time we have a desire to start something on Netflix.
I have to have half and half in my coffee, too. I’ve tried almond milk and – gross! And I definitely can’t drink my coffee black. Oh, well.
I know! Almond milk is terrible in coffee!
Me too!!I have to have half and half in my coffee too. My husband does both half and half plus sugar. Ewwwwwwwww!!!! He likes to switch our cups just to see my reaction when I take the sip. I have just finished putting together a miniature quilt. Lately we have been watching Midsommer Murders. Funny though is that I fall asleep through the mid part and wake up in time to see the ending.Never sure how they get from point A to point B because I miss most of it.
I have a friend who says the weather is going through menopause. Where we are the tempature is having hot flashes. I can relate to having my husband gone for certain amount of time. I give him a hard time saying that 7 years of our marriage doesn’t count because he was gone so much.
My dad used to love coffee with half and half and sugar. I remember it well!
I think I win the being gone contest here because I was gone for 6 months about 7 or 8 years ago on a coaching/teaching job. That was the hardest! But Don’s definitely in competition with this upcoming gig!!
Schitt’s Creek is a riot!
I love that silly show. The actors are all terrific.
I wish it was 60 minutes. 30 minutes goes way to fast.
Enjoy your weekend.
Monica
I wish it was 60 minutes, too!
It’s not easy when distance separates us loved-up pairs. I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve been left behind as my husband goes from one freelance job to the next over the entire course of our married life (nearing 30 years). A year and a half ago, a gig out of state took him away for almost two months. One time he was overseas for six weeks on another temporary job. Bottom line: We need the money. So that’s why we live like this; it’s not because it’s fun.
There are times when it’s made me quite envious of other people I know who have ‘normal’ lives with 9 to 5 jobs…jobs they’ve held for as long as 35 years with one employer, and I actually know at least a dozen people (my age group – I counted it up recently!) who have enjoyed that kind of stability. Just think of the benefits, like pensions; 401Ks; IRAs; paid-off mortgages (no wonder they can retire at age 62 [or earlier]!!). It was all in the choices.
There’s a gal down the street from me; younger, first-time house. Her husband is going to be deployed sometime this year…and she really has no idea how long he’ll be gone or where he’ll be sent (please God, not a war; please) but, I’m telling you(!), for their age/youth (in their 20s), they aren’t woeful about it but, instead, just making their plans. She manages a pet rescue center while studying to be a vet at one of our local universities, so her life is quite full (no kids…yet). She’ll be living alone on nearly an acre property (big for a conventional neighborhood in my area of SoCalif) but at any given time, in addition to her two giant (super-large breed) dogs, she fosters/rehabs any number of big dogs from the shelter…so, it’s a menagerie (good companionship) and she has LOTS of guard-dog protection (don’t mess with a girl who’s got pit pulls!).
My husband’s been mostly away for the past five weeks (only home on weekends, sometimes just one day), so I’m looking forward to seeing him tomorrow and then REALLY looking forward to what will be, for him/us, a 4-day holiday weekend upcoming for “President’s Day”. (Rare time off.) The dog and I have been too lonely!
But we work these things out, don’t we, Claudia. You and Don, of course, will be fine. Busy!
I was only 18 months into my marriage when my husband got laid off and wound up taking a job out of state. We were separated (not by choice, but by miles and circumstance) for six months while I stayed behind to sell the house and keep at my good job for as long as was feasible. It wasn’t a great time. It never is…
Our veterinarian is foreign-born and it took him so many years to get established in this country, fulfill requirements to practice veterinary medicine in the U.S., save enough money to buy his own practice/clinic and then eventually send for his wife…doing this, I should say, while also responsible for one small child, her with another. (He is so grateful to be here; it warms my heart to talk with him. He’s a guy who has persevered!) Many people all across the world probably go to great sacrifice for the better whole of the family unit; doing what they have to do to survive and get ahead. I remember reading about farming families…farms on the prairie in the 1800s of America…if the crop/prices that year hadn’t been good, for instance…where the ‘man of the house’ would leave to go find work, often far away, for months and months at a time, whole seasons; farm wife and kids left to get along without him, sometimes even in harsh winter and with no near neighbors. My great-great-grandfather was off to fight in the Civil War (Confederate soldier killed in 1863) and my gr-gr-grandmother had to learn how to plow and plant just like him, while raising little kids and doing the mom/wife things also, like washing clothes at the creek, milking the cow, cooking the food, sewing the clothes, collecting the eggs, cleaning the house; never enough hours in a day. These people were made of strong stuff.
When I find myself feeling self-pity, missing my husband terribly, I remember that my aunt didn’t see her husband for five years during World War II…and she’d had a baby in that first year, which he never got to see born, take his first steps, learn to talk, etc. I think the only thing that saved my aunt’s sanity was that she moved back in with her parents, so she had some great helps. I’m off topic now, but I had a cousin tell me yesterday that he’s taking in his adult niece, her 15-month old daughter and the niece’s mother…all 3…indefinitely, into his home. The women have fallen on hard times; he’s retired and single, has a big house and no money woes. I hope they know how lucky they are for him (not everybody has a rich uncle); it’s incredibly generous but as he said, “We’re family. Family helps family.” This is a move across country for these women…he’s paying for everything, including the moving van and the storage unit for their stuff once they arrive at the destination. Can you imagine having a toddler, no job and no health insurance for yourself OR the baby? The niece is by all reports a responsible person, has her BA, has always worked and been self-supporting; so it reminds me, chillingly, how we can all be one step away from living on the street, if not for the kindness of someone else…and by the grace of God.
I am needing new eyeglasses.
Pit Bulls, not pit pulls. Dear me.
xoxo
No matter what, separations are stressful. Our longest was for 6 months. But, you’re so right, so many people have to endure much more than that, whether they are serving in the armed forces, or – as we’re seeing now – being deported and wrenched from their families.
It puts it all into perspective.