Snow gives you that lazy feeling if you're home alone

When I woke up.... snow!

25 degrees now, with light snow falling. Will our ND meeting take place tonight?

It didn't stop Mailman Ken, who finally brought me my new Chemex coffee maker to make sure I never fall asleep again.

Although I only purchase items I need, I felt I'd save a lotta money, eventually, by buying this Chemex.

  I'll wait until Scott comes over and have him open the cardboard box. That's what faux husbands are for.

This purchase reminded me to get my finances in order.

Meet Michael L Schwartz, a financial advisor from J'town. 

 He's a really snazzy dresser with monogrammed shirt cuffs.

 He's going over some of my financial statements. He'll make recommendations for me. We just hope he ain't another

  I asked Michael what his hobbies are. Sailing. On the Chesapeake Bay, British Virgin Islands and off the coast of Greece. There are a lot of small islands around there, he said. Can't wait to buy my own yacht!!!



Mom and Ellen were interested to hear about him.

 Our meal was 100 percent healthy.

I wandered around the kitchen opening tins trying to find Mom's brownies. Thankfully there were none about.

I contributed a salad with chick peas. Mom's sweet n sour lentils were delicious. Her mom, Grandma Lily, used to make them. Maybe Sarah can learn to make them to continue the tradition.

Ellen made a delicious nut dish with chocolate chips. Spiced with curry powder, cayenne pepper, and perhaps other spices.

Chocolate chips are, hands down, my mom's favorite food. Is that why she's lived to ninety-two?

 After dinner, we socialized by drinking hot coffee.

I'd sent Ellen an email, which she never received.

Weeks ago I bought Mom a white amaryllis - the remains of it are on the right - Hildegund and Ron brought her the orchid from Produce Junction.

Nice new rug. It's one you shouldn't trip on.

When I told Ellen I made this cover for my kitchen light-plate switch, she said she's been making them for years. They have a beautiful one in the kitchen.

Attention to detail.

 Fontaine stopped by on her way home from work. She had never seen my new red couches. I took her on a house tour.

In my upstairs office I have a painting of a sunflower.

Oh, Veyonna loves sunflowers, she said about her daughter.

Take it, I said. It's yours.

Veyonna just called to personally thank me. What a nice young woman.

Speaking of art, the audio book I'm listening to in the car is The Moon and Sixpence, by W Somerset Maugham, a fictionalized version of the life of Paul Gaughin (his surname means walnut-grower).

Like van Gogh, his work was not appreciated until after his death.

Here's an 1880 Gaughin painting of a mandolin, which reminds me of Rich Fleisher's retirement hobby, banjo-picking. 

Do you think these boys will ask Rich to play with them?



BTW, I just cancelled our New Directions meeting. Me and Ada and the Hodges would have been there, but probly no one else.

Hmmm, maybe I'll try out my new Chemex coffeemaker. Scott has yet to come over. When I shoveled outside earlier, the snow came off very easily. I swept off my car and his car.

 My new bedtime snack. Peanuts with.....

I'd never seen this product before at the Giant. It's powdered peanuts and chocolate.

It's awful.




I'll either return it to Giant, give it to Mom, or eat it all up.

Here's my late brother, David, the family photographer. We have an upcoming article in the Compass - deadline Jan. 31 - about a mom who is raising several developmentally challenged sons, including one with autism.

Charlie Rose had on this very smart man Ian Bremmer. He discussed the political year of 2014 and what's ahead of us in 2015. These people are all optimists about the US role in the world.

  Ian Bremmer was interrupted without mercy by Charlie Rose.

The great Cecily Tyson was interviewed by Tavis. She won an Emmy for her performance in the all-black production of A Trip to Bountiful, directed by the daughter of Horton Foote.

When I spoke to Ada this morning, she said she and Rich and seen it on Broadway a couple of years ago.

The play is now in LA, where Tavis saw it, and went down on his knees before Ms Tyson.

Who would you go down on your knees before?

The only place I ever read is in bed. So upstairs I go, lower the heat, it's hot with the blankets piled high and on into the very exciting



I know you wanna see what the author looks like. Everything is available on the web, isn't it?