I wonder, at times like this how many childhoods do the men of our family have to revert back to.  Actually I get a kick out of them.  Is that snow really all that heavy or are they just shovelling off the roof for the fun of getting up there.

Whatever the reason they sure had fun clearing the snow off the garage roof and the little roof over the sidewalk at the back of the house.  Just in time for more snow to fall.

Then it's off to shovel out the spreader and back it into the shop so it can get some much needed repairs.  Another excuse for fun and games guy-style.  Out comes the backhoe and off they go to figure out how to hook them together and get that spreader into the shop bay.

Success!!!! Of course they would succeed, there isn't anything that my farmers try that they don't succeed at.

Potato-Bean Soup

3 med. Carrots chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tbl margaine or butter

4 c chicken broth

3 c cubed, peeled potatoes

2 tbl snipped fresh dill or 2tsp dried dillweed

1 15-ounce can cannellini beans or great northern beans, rinsed and drained

½ c dairy sour cream or plain nonfat yogurt

1 tbl all-purpose flour

Pepper and salt to taste

In a large saucepan cook and stir carrots and garlic in hot margarine or butter over medium heat for 4 minutes or till tender.  Carefully stir in chicken broth, potatoes, and dill.  Bring to boiling.  Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20 to 25 minutes or till potatoes are tender.  With the back of a spoon, lightly mash about half of the potatoes in the broth.  Stir in the beans into the potato mixture.

In a small mixing bowl stir together the sour cream or yogurt, flour, salt and pepper.  Stir into potato mixture.  Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly.  Cook and stir for 1 minute more.  Makes 4-6 servings.

Snow is an odd thing.  We have a barn across the road from our house which houses the pigs and chickens.  I helped my husband and his father build that barn when we were courting.  The barn faces north south of the road and the long sides of the roof run east west.  When we get snow as we have had the past week it piles up quite deep on the east side of the roof.  I have frequently seen it drifted down to the ground.

The sight of th esnow hanging down from the side of the roof with no visible means of support has always been a thing of fascination for me.  I like to watch and watch until something, whatever unseen force it is, makes the snow suddenly come sliding off the roof in one big sheet.

This morning as I was wandering around taking pictures I got the notion to stand underneath the drift of snow hanging off the roof.  In retrospect not a wise thing to do. 

I had no sooner walked back out onto the road when something, some unseen and unperceived force made the snow give way and it came whooshing off the roof.  I had been standing right beside the little door that the pigs use to come out.  Had I still been standing there the full force of that snow would have landed on my head.

The moral of that story is, don't stand under the snow hanging off the barn roof before it comes sliding off.

Yesterday afternoon I took the dogs out before the storm got too bad.  Our female American Bull, Isabella, loves playing in the snow.  She plows through it like it's not there.  When it came time to bring them inside she was very reluctant to come inside.  I had to bribe her with a dog biscuit.  Brutus, on the other hand will go out and tolerate it for awhile but he was ready to come in long before Bella was. 

After pushing all the snow out of the driveways, Doug decided to join Matthew and I in making snowmen. 

They made a man-size snowman.  Glad they did too 'cause my girl-size snowman toppled over in the high winds last night but this one is still standing sentinal at the end of our driveway.

Need arms, Matthew, I'll just take them off this tree that is conveniently standing here.

Not only does he have arms but he has whiskers too.  Lest anyone mistake him for a female, let there be no mistake that this is a snowMAN.

This morning on my morning walk I decided to check out the creek.  The water is still flowing but the ice has almost overcome the whole stream.  Better send somone down to break a hole so the steers can have a drink.

The neighbor's horses are dressed for the weather.  I was not able to persuade them to come out from behind their shelter though. 

For all its starkness there is a cold beauty about the landscape when the snow has just fallen.

Until some farmer comes along with his loud smelly equipment and pushes back the clean whiteness and uncovers the dirt that is hidden beneath.

This is the view from my front window.  This is how the world has looked all day and, I fear, will look all evening and night.  The wind is starting to kick up.  Ian has been at the town barn with the plow crews since the wee hours and will be there for many more hours to come.  Melissa took food up earlier today when the roads were clearer.  Now it is time for all of us to hunker down and ride this one out.  Not hard for a northerner.  There is plenty of wood in the basement, food in the larder, videos on the shelf, and games in the cupboard.  Let old man winter blow for he shan't blow us away.

Sun-Dried Tomato Focaccia

6 c bread flour

2 tsp kosher salt

2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 tbl extra light olive oil

4 tsp yeast      

4 c warm water

Mix all of the above ingredients in a bowl.  Stir together until a soft dough begins to form.  Knead in enough flour only to make the dough cohesive but don’t take the stickiness out of it.

Turn the dough into a VERY well oiled bowl, turn the dough once, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place.

When the dough has doubled, turn out onto a very lightly floured surface and knead it until it has gone back to its former size.  Return to the oiled bowl (re-oil if it needs it).  Cover with plastic wrap and return to the warm place to rise again. 

Repeat this procedure twice more. 

 While the dough is rising chop up and soak in olive oil about 8 ounces of sun-dried tomatoes.

 After the last rising, turn the dough out onto the counter, heavily oil two sheet pans with sides and pre-heat oven to 425.

 Cut the dough in two pieces with a dough blade and work it with your finger tips until it is slightly less than twice the size of your sheet pan.  Set it on the pan and sandwich ½ the tomatoes in the dough.  Use your finger tips again to press down the edges and also to make indentations throughout the middle of the dough.  Let rest for 15-20 minutes.  Sprinkle the top with more kosher salt.

 Place in the oven and back 10 min. at a time.  Each time the timer goes off not only switch what level the loaves are at but rotate them 180 degrees so that they bake evenly.  They are done when the tops and sides are golden brown. Mine usually take approximately 3 rotations.

For the past couple of months I have been struggling with some kind of illness.  I'm not complaining here, it's just a fact.  Everyone around me is having the same issues.  We have some friends with ten kids and they are on their second round of pneumonia.  Another family near here with a newborn just sprung the baby from the hospital after a bout of RSV and now their five-year-old is in with severe dehydration from the stomach bug.  This certainly has been a year of illness and it isn't confined to Upstate New York by any means.  I have a neice in South Carolina who is having her own health issues and another is New Jersey that is suffering too.  No, I am not the only one, by any stretch of the imagination who is having a hard time getting healthy this winter. 

I think we will chalk this one up to the most varied and prolonged illness on record.  That's what the winter of 2009-2010 is going to be known for.  It started out with your basic cold which went away with it's usual reluctance.  No problem, I can do colds.  Then on into the usual round of coughs, sneezes, and wheezes.  Okay, that's not so bad.  We'll just push the fluids and go to be a bit earlier a few nights and we can get that one licked too.  Only that didn't do it.  From coughs and sneezes it went into downright not being able to breathe, something that I personally treasure, and laryngitis.  From there we progressed into coughs that rocked the bed at night, I kid you not, and wheezes that others could hear from their rooms with the door closed.  Okay, enough is enough, time to see the dr.  Only I never got to the dr.  The wheezes were so bad I was detoured to the ER. 

Well, enough of that story, the breathing is better, the coughs are gone.  The wheezes are a thing of the past, thank God!!!! The steroids are over and so are the antibiotics and the nebulizer has been put away.  But the voice is gone.  That's right, the voice is gone.  Not a whisper, not a croak, not a breath.  It is gone.  My dreams of singing opera are shot.  Actually I have never dreamed of singing opera so that's not a problem.  But singing is out of the question too and my husband has actually said he is starting to miss my singing, what a sweet man!

Long story short, an Ear/Nose/Throat consult seemed to be in order so off to the ENT I went.  He determined that there is some damage to my vocal chords.  But the worse thing is that all of the coughing, sneezing, and wheezing and refluxing that I did through all that illness has left my vocal chords red and inflamed and the muscles around them doing their valient best to protect them from further damage.  The treatment, six weeks of COMPLETE vocal rest.  That's right folks not only cannot talk, now I must not even try to talk. 

What's it like to be quiet all the time?  That's a good question.  I know that I have no trouble not speaking.  That's not going to be a problem.  The problem is going to be how to communicate to my very hard of hearing husband.  This is going to be a learning experience for all of us.  I know it will be very self-revealing for me.  The last time that I had to do this it was fulfilling and self-revealing.  Time will tell.

Thus begins my new odyssey. 

As a side note, I will miss not speaking on the phone to my two sons who are far away.  Chat doesn't do the same thing.  I also already miss talking to my father.  I haven't called him to spare him worrying about what was wrong with me, now I cannot talk to him at all.  That is something that will be hard.  I will offer it all up for him.  I love him more and more as each day passes.  This only adds to that love.

Outside my window........the sun is shining, can you believe it.  I think this is the first time that we have seen it in quite a long time.

I am thinking.....that someone has taken my dog's heart away from me.

I am thankful for.......the nice quiet weekend that we just had because the week ahead doesn't looks so quiet.

From the schoolroom.......Matthew is hard at work doing his Math.....outloud!!!!

From the kitchen........leftovers.  Too much housework and schoolwork to be done today.

I am creating........a cause and effect paper on the origins of jazz of all things.

I am going.........nowhere today.  It is only 10 degrees out there.  Not enough degrees to run into and get warm from.

I am reading.......St. John of the Cross Dark Night of the Soul

I am hoping.......to get a lot of writing done this week.

I am wearing........long johns!!!!! It's stinking cold out there.

I am hearing......Matthew doing his Math out loud, Melissa talking to the dog, Isabella in her crate upstairs, Doug coming downstairs.  The usual sounds of Monday morning.

Around the house......things are humming and I should be writing my little heart out.

One of my favorite things........warmth!!

A few plans for the rest of the week.........school, school, and more school.  We are in the final five weeks of Math!!!!!

Here is a picture thought that I am sharing with you.......

It's so nice seeing Matthew well and working on his schoolwork again.  He's almost over his cough and everything is right with my world again.

Brutus the traitor dog.  He just wants to be left alone to snore.

One of my favorite sites, the big guy interacting with children.  Happy birthday to you.  How was I to know that 25 years ago such a man as this was going to be born. 

Thanks be to God for the man that you are becoming.  Keep it up.

Outside my window.......it's snowing.  Of course it is February and that is what happens in February so I guess there is no surprise there.  I have no idea how cold it is out there.  I haven't left this house except to go to the ER twice since last Monday.

I am thinking.......this cold and snotty nose thing has to end soon.  I want to breathe!  There, enough complaining I need to set a good example since Matthew is down with this too. 

I am thankful for.......the family I have been blessed with, the life I live, the home that my husband and I have created.

From the schoolroom.......things are getting off to a slow start this morning.  Matthew and I both overslept and are a bit slow getting ourselves moving.  I think I will write lighter plans for him this week and give him a chance to rest and recover.

From the kitchens........leftovers from yesterday's birthday/Valentines day celebration.  Hey, big guy the birthday cake was great.  Too bad you weren't here to enjoy it with us.

I am wearing........long johns.  Too soon to think about getting a shower and getting myself dressed for the day.

I am creating.......another paper for my English course, a loving home for my family, hopefully restored health for Matthew and I.

I am going.......to see the Dr. this morning then stay home some more.  Maybe I can entice Matthew with a game of Scrabble.

I am reading.......research for my English paper.

I am hoping.....that my son has a peaceful 25th birthday and that he knows just how much he is loved by all.

I am hearing......Matthew using the computer in the other room, Doug bustling about putting things away, and the dogs wandering around the house.

Around the house.......it is warm and cozy and we are together.

One of my favorite things........sitting here knowing that all are safe and sound and the we all love each other.

A few plans for the rest of the week.......not making any.  I don't think Doug would let me.  I am home and home is where I plan to stay until something else changes that.

Here is a picture thought that I am sharing with you.......

Matthew and Jason boxing each other with the Wii last night.  Jason just couldn't seem to make his Mii work. 

Matthew is having far too much fun.  Jason just trys to look cool.