A Proclamation

I hereby declare that all weekends shall be three days long and that they all shall contain at least one 24-hour period known as a "snow day".

Sometimes the Universe does you a favour and grants you a wish.  I kinda knew that I needed a day off, but I didn't quite feel justified in taking one.  Mercifully, Fate stepped in an dumped 18" of snow on us on Thursday night/Friday morning.  Now, we're used to that kind of snow and we've had a really skimpy winter, so I was quite happy to see it.  Thing is, that's a lot of stuff to clean off the roads and we only have so many plows.  Hence, everything grinds to a halt while we wait for the snow trucks to clean things up (and for the wind to die down, 'cause 90 km/h is pretty brutal, wind-wise).  I only found out about the impending storm on Thursday afternoon, so I didn't really have the chance to put together a whole bunch of work to bring home.  I left my computer there and took off to my yoga class.

When I got home from yoga, buoyed by my new-found knowledge of the upcoming snow day, I learned that I had been given ANOTHER gift.  My husband, who has now been promoted to the position of Captain on the HMS Awesome, did all the chores when he got home on Thursday, knowing that I was tired and needed a break.  SQUEEEEE!  I don't think I realized just how tired I was until I contemplated my empty weekend and the first thought that came to mind was: sleeeeeeeeeeeep.

So, I totally blitzed on all the stuff I wanted to do.  I still did laundry, made soap, did some cooking, tidying up, sewing, etc.  But I also knit myself a new neckwarmer and watched the rest of the 30 Rock episodes I hadn't seen on the Season 2 DVD.  I rented a movie (Surrogates, which was so-so) and took some photos.  I wrote lots (too many, probably) e-mails and worked on a new project into the wee hours of the night (more to come on that, later). 

Here it all is in photos:

Friday morning (when I went to bed on Thursday, there was no snow, only grass)

My new cowl (and no, I'm not wearing a hijab in this photo - it's just my hoodie).  You might recognize that yarn...

Making carrot parsnip soup on Friday (look at the size of that sucker!)

 

 

Soaking navy beans for a crock pot feast...yum.

Putting the finishing touches on the soup and enjoying some orange juice (feeling a little ahem-y in the throat...).  Those pickles and green onions are slated for a P-Dub potato salad.

Making boiled potatoes for the potato salad and mashed potatoes for a shepherd's pie.  

Wanna know a secret?  The secret to perfect mashed potatoes (no, I wasn't going to say cream cheese, although that is really good) is to sprinkle garlic salt and onion powder in the water when you put it on to boil.  It looks scummy and gross (see above), but it tastes divine.  Just drain the water as usual, when they're done.  They'll have absorbed all the goodness and won't need any seasoning when you mash them with butter and milk.

When we first moved here, I was appalled to find out that some people actually eat mashed potatoes without putting any butter or milk in them (imagine: just take a masher and smash your potatoes into mush and eat that).  GUH-ROSS.  That's what people around here refer to as "mashed potatoes".  They call the butter-and-milk variety "whipped potatoes".  Now, answer me this:  why, in this day and age, would someone skimp out on a pat of butter and 1/4 cup of milk when they're already going to the trouble of mashing their potatoes???  The mashing is the most energy-intensive part, not the pouring of milk!!  And you can't convince me that it's a money issue, when every house in these parts seems to have 5 of those satellite TV receiver-thingies hanging off the side of it.  And a new ATV in the driveway.  Not to mention the pick-up trucks (let's not go there, ok?).

Just a gratuitous shot of my kitchen, 'cause the sun was actually shining for a change and I knew I would want photographic proof of its existence in a week, or so.

The view out our front door on Saturday evening.

Sunrise, this morning.

Gratuitous snow-laden tree photo (this is for you, Arizona...just in case you've got a case of the "I'm so sick of this sunny, warm season we call winter" blues...you're welcome)

Speaking of Arizona, I'd just like you all to know that, according to Google Analytics, Michigan has taken the lead in the "atmymothersknee"-lympics.  You Michigonians (Michigians? Michiginians? Michigites?) have nothing better to do in the winter than blog all day either, do you?  Welcome to the club.

After finishing up my soap-making this afternoon, the pooches and I went for a ski (ok, I skied and they...did what they do, which is to say they went nuts)

Phew, it was a wonderful, sunny, restful, sunny, productive, sunny, stress-free weekend.  I can't wait for the next one.