Sunday, January 14, 2024

A good Sunday message: Neighbors who bless!

 

The Prisoner wants to know what has been done to his deck domain.  I went out and tamped down a few footprints (comes up to my knees or a bit above out in the middle).  He wisely came back in after ascertaining that the sun was NOT warm.

I managed to re-dig out the path to the mailbox, and the mail did come today, so I was glad I had done that.  I kept having to come in frequently to thaw the fingers.

I think it was about 3 p.m. when I went out and started shoveling a path down the sidewalk to meet up with where my neighbor Glen had blown the stretch of sidewalk that goes by the South side of the house.

I had got about halfway there when a truck stopped and the young man driving asked if I'd like some help clearing my driveway.  I said that would be nice, he said give me a few minutes and I'll be back.  He pulled in a driveway about a block and a half away, near the entrance to the park.

I finished connecting the sidewalk to the other side, then hustled back inside to thaw the fingers again.  I barely had my gloves off when husband and wife team, Patrick and Donna arrived with shovel, snow blower, and even brought some ice melt for me to spread on the steps!  They made short work of the drive and walks, while I cleared the rest of the steps.  Then they departed with the caution to me not to work too hard "it's cold out here!"  Which of course, it is: minus 6F even in the afternoon sunshine.

Sometimes it brings a tear to my eye to find the grace offered to me as an older person.  I think back and hope that I was as good a young person to those around me as they are to me now.

Sunday, January 14th, 2024

My internet connected scale told me it was -22F this morning when I weighed in.  My phone tells me it is now -17F.  For those of you who speak Celsius, that would be -30C and -27C, respectively.  I continue to try to educate myself with familiarity to both, but I'm afraid being trained in Fahrenheit from childhood up, and still living in a part of the world that publishes in Fahrenheit handicaps me a bit.

Sun and shadow in the cold

In short, it is a good day to hole up!

And Life is Good!  Spark on!


14 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. For me, too, and I thank God my furnace works and I have power to the house.

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  2. Thermometer on the deck showed -11 at 5:30 this morning. We must be having a heat wave as it's now all the way up to -8 with a -22 wind chill. (I plan to throw rocks at the first person who complains about the heat this summer!) We were fortunate that we only received a few snow flurries yesterday. No warming in sight for the next week or so. Ugh!!!

    You're right! Neighbors like those are truly a blessing.
    Stay safe. Stay warm. Cuddle with kitty. 🐱🤗💞

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    Replies
    1. Lap warming kitty is another blessing in my life. Even if he is grumpy that I haven't changed the season outside for him.

      Stay safe and warm down there, too!

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  3. Barb, that is wonderful to have good neighbors. Was clearing the apron of the driveway and the young boys across the street brought shovels and helped. Made cookies and gave them some money. They were happy campers! ME TOO. The apron was horrible and it was bitter out here, too.

    The thin layer of snow left on the drive is going to remain there for the duration I’m afraid, but that’s all right. MUCH better than it was.

    Poor Prisoner! At least he had the good sense to come back in.

    Take good care.

    Hugs
    Barb
    1cd

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I happily give money to kids who have the hustle to help out! You are blessed!

      How's Miss Lilly dealing? I hear Carl is not a fan of snow deep enough to reach his belly... and his "mom" says she has to wipe his paws up to the "elbows" when he comes back in.

      Hope the sunshine is reaching you to provide some cheer if not a lot of warmth!

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  4. Donna & Patrick help restore my faith that there are good people in this world willing to help others without nefarious ulterior motives (think the news has jaded my thoughts, working on changing that).

    Keep warm!

    PHOENIX1949

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    Replies
    1. I know just what you mean! Every so often something like this happens and your heart warms and you say, "These folks are living their faith (or ethics, or morals, or whatever you want to attribute their values to)." The news seems to want to stir you up to be angry or afraid... kindness in real life restores hope and faith.

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  5. OMG that is cold. I thought it was bad here. We're in the -10 at night, but during the day the sun has come out. We're in a heatwave at 6 right now. LOL That was nice to get some help with the snow shoveling. Its nice when you have neighbors to do that. Stay warm inside now.

    Have a great day! (((BIG HUGS)))

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    Replies
    1. A third neighbor (or the clearing service the condos use) took another pass at the northern third of my walks just within the past hour. It's like the people who ARE able rotate helping whoever needs it! The news was telling us last week that Lincoln and Grand Island are two cities in Nebraska that have been declared "elder friendly" because of things like this? However we got here, I'm grateful.

      (( Big hugs )) And by the way -10 is plenty cold enough, thank you!

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  6. No worries about the C and the F, love that my phones switches easy for me as my sister being in Florida tells me F and I tell her C and we look it up at the same time - LOL. Running joke between us, our outside thermometer gives us both and no matter which way you look at it - it is darn cold out in both places. Wonderful to hear of the elder friendly places, maybe it will catch on all over the place. Keep warm my friend and have a great week.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sisters! There's nothing like the connection from childhood onward, is there? One thing I remember from long ago is that -40 is the same in both C and F. Brrrr!

      Keep warm up there in the frozen North!

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  7. Nice picture of sun and shadow! Hope it’s stayed clear.

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