Stilly, I'm not sure I want to hear about buds and blooms...it's (expletive deleted) SNOWING again! The good news is it was supposed to be rain. I'll take snow any day over rain on top of snow.

So...this morning I cleared off about 8+ inches off the deck and stairs. Not heavy snow, at least. Wanted to get it cleaned off before this afternoon's predicted rain came in. Believe me, it was REAL tempting to stay in bed with a book, a cup of tea, and a couple cats... It was more difficult to clear off the car, because my plow guy is running out of places to put the snow, so it was a little complicated to get to the car. But I succeeded and drove it into the plowed part of the driveway to clean it off.

Then drove to the road to collect yesterday's mail... Not only had the town plow pushed up so much snow against the mailbox that I had to wade up to my hips to extricate the mail, but he'd also knocked the mailbox off the post.

So....took the car back down the driveway and parked it in the turnaround area out of the way (I hoped) when my plow guy came to clean up and do the spot my car had been parked in. THEN I had to go in and call the post office to tell them to hold my mail until both situations are fixed. The carrier will know right away that she can't use the mailbox. Tomorrow I have to go to the PO and fill out the hold mail paperwork and collect today's and tomorrow's post. Arghhhhh. One. More. Thing.

But...to use up the rest of a head of cabbage I had in the fridge (and the last of the carrots and celery), I made a killer cabbage soup. Never used the recipe before, but I made a couple modifications. Used my veggie stock and chicken stock from the freezer (instead of plain water) and added garlic. It also has potatoes and bacon in it, and, after it's "done" the recipe calls for flour blended into butter to be added. Good recipe (especially with my modifications) but I haven't a clue where I got it. I think I found it while looking for a recipe to reproduce a Czechoslovakian cabbage soup served with a dollop of sour cream that I used to order at Allison's in Dock Square, Kennebunkport, in the '70s. This recipe is different from that one, but it sure is a keeper. I love cabbage...

So I decided I'd done enough work (especially the shoveling) today, so retired upstairs with a glass of sherry, a copy of the November Vanity Fair I'm trying to get caught up on, and a couple cats.

Then, around 4:00 this afternoon I looked out and discovered it wasn't rain... Put gear back on and went out and shoveled another 3-4 inches of (thank goodness!) NOT rain-sodden snow off the deck and steps.

Tonight's session in Dover was cancelled this morning in anticipation of freezing rain... so I don't have to feel guilty about not going. More book...more cats...maybe a snifter of brandy later. (Or else a margarita so I can pretend I'm at a beach somewhere warm with palm trees...)

Linn