Snow Rainbow

 It snowed all day today. Not big flakes that amounted to much, but little tiny flakes that only added up to about an inch of accumulation.  When I went out just before 5 o'clock to shovel the driveway I looked up at the setting sun and was amazed to see that the tiny flakes in the atmosphere were making a rainbow.  If you look to the left of the light pole you can see the little rainbow smudge in the sky.  Pretty cool.  And crazy cold.  It was 3 degrees and only a little windy when I was out there.  Brr.

I looked out the patio door and thought that the snow on top of one of the bird food cans looks like the curl on top of a DQ.  Don't you agree?  By the way, that is not all just today's snow, that's last week's 4 inches plus yesterday's inch and today's inch.  The stuff accumulates, especially when it's this cold.

Once I'd warmed up I sat down and finished knitting the February Cast Sock #1.  I ended up not fixing those two purls that should be knits, they're just not that noticeable.

13 February--Barbara Malcolm,  The Seaview. 

            The sound of my family coming back from shopping pulled me from my reverie.  "Mom, we found goat gouda," Marie said. 

            "Oh, good," I said, "it's my favorite.  Did you buy enough for me to keep some?"

            She rolled her eyes at me.  "Of course."

            Will and Elizabeth came in, arms laden with bags and boxes, and set them on every available surface.  "What's first?" I asked Elizabeth.  Yes, it was my party, but when you've got a real chef available you take advantage of her.

            My daughter-in-law smiled at me.  "I had a feeling..." She sorted through the bags.  "Will, you and Marie wash all this fruit, please, and cut it up in finger-food shapes."  Will and Marie made themselves a space to work, poked around for a platter or two, and got scrubbing and cutting.  Elizabeth fixed me with her gaze.  "Were you serious when you said that you made salad in a kitty litter pan?"  She covered her face with her hands.  "I can't believe I even said those words," she said.

            I pulled the lime green pan off the bottom shelf.  "Here it is.  I bought it new and I guarantee that it has never been used for its intended purpose."  I lifted my hand to my chest.  "Cross my heart."       She sighed.  "Okay, this goes against everything I ever learned in culinary school but, Rose, will you please make the salad in the green pan?"  She sorted the bags and handed me the ones with the lettuces, scallions, carrots, and tomatoes.  "I'll make the dressing, but first I found some frozen phyllo and some smoky links so I thought the guys would like pigs in a blanket."

            I smiled at her.  "Great idea.  I assume you got crackers and a few kinds of cheese?"

            She nodded.  "Marie did.  Will was on tubular meat duty.  I am certain that bratwurst isn't available here but he assured me he'd find some sausage we can grill." 

            "And I did," Will said over his shoulder. 

            "Burgers?" I asked. 

            "Nope," Will said, "all the grocery had was hot dog buns so all of the meat I bought fits on them.  We thought about wings but they cost an arm and a leg and the other meat labeled chicken didn't look like any chicken I've ever seen so we passed." 

            "Besides," said Elizabeth, picking up the story, "we don't have time to marinate anything.  Do you have a grill?" 

            I shook my head.  "Silas said we could borrow one of Johnno's grills until I get one of my own."  Will washed his hands.  "Marie, can you finish up?  I just realized that I need to get the drinks iced."  He looked out the back door.  "Mom, what happened to that washtub you had out here?"

            I had a flashback to the washtub sitting cockeyed in the lobby floor filled with ashes and ringed by empty beer bottles.  "It's under the back porch.  Remember there's a hole in it so you should probably find something to plug it to at least slow the ice water leaking out." 

            His muffled voice came from outside.  "Found it." 

            For the next hour it was quiet in the kitchen except for knives on cutting boards and Elizabeth talking to herself as she wrapped what looked like a couple hundred little smokies in wonton wrapper-size pieces of phyllo. 

            Will was outside raking the backyard, sweeping off the patio, and moving chairs around.  He came in and carried a few of the lobby chairs out back "just in case someone brings a date."  He winked at Marie as he passed by and nudged her with his elbow.

            "Shut up," she said and blushed to her hairline.

            I stood at the edge of the kitchen island watching three kinds of rinsed lettuce make a puddle under the big colander, shredding carrots and cutting scallions.  I hadn't told them about Janet Fielding yet.  I wanted to keep that to myself for a few hours.  I'll make the announcement at tonight's party.

I didn't toss anything again today--except for a driveway's worth of shovels full of snow.  I think I've lost my motivation to toss things.  I'll have to search around for something toss-able.

Today's prompt asked what you'd change about your personality.  Well, nothing.  I'd change some things about myself like I'd like to get rid of the depression that dogs my days but I don't think that's part of my personality.  I think I have a sparkling personality.  But maybe that's just me.

--Barbara