We arrive at another Friday, this week filled with tremendous amounts of “white stuff” in the midlands. Specifically a huge snowstorm which, if the national media is to be believed, also managed to dump snow from the south Kansas border on up into Illinois and southern Michigan. Here in Omaha we received 11.9 inches on Monday, and another dusting on Wednesday morning. The three day total was just under 15 inches. Iowa to the east received even more. Lincoln Nebraska, 50 miles west of us, received closer to 17inches. Quite the storm.
In anticipation of snow, we went shopping on Sunday, hitting four separate grocery stores to lay in supplies, as if we were going to be stuck for days (midwestern mindset, left over from our prairie sod busting days.) The snow started coming Sunday evening, and finally stopped sometime in the early morning hours of Tuesday. We awoke to the white silence and beauty of every surface covered with white “hats” and birds flying around our bird feeders and heated water facility.
Mark fired up, or actually inserted the batteries on his snowblower and went to work. Two hours later the drive was cleared as well as the sidewalk and front steps to the house. We were able to sit on our porch and look out at the white expanse of a pristine snowfall that evening, the only sound the occasional muffled snow blower toiling a few blocks away.
Wednesday morning revealed a fresh inch of the white stuff spread all over the drive and car again. This one swept up rather quickly; however the City’s snowplows had managed to provide an eighteen inch hardened furrow at the end of the drive. This was dispatched by the shovel wielding 73 year old workaholic. Not that we had to go anywhere, but just that we could if we wanted to. What good is it to have a pair of 4-wheel drive Subaru vehicles if not to entertain the thought that we could.
While Mark was out taming the elements on Tuesday, Deb mixed up the batter for her world famous chocolate chip cookies, and Wednesday produced a batch for sampling. All the calories expended in snow shoveling were quickly replaced, and then some. Speaking of comfort food, Deb made her world famous chili in the new Instant Pot for the first time. It was some of the best ever served in this house and there was enough to feed us for three nights and still some leftover for the freezer and a later meal.
Zoom meetings this week included a Saturday Family Meeting with Ed & Meg, Jake & Audrey, and Abigail, Deb’s Women With Spines monthly book club meeting on Tuesday, Wednesday Girls Drink Night and Friday’s upcoming Tucson cocktail hour. In our comfort food mode, Deb made another meatloaf, accompanied by baked potatoes and another tossed salad. We were commenting on the fact that we, probably eight years ago, threw out all the past dated and spoiling bottles of salad dressing from our refrigerator and never looked back. We now make our own vinaigrette dressing from fresh ingredients, some times using a raspberry vinegar for variation. Fresh tasting and never goes out of date.
On Thursday, Deb finally got to a project she has been threatening all winter - clearing the freezer of extraneous and unidentifiable items. Now we can begin cooking from our freezer with the remaining food and then begin buying only what we need for the week, ice cream excluded. This was an entire afternoon’s project but the time went by quickly as the meatloaf was cooking and bingeing episodes of The Leftovers while she worked.
The other culinary note is Mark’s discovery that hot Earl Grey tea in the afternoon, accompanied by a few homemade chocolate chip cookies are a marvel, especially with a good book.
Friday morning brought another large scale project. Deb has been clearing the basement in anticipation of finishing off one remaining section for more wall space for art, and another place to hide out and watch some TV, a movie, or to read. Also, we may end up with an area for short time visitors (grandkids and such.) Our dear friend Garth Highland came over with his trusty Chevy pick-up and helped us load a large 6 drawer lateral file cabinet in the back end of the truck; we then hauled it down to the Omaha Girls Rock warehouse as a donation for their use. We could not have completed this without Garth, and all it cost was a small baggie of chocolate chip cookies!
Well that wraps up another week under quarantine in Omaha. Stay safe, keep washing your hands, mask up and stay safely distanced if you venture out. Stay close to those you live with, and keep in touch with those you love.
