Being stuck in the “home office” for weeks at a time during Maine’s harsh winters can be pretty…depressing. On Sunday night, we were under a wind chill advisory, with the “chills” dipping to -30 to -40 F. Brrr…. We have an entire closet of quilts and blankets under the stairs and all the kids raided it before bedtime that night. Max and Mason’s bed, piled high with five quilts and blankets that night, reminded me of John Denver’s old song, Grandma’s Feather Bed. Of course, if you go to sleep with that many covers, it’s inevitable you’ll wake up sweating at some point during the night.

With regards to our Cabin Fever, Richard keeps busy running Max here, there, and everywhere for his homeschooling activities. He’s also in charge of shoveling (though the boys do help) and the snow piled up next to the driveway is now four feet deep. Mason (age 4) prefers to stay home with me rather than brave the sub-zero temperatures. Of course, the snow is so deep we might lose him if we let him play outside. It’s too cold for any of the children to play outside right now. It’s not even safe to build a small snowman.

I make lots of gifts throughout the year so I’m getting a good bit of my crafting done right now. I’m also trying to catch up on my reading. When I’m really, really bored, I fold laundry, of which there is never a shortage! We recently bought all the past seasons of Psych and we’ve been enjoying watching that each evening. It’s very witty and we especially like all the references to 80’s pop culture.

Ali, of course, can be found in the kitchen almost daily, baking one thing or another that’s guaranteed to put extra “padding” on us for the cold winter. Over the weekend, she and her boyfriend (also a chef) cooked two lasagnas (regular and veggie) with homemade noodles. What a treat!! We’ve also had a HUGE Mexican dip and barbequed pork chops this week and I believe they’re making homemade pizza for dinner tonight. Hey, we need all the warm padding we can get right now!

When they’re not in school, the older boys stay busy either playing videogames or watching movies. I sure feel sorry for the children who must wait at bus stops this time of year!

Last weekend, Zach flew to Atlanta and got stuck sleeping in the freezing baggage claim area of a New York airport all night. He was NOT a happy camper. He made it home safely, however, and a new storm is supposed to hit here on Thursday. I’ve been predicting a very bad winter since last Spring (which was very mild and wet) and, unfortunately, I was right.

This week’s Maxism:
“I’m glad I’m not a dragonfly!!!”

Hugs to all!

Angela

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HOW TO REMEMBER, WRITE AND PUBLISH YOUR LIFE STORY! by Angela Hoy
Using Angela’s MEMORY TRIGGERS, recall memories that have been dormant for years, and record those memories in chronological order in your memory notebook. Using the memory notebook as your outline, write your autobiography! **Also works for biographies and memoirs.**