I did shovel and scrape, really I did. Fat lot of good it did me. Mama Nature should be called for piling on. Eventually I ran out of steam and made a Note to Self: Call Tom Morrison. That was a couple of days ago.
This morning Bruce and Andi Laidlaw’s bright blue happy car pulled into the driveway to carry me off to breakfast at Chris and Sonny’s. Before I noticed they’d arrived, Bruce was halfway up the Mt. Everest of uncleared steps, determined to keep me from cartwheeling myself to an early death. No picture of Bruce halfway up the steps looking worried.
Over at Sonny’s, Norton Bretz and Dean Branson were conferring about keeping Torch Lake pristine, and Sonny himself was holding court at the back table. We took a booth. Bruce and Andi had read yesterday’s Torch Lake Views, and as they are blessedly not young enough to be my grandchildren, we had a good time swapping stories about where we were during the Kennedy administration.
Bruce was a student at the University of Michigan during the campaign. JFK was going to make an appearance at the Student Union, and a crowd of students gathered to see him. A big crowd. Bruce said when Kennedy appeared, that crowd surged forward, and Bruce felt all the air being pushed out of his lungs. He spent the next little while gasping for air rather than hearing the historic Peace Corps speech. Andi turned out to see Dick Nixon make a whistle stop on the campaign trail. We all remembered the Inaugural. We all remembered Dallas, too, but we didn’t talk about that today. We just remembered the good stuff, Jack Kennedy and Dick Nixon, both of ’em out there within touching distance of The People, including our youthful selves. It was a different time, if only for a moment.
As we were leaving, I told them my favorite Chris story, and Chris heard me and laughed and told one that topped it, and here it is.
One day a young woman, maybe 24 or so, came in and said she was having car trouble. She’d like to leave it overnight and call someone to come get her. Would that be OK? Well, sure, Chris told her, but why don’t you just take my car and bring it back tomorrow?
You’d let me take your car? asked the customer, staring at the keys that Chris was holding out to her. Well sure, said Chris. I know who you are. I know your parents!
The moral of the story: Watch yourself. The people you meet while you’re out and about are likely to know who you are even if you don’t recognize them, and they probably know your parents.
It is still snowing out there, and I am not up to going out in it to make pictures for you. I thought I’d show you instead what there is to do indoors. As I took these photos I laughed at some very good memories.
Then I noticed all the dust bunnies, and had to get out the duster. Then I had to spend quite a long time getting up off the floor where I’d crouched to dust that bottom shelf. On the way up I spotted the Yo Yo Ma CD (I know, I know, I am hopelessly old-fashioned). It’s playing on the laptop as I write this.
It’s really a very good day, especially if you can stay indoors to ponder the geology of snow. I hope you have a good one, too.
Torch Lake Views 
P.j. grath
January 21, 2011
I think most of the snow blew right over our little peninsula and landed on your side of the Bay. It was, however, super-cold over here. I give myself an A+ for the day because I got out on the snowshoes. Not for long, but I got out on them. First time. Then came inside and made a slow-cooking soup. Your game cupboard looks like fun!
Gerry
January 21, 2011
The snow will do that. Earlier in the winter, it blew right past my little woods and up to the top of the ridge east of Eastport. There is no way to know where it’s lurking, although it’s a pretty fair bet to be wherever I want to go.
I’m glad you tried the snowshoes! I’ll bet they show up in a post soon. The game cupboard is fun. It is the perfect accompaniment to slow-cooking soup.
Dawn
January 21, 2011
Oh you’re making me smile. It’s 4 degrees out, I’m warm and safe back at home after a crazy work day. And I agree, snowy days are best spent at home puttering. But maybe not dusting…unless you really LIKE dusting. I’m looking forward to being able to retire again so that I can laugh at the snow.
Gerry
January 21, 2011
Nope. Dusting is not one of my favorite putters. But when I got down there to take the photo, clouds of dust bunnies rose to meet me. I cannot be taking pictures of my dust bunnies! It was time to Take Measures.
Now I have a new plan. I am thinking of turning the Cowboy into an interactive duster.
flandrumhill
January 22, 2011
It’s been years since I’ve played Mastermind. Maybe one of these days we’ll have a game together 🙂
If the snow keeps falling at this rate, you’re going to have to come up with an alternative to those stairs. What about some kind of pulley device?
Gerry
January 22, 2011
You remind me of LaMirada Bob and Bonnie his Beloved. Pool sharks, all of you. Their game is dominoes. That’s OK, I’m a bit of a pool shark myself. My game–no, wait, why should I tell? I will not.
My solution to the stair problem is to get Tom Morrison over here. He will take care of it right smartly. I have fantasized many times about a pulley system to bring firewood from driveway level to fireplace level. So far to no good effect.
Karma
January 22, 2011
Use the dog as a duster? Heck, the dogs are the main reason I have to dust most of the time. Ok, well maybe not dust so much as pick up the clumps of fur as they gather. My dogs do not seem to understand the concept that one need not shed in winter.
Seems the bitter cold is sweeping over all of us these days. The sunshine is making it seem deceptively nice outside, but it lies.
The lousy weather had one perk for me yesterday. Had a “date night” with hubby for dinner out and a movie, and it wasn’t all that crowded out for a Friday night.
Gerry
January 22, 2011
You make a good point, but the Cowboy is just so irresistibly duster-like, and I believe I could shake him out over the deck rail.
You have both sunshine and a date night? Your life is blessed. (You already know that! :))
isathreadsoflife
January 23, 2011
Great memories of scrabble and mastermind around the family table. The fun of trying to play scrabble in English on a French game. Inventing “franglo” words 😉 As for Yo Yo Ma, I´m like you, hopelessly and happily old-fashioned. Nice post from inside watching outside.
Gerry
January 23, 2011
Hello, Isa! I think part of the fun of Scrabble is word invention. We’re pretty good at Spanglish.
kanniduba
January 24, 2011
LOL
The joys of living in a small town where everyone knows your parents whether you know them or not! :). We have that here too.
Gerry
January 24, 2011
Exactly! It has its advantages, it does. Of course, a lot of kids can’t wait to shake the claustrophobic dust from their feet, and I understand that. Odd, though, how many come back to raise their own children in a small town.