Robert William sent me these for Valentine’s Day. Now with the internet you can get nice flowers on Hallmark Days for not much money at all. So it works out okay for someone like me .

Northern Indiana wind in February after long cold spell.

And I worked today. I cleaned. I do not like housework but when there is a dramatic change, I dislike it less. I scrubbed bathrooms! Yes, I did. This honest-to-goodness AmeliaJakc got down on her hands and knees and did toilets. And mirrors. I vacuumed . . . after finding the floor. I did laundry. I vacuumed the stairs! I cleaned counters! Oh, I am such a heroine.

And then I showered and am sitting here all self-righteous and clean.

Now what?

Well, there is a lot more cleaning to do. Ack! I feel myself deflating . . .  I must devise a way to motivate others to clean, to want to clean, to need to clean. Oh, this is so horrible, but what about calling an OCD clinic and inquiring about neat freaks?

Rose is sending me to time out.

Here’s the SITE about you new temporary resident. I feel a little uncomfortable thinking about eating him, although I did entertain the thought of putting him on the floor and making everyone revert to caveman stage. Not that my family has evolved that far beyond. We could probably be on Animal Planet or National Geographic.

Here’s a little promo paragraph from the site:

The World’s Largest Gummy Bear is the lion of the candy world. There is no candy more magnificent or more powerful. This five-pound beast is the equivalent of 1,400 regular sized gummy bears and packs a whopping 12,600 calories.

It will be hard to sneak bites because it would take probably an hour to get your tongue and teeth unstuck and functioning efficiently. I must remember to leave my one fake tooth out of my mouth – it’s called a spider bridge and those little metal legs would never get out of a big bite of giant gummy bear. I know this because once I ate a little gummy bear with the bridge in my mouth . . . and that was interesting.

The site is called Vat 19: Purveyors of Curiously Awesome Products.  The categories are . . .

I may be gone for a long time.

My internet connection is flickering right now, so I’ll be quick.

Cameron got the audience together – California LemonHead, Sam Adams, the Monk, Sam Adams and Spike

First thing out of the box – not the surprise.

The inner box . . . getting close.

THE FIVE POUND GUMMY BEAR

We have waited until Friday to post this about the surprise that awaits Der Bingle at the Peanut Butter Cafe & Roadhouse, because even if he takes a look at this site at noon, it will only serve to sharpen the surprise. He won’t have enough time to try to figure it out and/or wear people down to telling him what is IN THE BOX that LZP sent. Even LZP says he thinks he has outdone himself this time.

The box came this week and news that it was coming came earlier. We were told to have cameras ready to record the opening. I, myself, could not guess what  it could be. I mean when you have gotten gnomes and peeps in the mail,  you realize . . . well, you just realize.

LZP told me what is in the box and I am flabbergasted. He HAS  outdone himself. And that is saying something because LZP is very, very smart and clever. And unique. I know this really isn’t fair, my knowing and your not. But that’s another reason I waited until today. Tonight the world will know.

Oh, I want to tell so bad . . .

I had good intentions but things got away from me and I didn’t get the house as well-prepared for winter as I would have liked. And  this winter has been snowy and cold. Crackling cold, soda pop can exploding cold.

I am now getting up to check on the dogs who just went out minutes ago.

Yes, there were ready to come in and a bunch of heavy cold air just leaned over and fell in with them. There is no wind this morning and it is very still out there in back. Nothing pushed the cold in, but in moments the area around me was like one big walk-in freezer. Closing the door didn’t make an immediate difference; mingling molecules have helped diffuse it but it leaves an eerie feeling. I think without the instant obvious relief that comes from shutting the door against wind and/or stinging snow, I feel that something alien has come in. Cold, still air has an emptiness about it.

I didn’t expect to think about it, but I think if given the choice, I would choose to freeze to death in a raging blizzard rather than by being locked in a some sub-zero, commercial freezer. I suppose I could wander into the back of a semi hauling frozen food and when they opened the doors at some distribution point, someone would remark, “Wow, look at that, Lloyd. Reckon she’s been like that since Wichita?”

Frozen peas come to mind. Why peas? Why not Sara Lee goodies or ice cream? In the word association test of death with frozen food I come up with peas? That has to send up some red flag. Come to think of it, thinking my way into that scenario nudges one to think I might be a little “different” or “special”.

It is not as cold, though, as if could be. We have clouds. But we are going to get sunshine and then it will get colder. Oh, I see the small branches are now moving a little – a harbinger of the dreaded wind chill.

But back to heat – the heat that is leaking out of my house because I wasn’t thorough. I don’t care. Well, I do care but I’ve decided to accept my failing and live with the higher energy bill and stay warm. Next year I will prepare for hunkering on a budget.

In the meantime, I found this picture right after I posted the picture of the Scott School:

1941-42 SCOTT HIGH SCHOOL BAND

I got in a hurry and didn’t take enough care in taking this shot. So I will try again later, but still I wanted to post this picture of the school from which my aunt, uncle, mother and two cousins graduated. The school grounds abutted with my grandparent’s property and Mother said she could head out the door after lunch when the first bell rang and be there before it stopped.

I went there for one six-week period when my grandmother broke her hip and Mother and I stayed. Even at third grade age, I was astounded at how the steps were worn in the middle from all the kids trudging into school.

I remember Mother received this postcard mounted on one of the bricks from the original building. Or maybe she had to pay for it. Heck, I don’t know. I’ll try and find the yearbook for 1944 and post pictures of the graduating class – all eight of them.

This is a picture of my father from the 1920’s; I remember him remarking on the “Old Timers” in town telling stories about fighting Indians on the frontier. Seeing that picture makes me think of that boy listening to old men, just as other boys would one day listen to him. Heaven knows what all they passed on.

It makes me think of just lifespans in general. Well, for instance, there’s mine. My youth that matched the years numbered in the picture above is also long gone. And that’s all right. I like having these links to previous eras. I look back at these pictures and somehow I remember a time before I could possibly remember and blend it into my memories. And, in doing so, I feel the responsibility and desire to be kinder than I by nature want to be.