Thursdays on the Bench

(Cathy) Hello fellow bloggers! So, we finally have snow! It's beautiful and it's melting already. It's actually raining right now and there are deep puddles everywhere. I really hope the snow will arrive and stay in time for Christmas. Well, as it was the first time ever it has ever snowed in our fair city ever (did I say ever?) there were so far over 50 accidents on the roadways! Why? Who are the drivers who lack common sense and continually refuse to slow down? Do you think the accidents are caused by people who have never driven in the winter before? Or is it just a false sense of overconfidence or just plain stupidity? It's sad that we always comment the same way each time we experience the first snowfall. (Sunshine) Well this year I got a set of snow tires put on my vehicle. Well I can tell you driving in the slush and snow today that they made a world of difference. I too, have snow tires on my car so I didn't find it a problem for driving and fortunately for me I don't have to drive far.

I was helping out at the school this morning. (I just remembered that this is being posted for Thursday and I am writing this on Wednesday). The radio stations advised that school buses were canceled for just a few districts. It was very well stated on the radio and repeated many times. I arrived at the school only to answer never ending phone calls asking if school was closed. There were many kids kept at home with the reason that the weather was too harsh! Wow! I can hear the stories now from people who grew up a few generations ago and had to walk miles and miles and over and over snow drifts up to their chins! Oh well, people are people and life goes on.

Well I was watching the TV from about 4:00 am this morning. Miss Teen Sunshine's buses were cancelled. I had to call Carolin's teenager to make sure. Once we established that they were both not going to school, I was focusing on the school that I work at and our buses were also cancelled. It didn't look good out there so I told Little Miss Sunshine that she could have a snow day if she wanted to. She was unsure but I was steering her towards staying in for the day. I called her school and told them that she would be staying home due to weather. At a bout 8:30am I called my school to double check that we were closed for the day and I learned that we were actually open. I had little Miss Sunshine get dressed and left another message at her school stating that she was in fact coming in. We arrived at her school about 15 minutes late and off to work I went. It was very slow and slushy outside with with my new snow tires it was more then manageable. I had mixed feelings about having a snow day. Firstly Sunshine get used to teen Sunshine having snow days cause the school she goes to will call a snow day at the first sighting of a flake falling from the sky. I wanted a snow day cause there is so much that needs to be done at home but on the other hand a snow day means NO MONEY! By the end of the day I was glad we didn't have a snow day I had a very busy day, I was short about $5.00 from braking my highest number is sales. Before I left for work I gave the teenager a list of chores to do, decorate the Christmas tree, wrap gifts, tidy house, make dinner etc...

I wonder if the ladies have finished their baking?????? Mine are baked and bagged. O.K. I'm bragging. It's just that I am always in a panic over our annual cookie exchange and it's nice to be ready this year before our get together. Little Miss Sunshine and I baked last night. She seems to have a real knack for baking. I tryed two new recipes and they are both just OK. I am still having trouble with the packaging. They are all wrapped but I am not happy with how they look. I may have to change something tomorrow. I as well am done for Friday night. I doubled the batch of cookies for work and put a bunch aside for what I needed this week for other events. I will package them on Friday. I can tell you the kids at school all liked the cookies. I have a question about the cookie exchange. Where is it this year?


Well now, the rain has stopped and the sun is trying to peak its way through. Let's hope that the rush hour drive home is calmer than this mornings drive was. The drive home was much better. The school yard was filled with water and slush. I left in such a hurry this morning that I did not have time to dig out my winter boots so I left with my running shoes. Well needless to say my feet were soaked all day long. The school yard was filled with huge snow man size snow ball all over it after school. There must have been about 40 or 50 huge balls out there. The kids must have had so much fun making them. I was watching some of the kids on there recess making snowmen and it did look fun. The weather was great for making snowman. The little one wore her snow boots for the first time and when she got home last night her feet were all wet. She did say walked through a puddle but I am thinking of returning them.


Oh, yeah, I finished reading Lawrence Hill's book, "The Book of Negros". I really enjoyed it and recommend it to anyone. It's funny because I have never heard anyone speak of this book and as I was reading it people would come up to me and say that they had read it and really liked it, too!


I should leave some room for the ladies so I'll leave you now. I have a busy rest of the week with more baking, a school concert, tree buying and house decorating. It has been busy here as well, Monday night was are only free night, the teenagers music night is tonight and the husband and I are tossing a coin to see who has to go! I think he should since he is on the afternoon shift wen she has her spring and last high school concert (yea!!!) so he wont be there for that. She said neither of us have to go but I have a feeling if one of us doesn't go we will be hearing about it years from now. She is in only one band this year so I am hoping she will find out when she is on and then I will show up for that and not have to stay for the whole thing. I know bad mom but I don't care I have been doing Christmas concerts now for 14 years I never have been fond of them. I have to go to the little ones concert next Thursday night. The one nice thing about hers is it is entertaining watching the kindergarten kids cause you never know what they will do.

Tomorrow night we are going to see performances for the So You Think you can dance tour. Little Miss Sunshine won the tickets in a school raffle. The show starts at 7:30 so it will be a late night. This Weekend we are in Kitchener for a music concert that Miss Teen Sunshine is in on Saturday afternoon. So between the cookie exchange on Friday, soccer and the concert and My sisters birthday on Saturday and the hard wood floor going in on Sunday. It is going to be a very very busy weekend. I can't wait for the holidays. Sounds like your house is like ours busy, busy. I think that is the part of the holidays I don't like. I wish we could spread out the joy a bit more. It would be nice to have a winter concert maybe in January instead of just before Christmas. And last night the husband tells me that Chrysler has scheduled the next two Saturdays for production! Man I hate that company, I know hate is a strong word but we have dealt with this crap for 23 years. Make the employees work the two Saturdays before Christmas when we all know they will have family stuff and then lay them off for a few weeks in January! He did say he would try to book the Saturdays off but I wasn't to hold my breath.

I am sending out my Christmas cards tomorrow morning and I desperately need to do some Christmas gift shopping. Wow the time is really flying by. I have started mailing and handing out mine but still have to get more stamps and write a few more.

I am really looking forward to seeing the girls on Friday night. What should I prepare for us to eat and drink? Any suggestions? Oh I guess that means we are going to your house! Good stuff looking forward to seeing all the work that has been done. And why do you ask what to drink we all know you will make a cranberry punch. Perhaps I will just go pick up potato skins I say at Costco they looked good. Keep it simple!

Have a good week all!