Tag Archives: winter

Sixteen for Dinner

Yep – Sixteen. In our Little Lindale House!!

It started quite innocently.  Four SOWER couples were working at a nearby SOWER project, and since we had previously worked with three of them, we wanted to make sure we connected before they left the area.  Surely we could host those good folks for burgers, right? We checked with all parties involved, and set the day and time  – it was a go! But wait – what about the active SOWERs that live here in our community? Maybe they would like to come and meet these guys. OK, that’s only 2 more couples – we could still fit, couldn’t we? Oh – I forgot – there’s an Alumni SOWER parked in our SOWER RV lot. I bet they’d like to come too! And so it was – including the old SOWERs who live in the house, there were 16 of us for dinner! It was a pseudo-structured potluck – burgers, rolls, and fixin’s were covered. The rest was a delightful surprise! Thankfully, the weather was mild enough that about half the gang was outside at any given time,
Dinner party
Dinner party
so while the fellowship was very sweet, it didn’t have to also be “close fellowship”!
Until we all squeezed in for a traditional SOWER Group Picture, that is!
Dinner party

I loved the way the plan came together!! It’s an encouragement to me to get back on the entertaining bandwagon, but also to keep a close eye on the weather!! Yesterday it was in the high 50’s. Not too bad for January. Today it has rained all day, and the temps are plummeting as I type. Starting tomorrow morning, we’re being promised 90+ hours of below-freezing weather. Like in the teens below-freezing.

Screenshot

Oh, and some sort of wintery mix – rain, sleet, freezing rain and maybe even snow. We’re stocked up on our bread, eggs, milk, and TP so I think we’re ready!  (Oh, and maple syrup for that French Toast!)

Needless to say, we got that dinner party in just under the wire! Pretty sure we won’t be budging from the house until next week sometime. (Unless the power goes out and we need to find a neighbor with a working generator!)

Texas isn’t the only location under a Winter Weather Watch – so stay warm and safe out there, friends!! Maybe you should stay home too!!

Steph

Snow Boots and Slippers

We have worked pretty hard in the last 14 January’s to be in places that require sandals and sneakers rather than snow boots and slippers. And we’ve been moderately successful. Oh, there have been a few snow sightings over the years, but nothing that lasted more than the morning. We’ve had to pull out the sweatshirts and fleeces on occasion, but most every day held the possibility of ‘sunny and 70’ whether or not it was actually achieved. This year was to be no exception.

But when an extreme gall bladder attack revealed two masses on the pancreas of my sister Elna in Vermont, I knew that snow boots and slippers were in my January future. Continue reading Snow Boots and Slippers