Sat in the porch swing for a little while today. It’s really cloudy and windy. Not many bird friends flitting around. Only saw three cardinals and a titmouse. Dum Dum, the dove, was sitting on the turret across the street as usual and cooing in his strange singing voice. Last time I bought bird seed, I got mixed bird seeds with peanuts but the birds would rather have just plain black oil sunflower seeds. That’s their favorite. I’ll buy that next time. Like everything else the price of bird seed has gone up. Got on the porch too late to see Mr. Wood Thrush.

The wind finally ran me off the porch swing so I came in the house and decided to take the remaining Christmas garlands down. Yeah, I know it’s February! I usually take all the balls and lights off the garlands before I take them down but this year I secured all the decorations tightly on the garlands so I could put them in tote boxes and just do a little fluffing and rearranging next year. Got the dining room garland down with only one ornament coming off but I could not get the lid to fasten down on the plastic tote. I sat on it, tried everything to get it to shut. Kicked it! Worked up a sweat trying to make that lid fit. The lid would make a preacher cuss! Got Stew to come and try to help me. Together we couldn’t get the lid on. Took the stairway garland down next, put it in a tote, and couldn’t get that lid on either. I think I am reasonably intelligent but those plastic totes have buffaloed me. Got them with my Wally World pick up grocery order so maybe they grabbed the wrong lids. Gonna get oldest brother, when he visits today, to try and put the lids on. He’ll probably cuss!

Had to get on the little ladder to take down the dining room garland. It’s over the whole entrance to the room so I had to move the ladder twice. Made it to the middle of the opening and one of the poinsettia stems from the first half of the garland got hung up in the back of my sweater while I was reaching up to take the middle piece down. Had a death grip on the molding above the entryway while trying to get myself untangled and trying not to tear up the garland and trying not to fall off the ladder. Nothing is never simple with me. If you say it can’t believe me it will where I’m concerned.

If the planets align correctly we might see some snow late Saturday night. Wahooo! Better pick up some snow groceries tomorrow! Josh Johnson said he wasn’t mentioning it on tv till the forecast is more secure. I saw it on his live Facebook post. If it’s just a brief flurry it will excite me and I’ll stay up no matter what to catch the first flake. You would think at my age I’d rather sleep than watch out the window for snow. I love to watch it fall but don’t want a dangerous mess causing problems with getting around.

I can remember being about five years old and my daddy walking me around in the back yard here and up Uncle Tom’s driveway next door after it snowed. He held my hand the whole walk. I had little red rubber rain boots on and was thrilled by my footprints in the snow. The snow was several inches deep. I can still see those boots and remember looking down at the little imprints I made in the snow. I can also remember the radio telling us when it was ok to eat the snow and mama would make snow ice cream.

Chief’s sister and I had a snow ritual in Alexander City. We both watched out the window of our houses and who ever saw a flake first called the other. We’d then meet at the end of her driveway to watch it fall. Once we met half way between our houses and it thundered while it snowed. We really got a snow that time. It was so windy and cold you couldn’t enjoy going outside. It’s always so quiet after a big snow. One of my childhood friends loved snow like I did. She made her home in Colorado. She sees a lot of snow. I always wondered if a snowfall still thrills her. I bet it does.

I love living where we experience four seasons. I love when the seasons change and each one offers us their gifts. In the fall we enjoy the beautiful leaves, a cool breeze of fresh air, and the special blue tone of the sky. Winter brings fires in the fireplace, migrating birds and colorful pansies and a sometimes chance of snow flurries. Daffodils peek through in Spring and a beautiful myriad of green lights up the barren forest as the trees leaf out. Summer brings hot weather for swimming and fat ripe tomatoes for sandwiches.

I don’t know which is my favorite season. I enjoy all of them. I think Chief liked Spring the best with its gardening catalogs and garden preparations. Every spring he’d always say the same thing, “Mama, this is the most beautiful spring I’ve ever seen!” Wish I could hear him say that again!