A Silver Lining In A Dark Cloud

Part Seven:
Dr. Michaels looked sternly at Rocky Socky. “Due to your multiple injuries it is my recommendation you take 6 weeks off from your job so you can heal properly.”
“But who will drive my bus?” asked Rocky Socky in a worried voice.
“I am sure your boss can arrange a new driver”
“But if I can’t work what will I do?" moaned Rocky Socky.
Dr. Michaels suggested Rocky Socky think of a new place to visit where he could forget about his aches and pains. So Rocky Socky called his boss. He was able to get Sully to take over for 6 weeks.
Then Rocky Socky sat down to write out his wish list of vacation places.
Let see it has to…
be a place where
there is no snow
some sunshine
fun things to do
Rocky’s pen fell to the floor as he nodded off to sleep. He began to dream about new adventures.

Sledding Mishap

Part Six:
Scene One: “What a great day to try out my new sled!” Moxie exclaimed to Rocky Socky and Telly.
Scene Two: As the sled picks up speed, Rocky Socky loses control and all three tumble off the sled.
Scene Three: Rocky Socky has the most injuries. He requires a trip to the doctor’s office. Rocky Socky gets bad news. His arm is broken and his forehead needs three stitches.

Sock Bank

Part Five
“Sorry, sir I did not see the part Limit 10 socks per customer. I’ll put them back.”
An embarrassed Will headed to the checkout with his 10 socks. He took out of his pocket a small sock coin purse to pay for them. Ahead of him the two women who had been arguing over the sweater were personally being escorted out the door by the sock security.
Rocky Socky honked his horn impatient for the rest of the passengers to board the bus. He wanted to stay on schedule to get his bus to the Sock Bank on time.
The bus buzzed with excited voices. The passengers seemed quite happy with their recent purchases except the two women who were still fuming over the sweater scuffle. Will hoped to be lucky today to find his missing soccer sock. Even if he did not, his chances seemed good to find another matched pair. A gold coin would certainly be worth the trip to Sockland.
Will sat back in his seat to enjoy the ride. As the bus sped through the dense forest the size of the mighty oaks impressed him. He knew that fairies required their homes to be cleverly concealed but he still hoped for a glimpse of one. The bus began to pick up speed passing by marshes and meadows. And then quite suddenly Will felt the bus gently lift up and sail over the treetops. He noticed that down below some of the paths had a sparkle to them. No doubt this was a sign that fairies had just passed by. It seemed like hardly any time had gone by when Rocky Socky announced,“Last stop, Sock Bank.”
Since there were only a few buildings around the Sock Bank it rose up like a huge brick fortress. There were no windows on either side of the door. A brass gold doorknocker was in center of the massive wooden door. Above the door was a sign Sock Bank.
“Thanks for the ride Rocky Socky,” said Will as he passed by him. “Will I see you for the return trip?”
“Nope, off for the weekend so Sully will be taking over”
The passengers pushed toward the Sock Bank. Just as one person touched the doorknocker a cloud of pixie dust swirled around the group. The door mysteriously opened.

Copyright 2010 Ready All Rights Reserved

A Writing Kind of Day

Several blogs back (11/29) I wrote a piece titled: Writer's Notebook. One of my favorite authors Ralph Fletcher who writes books on the writing process also publishes poem books for young adults. Last night was a clear crisp night with a great view of the moon. It reminded me of one of his poems called A Writing Kind of Night in the book A Writing Kind of Day Poems for Young Poets.

A Writing Kind of Night

It is clear tonight

a writing kind of night.

There's a moon stirring up

mysterious metaphors

in my imagination.

The heavens are jam-packed

with planets and black holes

that are still undiscovered,

and magnificent poems

that are still unwritten

The author shows you in his book that you can write a poem about almost anything that occurs in your daily life. How about this one?

Poetry

Poetry is like some

sugar-crazed teenager

who just got a license

but refuses to follow

the rules of the road

It races out of control

then jams up traffic by

going reaaaaal slooooooow.

It turns up the music so loud

you can't sleep at night.

I can't figure out how it Decides

to capitalize certain Words

Punctuation? Ha! A joke!

Won't use complete sentences.

And why does it refuse to

stay

on

the

line?

The most annoying thing?

Poetry won't shut up.

It embarrasses everyone

by telling the truth.

So how about an open invitation to make this a writing kind of day for yourself? Remember free free verse works as well as rhyming. If you get stuck go back to the blog I wrote on the color purple. Since we are not speaking purple anymore try another color and begin

What is...

This time of the year we often crave Comfort Foods. This is an easy side dish.

Crisp Mashed Potato Cakes

Ingredients;

• 1/2 cup green onions
• 2 cups mashed potatoes chilled (if possible use a potato ricer to make potatoes a smoother consistency)
• 1/2 cup shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 5 slices of bacon cooked and crumbled
• 3/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

Directions:

• Preheat oven 425
• Saute onions in a non-stick pan that has been lightly greased about 2 min.
• Remove and fry up bacon in same pan
• Stir into chilled mashed potatoes onion, seasonings, bacon and cheese
• Divide potato mixture into 6 equal portions shaping into patties
• Dredge patties in panko
• Place on a greased cookie sheet
• Bake 12 minutes turn over and bake another 12 minutes

Trouble at The Sock Mart

Part Four:
The crowd swarmed through the door. Shelves and tables were stacked with a variety of sock accessories as well as several bins of mismatched socks. Sock fairies flew past Will and the other Sockland Express passengers. They did not need shopping bags since they carried their own. Their knitted bags were quite sturdy made from very fine spider web threads. The fairies were fashionably dressed and I might add warmly dressed in outfits made from mismatched socks. Each wore a sweater, leg warmers, fingerless gloves and even a stocking cap with their name knitted right into the brim.
A very loud commotion broke out in the back of the store. Shrieks and screams could be heard all over. “Stop, Stop, that’s what I picked!” yelled the lady from the bus as she grabbed a sweater off the table.
Another lady passenger was trying to yank the same sweater from her hand. As a crowd of shoppers stood by watching, two sock security police rushed to the sweater table. By now one lady was in tears and the other just plain angry!
This was Will’s chance to load up on mismatched socks while the shoppers were distracted. He began stuffing his shopping bag. He was quite excited at the bargain price advertised two for the price of one. “Can’t you read the sign young man!” bellowed The Sock Mart manager.

Copyright 2010 Ready All Rights Reserved

Sock Special

Part Three
SOCKLAND MID-SEASON CLEARANCE blazed across the billboard in red letters. As the passengers read TWO FOR THE PRICE OF ONE a man yelled, "What a deal!”
“Sorry to give you all a scare stopping so suddenly, exclaimed Rocky Socky. My friend Moxie just radioed me about this sale sign that just went up early today. She was sure we would want to make a stop before heading to the sock bank.”
Will began to imagine all sorts of possibilities purchasing mismatched socks. He was sure these socks would increase his chances of finding a matched pair at the sock bank. In return he would be lucky to get a gold coin.
A weird feeling came over Will as he stepped off the bus. He found himself shrinking to a smaller size as he entered Sockland.
A line was already forming in front of the Sock Mart. Sock fairies who are usually known to avoid humans did not seem to pay attention to any of the Sockland Express passengers. Will could feel the excitement in the air as everyone waited expectantly for the store to open. At 11:00 SHARP the doors opened!

Copyright 2010 Ready All Rights Reserved

A Nail Biter

The tension by the third quarter game between the Saints and Vikings drove me to the kitchen to bake cookies. I found I needed to be doing something especially when the game was tied the last 4 minutes. Even though the final score was disappointing it was quite exciting the home team made it to the playoffs. And even more amazing that my cookies turned out with all the distractions.
Its only January but I seem to be ahead of the holiday season with valentine cookies.

Sugar Cookies

Recipe makes 18 but depends on the size of the cookie cutter and how thin dough is rolled. Cooking tip: Make sure wax paper stays well floured while rolling dough out. 

Cookie Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 2-1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. each vanilla and almond extract

Cookie Directions:

• Cream butter and sugar, blend in egg, water, vanilla and almond extract.
• Sift flour with salt and baking powder.
• Beat butter mixture with flour mixture -use tour hands to knead dough if necessary. 
• Wrap dough in wax paper and put in freezer for a 1/2 hour until slightly chilled.
• Roll dough out on floured surfaces using a cookie cutter for desired shapes. Be sure to dredge cookie cutter in flour. 
• Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place cookies on baking pan. 
• Bake 375 for 8 minutes or until slightly brown on bottom

Frosting Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 TB melted butter
• 2 TB. Amaretto
• drops of red food coloring

Frosting Directions:

• Beat ingredients until desired frosting consistency. Add more milk by tablespoons if needed. 

Part Two: Sockland Express

Emergency Landing
The bus picked up speed and headed down the street for its last two stops before heading out of the city. Several passengers boarded the bus at each of the stops. For Will the best part of the ride was yet to come. He loved the excitement when the bus seemed to be going full speed down the street and then quite gently glided up into the air propelled by its wings. It seemed like he was riding in a plane. Will watched the city below get smaller and smaller as the bus sailed over the roof and treetops. The sky seemed to change colors from blues to pinks to oranges. Wispy clouds floating by reminded him of candyfloss.
Suddenly a loud beeping alarm went off. “Emergency, emergency… landing, landing,” yelled Rocky Socky.
Will felt a whoosh of air and a scream that almost came out of his mouth just as the bus hit the ground with a HUGE THUD! Amazing the bus landed upright and only a few passengers had rolled into the aisles. Everyone began to talk at once. Rocky Socky ran down the aisle checking on his passengers. “Look out the window!” screamed a woman sitting in front of Will. And then she fainted right in her seat.
Everyone scrambled across the seats to get a better look out the window. The passengers all seemed to gasp at the very same time.

Sockland Express

Part One
“Beep, Beep” the horn startled a few walkers. They were moving at a quick pace to get somewhere warm to escape the cold. Will hurriedly moved toward the corner of Third and Park Street to catch up to the bus. He checked his watch happy the bus was right on time. As the tires of the Sockland Express screeched to a halt, the door heaved opened. No passengers got off and Will jumped aboard. He did not seem the least surprised to see a sock monkey driver. “Hi, Rocky Socky”
A silly red grin spread across the driver’s mouth. “Lost another sock, Will?”
Will nodded his head and dropped a gold coin into the fare box. He settled into a window seat and pressed his nose to the cold windowpane. As his breath began to fog the glass, Will wiped a spot to see what all the commotion was outside the bus. A small crowd had gathered on the sidewalk. Their voices seemed high pitched and they kept pointing toward the bus. Will smiled, thinking they had probably never seen such a bus as this one before.
The Sockland Express was no ordinary bus. It moved along with wheels but as it approached Sockland the wheels pulled up and wings came out from either side. The wings propelled it to its destination:The Sock Bank. The bus was colorfully painted from top to bottom with advertisements for all sorts of sock items available in Sockland. Actually it made Will’s head spin thinking about all the things like leg warmers, arm warmers, purses, sweaters, toys and many, many more things. Today Will was quite hopeful he would find his missing soccer sock at the Sock Bank.

Copyright 2010 Ready All Rights Reserved

An Out of Control Hand Slip

As I was typing the previous blog my hand slipped and accidentally hit Publish Post!
Yikessss... I wasn't even finished and done with proof reading. So please go back to the newly completed blog and snack mix recipe.

Mea Culpa

Coming Attraction

In the upcoming weeks I will be posting from time to time a newly created mini adventure series called Rocky Socky and The Sockland Express. Rocky Socky is a sock monkey who drives a bus called The Sockland Express. This is a bus that not only is propelled by wheels but also wings as it enters Sockland. The bus makes three round trips a day from certain designated areas to be announced. The round trip fare is one gold coin. If you are wondering who would ride such a bus it is anyone in search of their missing socks. The final stop for express bus: Sock Bank.

And while you contemplating just what adventures a sock monkey could lead you on I suggest you grab yourself a cold refreshment and a bowl of this yummy snack mix

Snack Mix

Ingredients:

1 can of mixed nuts

1 bag of Wheat Chex Mix

1 bag of Sourdough/Mustard Onion Mix

Enjoy

Let The Purple Reign Begin...

These mighty fine words were spoken today by a friend even before the final victory. Not only do we have a team that played exceptionally well today but played to a super charged beyond excitement sell out crowd. I chose to see part of a game in less rowdy but still frenzied atmosphere... a sports bar. These young women happily posed for pictures just as the game was starting. I imagine the stores will see a surge in purple this next week.

Yeah Vikings!

Purple

Several blogs back on 11/29 I wrote a piece titled Writer's Notebook. I noted that keeping a writer's notebook has helped me a lot with my writing. It is one place where I can jot down my feelings about important little details I hear or see in daily life. I have multiple journals/notebooks going at the same time depending where I am. These little books are used as a gathering place for my ideas so perhaps at a later date I will be inspired to create a story or poem.

There is a color poem book called Hailstones and Halibut Bones by Mary O'Neil. This small book has been a valuable writing and teaching tool for me. What I like best about the book is how each page has imaginative verses that explore the meaning of a color. Each page begins What is... and then names a color.

This week there are a lot of frenzied fans throughout the state who are gearing up for the big day.

All this purple talk has driven me to explore the color based on the free verse format of the book

What is Purple?

Purple is Viking pride

Jerseys

Painted faces

Painted heads

Wigs

Striped scarves

Headbands

Pompoms

Glasses

Hats

Undies

And even a bazillion beads.

Purple can be loud

Purple is a feeling

That fires us all up

Cheering the team

Games on

So sport your color

Purple is the show.

I would like to end this blog with the last page from Hailstone and Halibut Bones

The colors live

Between black and white

In a land that we

Know best by sight.

But knowing best

Isn't everything,

For colors dance

and colors sing,

And colors laugh

And colors cry-

Turn off the light

and colors die,

And they make you feel

Every feeling there is

From the grumpiest grump

To the fizziest fizz.

And you and you and I

Know well

each has a taste

And each has a smell

And each has a wonderful

Story to tell...

I am posting an alternative brunch recipe to a quiche

Wild Rice and Ham Tart

Ingredients:

• 1/2 package pie crust (Pappy) in frozen pie crust section
• 1 cup cooked cubed ham
• 1 1/2 cups cooked wild rice
• 1/3 cup chopped red pepper
• 1/3 cup green onions chopped
• 4 eggs
• 1 TB Dijon mustard
• 3/4 cup half and half
• 1 cup sour cream (lite)
• 2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
• 2 TB parsley flakes
• Small package pecan halves
• 1/2 cup mushrooms

Directions:

Crust

• Use two balls of pie crust mix from box and roll into a circle. Save other dough balls in freezer
• Press dough in 10 inch tart pan with removable bottom and up sides
• Line dough in tart pan with foil by pressing it into dough and bake in preheated oven 400 for 10 minutes
• Remove foil and bake 5 minutes longer do not prick crust
• Cool
• Over crust sprinkle wild rice, onions, pepper, mushrooms, ham, cheese

Filling:

• Beat eggs, sour cream, parsley, mustard, half and half
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Slowly pour liquid over crust
• Sprinkle pecan halves over the top
• Bake 35 minutes or until knife comes out clean from the center. Last 5 minutes of cooking place strips of foil over edges to prevent excessive browning
• Let stand 10 minutes before serving

The Joy in the Journey

While waiting out the January thaw I have more indoor time to read. I just finished reading one of Kate Di Camillo's latest children's book The Magician's Elephant. The book says for ages 8-13, but this label should not keep adults from discovering an extraordinary magical fable. So much is written in the child's world that needs to make its way into the adult world. J.K. Rowling with her Harry Potter series has shown us that it is possible to capture adults as well as children with young adult books. The Magician's Elephant has descriptive language that is multi-layered in meaning and thought provoking. In the book a small boy believes in his dream and sets out on a journey to find the truth. Kate Di Camillo, a local author, has been quite successful with her writing starting with her first book Winn Dixie. But her book The Journey of Edward Tulane will always remain one of my most favorite children's books. The emotional endings in Kate Di Camillo's books always bring on a bit of tears.

In a recent book interview on October 11, 2009, Kate Di Camillo told Jody Seaborn that the advice she would give to people who want to be a writer is to "Read, you need to immerse yourself in the language and write a little bit each day."

When asked by Jody Seaborn how do you come up with your ideas she said, "I listen and look real carefully. And I always have a notebook with me. And if you keep your eyes open and your ears open you realize you're never going to run out of stories. There is so much going on in the world."

Her words seem like good advice to me. I wish you joy in your journey of reading!

A Masterpiece

Completing a recipe from scratch qualifies as a masterpiece to me when the finished product looks like the picture and tastes good! The following soup recipe makes a large quantity so think about inviting some company to share a meal. Serve with your favorite red wine or Chianti Classico.

Italian Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. Italian sausage mild (cooked and drained)
• 1/2 onion sauteed in 1TB butter 1 garlic clove
• 2 cans Swanson's Beef low sodium
• 1 cup water
• 1/3 cup dry red wine
• 2 cans canned chunky tomatoes (garlic/basil/oregano)
• 1 small can tomato sauce
• 1 cup thinly sliced carrots
• 1 zucchini finely sliced and cut in half
• 1 can Northern beans drained or 1 package Italian Green Beans (in frozen foods)
• 1/2 chopped green pepper
• 1 package cheese tortellini (in the dairy section0 cook till al dente
• 1/2 tsp. basil
• 1/2 tsp. parsley flakes
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 2 cups shredded cabbage or coleslaw mixture (produce dept.)

Directions: In a soup pot add the following

• beef broth, water, canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, crumbled browned sausage,
• carrots, zucchini, pepper, sauteed onion/garlic, beans, seasonings
• Simmer 45 minutes and add wine, cooked cheese tortellini and cabbage and cook 15 minutes more
• Water may be needed when serving a second time

Bon Appetit

Our Unfinished Masterpieces

Art museums serve a critical function of making great works available for enjoyment and comparison so new discoveries can be readily evaluated. These words graced the wall as I entered the first gallery of the Louvre Exhibition at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. This was the last week to view a variety of masterpieces on loan from the Louvre in Paris, France. These masterpieces included paintings, ink drawings, sculptures, and pottery that were a visual feast for the eyes of the skills and creativity from masters of the past.

One sign that caught my attention was A masterpiece needn't be a finished work of art. It made me rethink about the idea of a masterpiece. What really is art and how many of the ordinary things we do in life can be a masterpieces. Even a completion of a project at work or at home, a sewing activity, writing a book, play or poem, designing a room or a garden, painting a room or a house, restoring a car can all be considered masterpieces. A masterpiece is in the eye of the beholder, the satisfaction of seeing an idea to completion. Masterpieces do not always need external rewards such as an award or words of praise.

Maybe this might be the week we will be inspired to create some masterpiece that only conforms to our own rules and gives us personal satisfaction. Stretch yourself to do something new or maybe complete an unfinished project you have been thinking about doing.

Imagine A Place

Update: Remember the photo I posted labeled Wintry Escape from Arctic Cold? Well I managed to drive right out that road shown in the picture. Finally freeing myself from the grasp of the Arctic cold air! But then upon arriving in the cities found I had only traded down for another chilly spot.

Enough dwelling on cold-time to fire up the brain cells and use your imagination. There is a beautifully illustrated children's book called Imagine A Place. The words are by Sarah Thomson and paintings by Rob Gonsalves. The premise of the book is imagination is powerful and if you can imagine a place, you can go there. Each page is simply written about 12-15 words a page but the words are carefully crafted and multi-layered in meaning .

The book begins

imagine a place...

where you bend and sway
leap and land,
right where a story begins.

Perhaps as this new year begins you find your mind daydreaming about warm places. You might take some time to create a story about this warm place or do some creative thinking on how to turn wishful thinking into reality.

The company Travelocity runs very creative ads using a gnome who is fulfilling his wishful thinking by placing him in some vacation spot. The point of these ads are to let you know the company is there to help fulfill your vacation wishes.

Two of my favorite ads have provided me with inspiration for a children's story I am currently working on. One ad I thought quite creative features a horse galloping down the beach minus its rider except the gnome who is tied to the horse with a rope but is being dragged along the beach. The title: Travel Wish #11 Ride bareback on the beach.

The second ad shows the gnome on the beach encased in a huge sand mermaid creation. His words are " Hello, Travelocity? I'm going to need a later flight."

So keep on with your wishful thinking about warm places who knows where this may take you.

Perhaps think about a hosting a beach party and have your guests come in their tropical wear for a warm wintry break. This dessert would work well for the occasion.

Beach Treats...Dirt Dessert

Ingredients:

1 package of oreo cookies crushed

1- 8 0z cream cheese

2/3 cup powdered sugar

1 small box vanilla pudding

12 oz cool whip

gummy worms

Directions:

• Prepare pudding according to directions set aside to cool
• Mix together powdered sugar and cream cheese and fold in cool whip
• Layer the crushed cookies then pudding mixture. In between layers place gummy worms and on top of the final layer
• If using a sand pail use a new shovel/spade to serve dessert
• If using a flower pot put a flower in middle layer as a garnish

Trapped by the Arctic Blast

If you thought-15 below yesterday in Northern Minnesota seemed cold try waking up to -31. This was the forecast courtesy of Weatherground.com this morning. But our rather reliable outside thermometer registered at -40!!! In a previous blog I alluded to my theory about ice fisherman bordering on insanity as they spend long hours inside a small box in very cold temperatures. This theory was affirmed very early this morning when I looked out at the lake at these miniature residences. Smoke was spewing out of the vents so someone had to be inside. Just think how cold it is to leave a warm house and make your way across to the middle of the lake to get inside and hope for the big catch of the day.
But my biggest fear today is not having the car cooperate to make a return trip to the cities. Will keep you posted on where to find me next.
Reading, writing and baking seem like good indoor activities at the present moment. I found some lovely winter poems that seemed appropriate for this time of the year.
Introduction and poem from the book When The Moon is Full by Penny Pollock

Full moons come,
full moons go,
softening nights
with their silver glow.
They pass in silence,
all untamed,
but as they travel,
they are named.

January
The Wolf Moon
The weather chills,
the night is long,
wolf lifts his head
in lonely song.
His notes float high,
his notes drift low,
mournful in the
moonlight glow.

Note: Native Americans believed that wolves became restless in January.

from a book of poems called Winter Eyes by Douglas Florian

Winter Hues
Winter has to pick and choose.
The clothes she wears
Are few in hues:
A raw sienna,
A dark burnt umber
Some yellow ochres
Scant in number
Steel gray day,
Navy night
And winter white
And winter white.

Cabin Fever
I've done the wash.
I've swept the floor.
I've fed the cat
And fixed the door.
I've read three books
And last week's news,
And for the fourth time
Polished shoes.
It seems like years
Since I've had fun.
I look outside
For signs of sun.
I bite my nails.
I crawl the walls.
For lack of space
I pace the halls.
My mother warned me
Of cabin fever
I was a fool
To not believe her.

The beauty of this following recipe is having it in the freezer when unexpected company comes or if you are snowed in

Make Ahead Eggnog French Toast

Ingredients:

• 6 eggs
• 2 cups half and half (try substituting eggnog from the dairy shelf)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• dash of nutmeg
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 3/4 tsp. rum (optional)
• 16 slices of firm bread like sourdough or cibatta
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  
• melted butter
  

Directions:

• Grease two cookie sheets
• In a medium bowl combine eggs, half and half, sugar, vanilla and rum
• Beat until well blended
• Dip each slice of bread in egg mixture and place on prepared cookie sheet
• Cover lightly and freeze 1-2 hours
• Remove from freezer and stack in layers placing waxed paper between each slice
• Wrap entire stack in foil and freeze till ready to use
• Heat oven 425
• Remove slices from freezer brush one side with melted butter
• Place buttered side down on ungreased cookie sheet
• Bake for 10 minutes
• Turn over and brush other side with butter
• Bake 10 more minutes

Serve with syrup or dust with powdered sugar

An Unexpected Delivery

Happy New Year Greetings from Up North-recorded temp at this writing -12

If you have been following my blogs the past few months you probably have picked up how I believe that magical things can indeed happen especially when one least expects it. And that is just what happened yesterday to me. I trudged down the snowy road in the frigid weather (I might add its a two mile total route) to get the mail. My perseverance to get to the mailbox no matter what the day was like was rewarded with a small package inside. It was from someone who wished to be anonymous since there was no return address and not even a note inside the package. I posted a picture of my awesome gift, a sock coin purse for you to see. Whoever you are and if reading this blog many, many thanks for thinking of me with such a creative gift. And I certainly hope there is a sock fairy nearby paying close attention. What a great idea to use all those mismatched socks collected to create a coin purse. I even thought about marketing these sock coin purses for different holidays. It would be a good seller. What a day brightener receiving this unexpected package!
Writing about a day brightener how about a night brightener??? Last night the appearance of the full moon known as the Blue Moon was spectacular. As the moon crept slowly up into the sky the colors went from a coppery orange to a lighter gold and then just as it positioned itself into place a creamy white. You did not need a nightlight last night as the moonlight illuminated the yard and spilled into the windows.
I have a riddle for you..What is found outside. It is small. It's size can be square or rectangle about 8 feet by 8 feet. It can be windowless but has a door. It moves periodically throughout the day. I have heard there is a heater inside but few people are seen entering and leaving. It remains a mystery what really goes on inside for such long periods of time.
Give up? It is an ice house.
Watching these boxy dwellings swell around the lake like a newly sprouted village is a sight to behold. Especially since they are constantly on the move and you rarely see anyone moving them. They are in place before dawn and way into the night but never in the same spot for long. It is beyond my comprehension what would be the fun to brave cold temperatures waiting for a bite on the line. But alas judging by the number of these tiny houses spread out over the lake there are many who must enjoy the thrill of the sport.
Today is the first day of a new year. So count your blessings, don't dwell on what has happened in the past but move forward. Perhaps think about doing something unexpected for someone just like the person who sent me a gift. One word of advice for the new year:Be vigilant about your socks... you never know what they may become next.