Ahhh, Spring

Spring!

blue sky

breaking out the barbecue

gathering to eat on the deck

buds on the trees

new leaves

perennials rising up after the long Winter

and the brave daffodils, first up

and first

to be pummeled

back into the ground.

P.S. Peps thinks it's great. She enjoyed our week of Spring and figures it's Winter now. So, it's time to eat snow, dig in it, lay in it, and come inside occasionally to chew snow clumps off of her fur.  

Pepper says, "Seize the day! Embrace the snow!"

 We should change her name to Pollyanna.

Miscellaneous Saturday News

I'm starting this post off with a picture of today's snowfall, as is my habit.

Today's snowfall

After much thought, dialogue, and input, I've finally made a firm decision on the blog name and address. Seeing how it snows here  through the month of March, I can no longer in good conscience call this blog Mediterranean Meditations. It just isn't right. However, Midwest Meditations (which several people suggested) is already taken as a blog name. So, this is now Michelle's Blog--plain and simple, with my whole name as the web address. And I'm not changing it again. Phew.

Probably everyone who reads this is up to date on the big band news, but just in case you missed it, Justin's band, Abandoned, has a paying gig this summer at a Christian day camp here in town. The band will play every morning for two to three hundred kids. The boys are super excited and have their work cut out for them.

They got the job at their audition last Friday and were immediately whisked out to do publicity photos for a mailing that will go out about the day camp. 

I was soooo not this cool when I was fourteen. 

They look cool and calm, but there was a lot of boisterous whooping and  hollering as soon as we were all in the parking lot.

Oh, and is Justin rocking the peach shirt, or what?

And other news that was hard to miss on the Harris feed this week..

Anna and I took a road trip two weekends ago to Ashland, Ohio, where we visited with our friends Edith and Peter. 

We last saw Edith in Europe at our last debriefing conference where she was figuring out her next steps. Since then, she has begun seminary and gotten married--big changes. Edith is Spanish; Peter is British, so  it was fun to answer some of their questions about Midwest American behavior.

Anna looking very grown up

Playing Boggle

I went to the MFA (Master's of Fine Arts) Open House on Saturday, while Anna visited the campus and took pictures of their mascot, a purple eagle.

There's Anna's kitty on the eagle's head.

I was thinking that I would apply for the program in a year, but it was clear that you didn't have to be a published, experienced writer to enter the program. So, I ordered up my college transcripts, tidied up my twenty-five page writing sample, wrote a five hundred word description of my development as a writer, and asked two friends for references. Then I waited and compulsively checking my inbox. Fortunately, they process applications very quickly and let me know this week that I've been accepted.

This is a low residency program in Ashland, Ohio, where I'll spend two weeks on campus in the summer and do semesters online. It's a great opportunity to learn from quality faculty, speed up my learning curve, and get to know other writers. I've very, very happy about this next step. Now I'm on to applying for financial aid.

So, that's the news this Saturday. Snow appears to be melting. About time for a nap.

Waiting

Sunday was a cold, cloudy day. I was alone for a few hours and thought about walking the dog, but I was so irritated with the weather that I holed up on my bed and watched Law and Order episodes.

This is from November 11. Back in the olden days when snow was fun and new.

Yesterday, the weather was capricious.

It snowed fat, fluffy flakes, the kind that are so exciting in December, but not so much at the end of March. Later it cleared up, then kicked in again with a heavy dose of wind--sideways snow this time. The snow stopped, and we had a little sun. Then more clouds blew in and the day ended grey, cold, and windy.

Coming home from work, I stopped at the store and bought our dinner from the freezer section. I felt guilty as I did this--I usually make real food. But I was tired, and the wind was blowing.

I drove past kids playing on top of the seven-foot grey snow drifts at the edge of a school parking lot. I napped through my group 2.5 mile run. We had breaded fish and fries for dinner.

I'm waiting these days. For real Spring, for sure. But also on other things, big things. I've applied for a MFA program in writing, and I'll find out if I got in soon (and start my college fund--thinking garage sale). I've had some health issues (nothing dangerous), and will find out if surgery is recommended. My job is up in the air. We're waiting to see what happens funding-wise for my program.

The funny thing is that I'm not feeling much angst about any of these issues (though I am somewhat compulsively checking e-mail to see if I have MFA news).  I don't mind the waiting. The only thing that's truly bugging me is this delay in Spring.

It may be here. The highs for the next week are all above freezing, so I'm cautiously optimistic. The radio announcer keeps cheerfully proclaiming today a "Beautiful sunny day--with a high of 36." I may even walk the dog.

What do I call the blog?

So, I finally thought through a name change for the blog. I've been in Fort Wayne for over a year and a half now, so calling this place Mediterranean Meditations is a little silly. The view out my window is not Mediterranean...

Many downed branches from Wednesday's snow storm.

I got feedback from facebook friends a couple weeks ago and had made my peace with Midwest Meditations. I even changed the header to reflect the change.

Half a tree came down into the road.

Today, I decided to commit to the new name and went to change the actual web address. I had decided to go with midwestmeditations. Midmeditations sounded weird, though admittedly, probably not any more strange than medmeditations. And midwestmeds could lead to misunderstandings about the purpose of the blog.

Branches heavy with snow

Unfortunately, the name is taken. There's another Midwest Meditations blog. Bummer. I thought I checked before changing the name on the header weeks ago. So, I'm back to the drawing board. I liked keeping the meditations word for continuity's sake. It's been eight years since I started the blog, so I don't want to cut all ties to the name. And I like the name being tied to place.

Any ideas are welcome.

A Wintry Walk

Just another wintry Janurary, February, March day here in Fort Wayne, Indiana. I'm at home on Wednesdays, so since it was a balmy 70, 50, 30, 26 degrees this morning, I decided to take the pup for a walk in the newly fallen snow.

our snowy neighborhood

When it's snowing, what Pepper mostly wants to do is run around and chase sticks and play. So, she didn't really want to just walk. And she let me know.

She played the Tug on the Leash game,

the Grab the Leash and Pull game,

the I Really Want to Grab Your Glove, Run off, and Have You Chase Me game,

and the Please, Oh Please Let's Just Go Run Around in the Snow Look game.

I did eventually bend her to my iron will, and we had a nice walk punctuated intermittently by my own yelps and yankings of the leash as I slipped and slid on our roads.

A Walk

Last weekend, Scott was out of town for the Justice Conference simulcast in Indy. My running group ran at Foster Park that morning, and it was actually pleasant. There were paved trails with not much ice. So, I decided that the kids and I should go back to walk the dog there later in the day. 

This took some cajoling. I said it was for Pepper.  The temperatures were about to fall again, and it was a window of opportunity to get her out. 

It was a beautiful, crisp, clear day. It reminded me of Winter days in Nice. 

We saw geese.

 Justin ran out with Pepper...

...and back.

Though the Foster Park loop is mostly ice-free, I took a wrong turn and led us onto some icy patches. Here's Anna making her way on the ice. She liked the feel of the ice; it made the walk less "boring," but it was slow going.

Here's Pepper waiting for her. Pepper is most happy when we're all together.

 I said icy patch, but it was basically all one big, long icy road.

Making for much fun.

Our icy roadway didn't lead back to the well-paved trail, so we walked over snow, which was its own challenge. It's deeper than it looks, and though the geese were able to walk on it without sinking down, we weren't.

Fortunately, this increased the adventure/fun factor of the walk.

I think the real loop is 2.2 miles, so I don't know if we did more or less (since I'm a runner now, this seems to matter). I took the kids to a nearby coffee shop, The Friendly Fox, for a hot chocolate afterwards. Justin loved it, Anna not so much.

Science Fair, Snow, and Pep Pic

Since I last posted pictures, we had more snow.

Street sign

 No surprise there.

I shoveled in front so the mail truck could pull up.

We shoveled and snowblowed (snowblew?) like everyone else, had a day off from school, then the requisite two-hour delay to help kids adjust back to waking up early. The district is so nice about providing that buffer.

Days later, it snowed just a couple inches  The forecast for the next few days was warm--40s and 50s. I figured it wasn't worth the trouble to shovel if the snow wasn't impeding our ability to get in and out and would just melt in a couples days. That was a poor choice. Our driveway is now an impenetrable solid two-inch thick sheet of ice.

Justin needed a picture of himself as a kid for school, so chose this one to scan and bring in...

So cute.

Aren't the kids cute?

I went into this year's science fair prep with much trepidation after last year's led to results like this one:

A friend posted this on Facebook. I would rate this as a Superior entry in terms of accurately describing last year's science fair experience.

Last year's project involved countless rotting seeds in baggies needing to be opened and checked on consecutive days in our downstairs science lab/furnace room. It was not pleasant.

This year's involved the following materials:

Our vacuum.

Our cat

And a computer and a stopwatch. Nothing rotting. The title was, "Does Music Calm a Cat?"

Here's Anna when she was still stomping mad that she only got an Excellent ribbon instead of the coveted Superior. Four points away. She barely consented to the picture.

Anna stomping mad but trying to be pleasant. Notice the awesomeness of the cat shirt.

Fortunately, she got a special reward because the school counselor chose hers as her favorite. I am forever grateful.

And here's me bugging the dog by taking flash pictures of her mussed-up Winter face fur.

Annoyed dog.

Happy last week of February! It's possible that the kids will have a normal week of school with no delays or closings. It would be the first time since the first week of December. 

Snow Pics

 The snow is here. I went outside to take peaceful close-ups in the yard.

Everything is super pretty topped in snow.

And then there's Pepper...

 Lovely snow-topped thistle.

Wild snow beast.

Artful wood pile.

Scary snow beast.

Snow-topped thistle family.

Pepper, "Can I help build the snowman?"

Anna, "Sure, here's how it's done." 

Hope y'all enjoy the snow as much as I will!

Home Alone

Scott's in Indy for meetings today, and I'm not at the office. So, I'm home alone and tending to things like my soul and the refrigerator.

I've decided we need a doggie door. Pepper rings her bell to go out very, very frequently. Sometimes the cat joins her. You may be wondering what the items strewn across the floor are...

Poor bird

This is a small stuffed robin that belongs to Anna. It sings a robin song if you squeeze it. 

Anna's new stamps

Here are some stamps that I pulled out for Anna when school was cancelled Monday because of freezing rain.

Please let me out and stop taking pictures. (She totally makes you want a dog, right?)

You may be wondering why my daughter is so careless with her things. Pepper is the true culprit. We forgot to put up the doggie gate on Anna's door this morning. For Pepper, Anna's room is the room of forbidden treasures. She knows these things are not hers, but will steal something occasionally, then trot to the door with her prize in her mouth. There's a certain trot that's the "I've just stolen something" trot that's immediately recognizable.

She used to keep the forbidden items in her mouth as she rang her bell to go out, seemingly unaware that we could see what was in her mouth and were unlikely to let her out with a precious Harris family object.

Now, she knows there's not a chance, but I suppose she drops them here just so we know she got away with it.

Maybe a doggie door isn't such a good idea...

And here are some pictures from last week's school cancellation, which was way more fun than the freezing rain cancellation...

Justin in his neon hat

10.9 inches

Pepper and her best friend, Charlie,  playing in the field with the kiddos

This is balls of snow encrusted on Pepper's leg. It takes a while to get off.

Happy Friday!

The Annual Harris Snow Day

We tried to get to the mountains in January for a day of sledding, but the roads were closed due to bad weather and avalanches.  We were actually on the train waiting for the departure to Casterino when Snow Train hostess came and told us that the trip was cancelled.  The kids were devestated, and we ended up  redeeming the day with a model for Justin, and a fake Barbie veterinarian set for Anna.  We were desperate.  It was an expensive day.

The Snow Train only runs until mid-March (actually a combination train/bus trip), so last weekend,we caught the bus at the train station, loaded our gear, and paid a euro each to go up to Isola 2000, a ski station built in the 70s .  This is something I love about Nice, by the way.  Where else can you pay a euro for a three hour bus ride?  Before leaving Nice, the bus driver even kindly offered complementary vomit bags.  Gross, but practical.

It was raining as we left, and rained as we got further up into the mountains.  Eventually, we saw traces of dirty drifted snow as we  climbed into the mountains, but it didn't look too promising.   Then, we rounded a curve, and the rain morphed into huge, fluffy snowflakes. Lots of oohs and aahs on the bus.  And it was winter.  Just like that.

It was not only winter, but snowy, windy, and cold all day.  Really snowy.  We were cold, and at first a little shell shocked until we found the indoor commercial center.  We ordered some sandwiches, and did some serious bundling up before attempting the outdoors.  

The kids had a blast.  We all did some sledding.  Justin and Scott sledded wayyyyyy down the hill and hopefully had excellent father/son bonding time as they trekked wayyyyyyyy back up the hill.  Anna and I attempted a snowman, but it fell apart when we tried to accessorize, so we finally gave up and went inside for a snack. 

The way back on the bus was mostly calm.  The rest of the family slept while I tried to forget that I was on a bus careening down a mountain and wondering if I should have taken one of the bags at the beginning of the trip.  Then it happened.  I smelled the unmistakeable smell of vomit.  A child two seats ahead of me.  I thought about offering my supply of kleenexes but decided my wisest course of action would be to bury my face in my sweater.   Which I did.  After a few minutes, the cleaning up sounds stopped.   I ventured out of my sweater.  And I have to say, I will be forever grateful to these parents for bringing air freshener with them on the trip.  

Once home, the kids had a quick dinner while we did a lot of stirring of the cheese fondue.  I had experimented with my recipe by adding a third cheese, so it never did reach the perfect consistency, but it was still yummy.

Anna is a big fondue fan.  It is cheese, after all.

Justin is actually only pretending to eat this. He eats a little more every time we make it, so I'm thinking in another three years, he'll be on board.  He's convincing though, isn't he?  

Castérino

We took a train into the mountains Saturday and spent the day in Castérino.  It had snowed a lot in the days before we went, and Saturday was warm and sunny.  So, it was perfect.   We had a blast sledding.  We'll come with two sleds next time though.  I got to take a few turns with Justin, but apparently I slow him down.   Ah well, someone needs to video the run...

 

Did I mention that it was a gorgeous day?

Anna and I made two little snow people since everything Anna makes must be little and cute.

Justin and his snow cat.