Saturday Morning

Look closely to see the thermometer registering a whole three degrees. Sun is out; sky is blue.

Not too cold to have breakfast down the road at T. K.'s! Granddaughters order hot chocolate, mostly for the whipped cream on top. Photo with younger's face looking submerged in the white fluffy stuff probably portrays some wishful desire for that to actually happen.

Half the group had quiche but I opted for the breakfast sandwich: grainy whole wheat toast, fried egg, cheddar cheese, sausage patty. No wonder I ate only half! Great coffee!

Fishy Friday Night

For dinner we go to a pub for a Lenten Friday fish fry. Outstanding beer selections written on their chalkboard make choosing difficult. I drink a Belgian style made in Minnesota. So tasty I must have a second one!

We order onion rings and cheese curds for appetizers; why we think we need appetizers is a mystery. You know what onion rings look like, but I inserted a cheese curd photo in case you are not familiar with them. Think of little lumps of mild cheese beer battered and deep fried. Uh-huh. Fried cheese.

Fish basket soon takes over, and hungry guys order more to take advantage of the all-you-can-eat feature.

Maybe we should come back for stout week. And make ourselves stouter. Haha!

Schoolless Friday

Today the granddaughters have no school because Minnesota teachers have meetings. They are also out of school Monday for Presidents Day. Looooog weekend!

With the colder temps and older granddaughter recovering from illness, we decide to unpack the sewing machine Pawpaw and I gave her for Christmas. She is extremely excited and eager. I do some fast talking to convince her that reading instructions and learning machine parts will increase success. Luckily, Singer provides a helpful DVD with four wonderfully clear lessons, short and simple. We watch it together, quite intently, for about ten minutes. Begin!

Cord ready. Bobbin ready. Spool ready. Fabric ready. Suddenly, she is sewing! She makes a small purse with a flap that folds over. Very nice for the first attempt!

Meanwhile, younger gd stays busy at the computer, and Pawpaw, well, Pawpaw is being Pawpaw.

Valentine Night

Close enough to Mardi Gras, we plan gumbo for dinner tonight and a special dessert. Shopping in the morning, prepping in the afternoon, I get it all into the pot when the color of the roux is just right, bright at first but simmering to a rich togetherness. Bowl, rice, tabasco, spoon, eat.

Everyone wants to help with dessert after Pawpaw preps the strawberries and I melt the bittersweet chocolate. Let the dipping begin! Patiently we wait for our creations to harden a bit, and then they disappear before I can get a photo of the whole platter.

Valentine Thursday

When we arrived yesterday afternoon, older granddaughter was home from school sick with fever, and daughter was working from home to take care of her. They had been to the doctor and were expecting medicine to bring improvement soon; a little hot tea helps.

Dinner tonight was beef stroganoff, hearty for a winter night with more snow expected.

This morning fresh snow covers the landscape, and all looks made of crystal. The photo is down the road from the house. Without wind and with heaviness, the snow clings for most of the day, glistening until wind and warmth causes it to fall.

Granddaughters have Valentines ready for school but older one stays home another day with low fever. Mom and younger one deliver them. Both girls have decorated boxes for collecting Valentines from classmates, handy for staying organized. The boxes come home filled with cards and treats. Even the school entrance celebrates the spirit of the holiday with arrangements.

The poster on the front door of their school announces the silent auction coming soon. We look over the bundled collections and quickly find ones that motivate us to buy chances. Think Paris!