I don’t remember a snowier winter!  The weather is relentless.  Another foot fell yesterday, and it’s still coming down.

Jason trudged his way to the barn to feed and water the chickens, and collect the few eggs.  While in the barn, he found the tub I had filled with office supplies, which are really school supplies: blank notebooks, ruled paper, pencils, crayons, rulers, protractors, odd stuff I found.  He was most interested in the notebooks for Jacob to practice his writing, spelling and having lines to do math.  I had forgotten about the flash cards I put in there.  Jacob is a bit beyond them, but it’s still good practice.

We may have to run the generator even though it’s still snowing hard.  The water supply is getting low and we all need showers.  I’m going to do a load or two of laundry too, and get it drying on the wooden racks.  I’ve been doing dishes by heating water on the stove, just like I used to, tedious, but functional.  I suppose we could take showers the same way with the bucket system I’ve got stashed in the barn, but we still need water to do that.

John and I spent an hour playing cribbage this afternoon.  I’ve always enjoyed playing cards and board games, but it’s been so long since I’ve had a partner.  When looking for the cribbage board, I also found the dominoes, and the Obilqo block game, my first and only modeling job.  Now that game is going to be interesting, with Jason so meticulous and John an engineer.  There are a few jigsaw puzzles in the back room, but somewhere in the barn is a box full!

Jason sat down at the table with me as I was sorting jigsaw pieces.  “Mom, before Angela left again for Marquette, she said something that I’ve been meaning to ask you about.”  I looked up from what I was doing.  “She said ‘and tell your mother not to come after me again’.  What did she mean?”  I put the puzzle piece down.

I looked away for a moment; how do I tell my son I interfered? With the truth, I guess. “I know you had told me not to, but I made some inquiries the last time she left,” I briefly closed my eyes, and sighed.  “I just wanted to know she was okay, Jason.  I have no idea what happened, but suddenly she was back.”  How do I tell him how much danger I thought she was in?  “When all of you were here for Christmas, I asked her what happened, but she wouldn’t tell me.”  I searched his face.  “Do you know?”

He leaned back in his chair and ran his hands over his face.  “Yeah, I know.”  He was quiet a long time.  “She was staying with Lori, obeying the curfews.  One day when she went to see Carissa, she was pulled over.  They put her in the Detention Center for three days!  Then gave her car back and told her to go home.  The Detention Center is not a nice place, Mom.” He scowled at the thought.

“Oh, Jason, I’m so sorry.  I didn’t ask for her to be sent back; I just wanted to know she was okay.  The request obviously got misunderstood.  I won’t ask again, I promise.”  I felt really bad now.  I could see the pain in his face, but I wondered if it was because she had been held, or because she left again.  I doubt he will tell me.

I decided to get creative for dinner.  I made a batch of bread earlier, but turned it into buns instead of a loaf, which gave me an idea.  Back in the canning pantry, were a couple of jars of hamburger.  Pressure canning cooks the meat, so all I had to do was break it apart and heat it.  I added a jar of sloppy joe mix, and served it on the buns.  Easy, yes, but it was something new for us, and helps break the boredom.  Jason made Jacob a grilled cheese sandwich from yesterday’s bread, which he considered as much of a treat!

It’s 10:00pm as I write, and it looks like the snow is finally easing up.