The day is darkening, and not just because the sun is going down. There are also thick clouds coming at us from the west, bringing snow, then rain, sleet, freezing rain and eventually turning to snow again - all in the next 24-48 hours. That has been our weather pattern for most of this winter. You'll see a weather advisory posted below from the electric companies across the state. They are preparing for an interesting night, no doubt.

Fred went with Bill Rossi to St. Johnsbury this morning to take care of some business there. They stopped at Bill Dimick's Thurston and Dimick Auto to say hello to Bill and leave some Ice Out tickets with him. In the next few weeks we'll have them at other outlets in the St. Johnsbury, Barre and Montpelier area, but for right now, if folks can find them locally, they are happy. On the way home, Fred and Bill picked up the mail at West Danville and Fred noticed the lunch menu for today. I'm not sure what "frizzled" hamburg is, but I bet it is good. They put out some really good food there at Hastings Store. And they always have great baked goods.

There's some talk about a restaurant again in Cabot Village, where "Goldie's" was. There was an open house last week and several people were interested in possibly opening a restaurant. Nothing definite, though.

We learned recently of the death of Laura "Peg" Abbott, who was librarian in Cabot for many years and later worked at the Vermont Historical Society. She and her friend, the late May Wheeler, in 1984 cataloged information from the headstones in all seven of Cabot's cemeteries. It was a huge undertaking, but it was very well done and I used it, with their permission, when Velma Smith and I digitized that information a dozen or so years ago. I made a photocopy of May and Peg's book which I still use frequently. The digital info is only available at the town offices although Tara, our town clerk, has spoken about the possibility of making it available on line. I used a DOS program especially designed for cemeteries, and I don't know if it could be converted to something that would be accessible on the web.

Another friend, Eva Hale, died this past week. We knew Burt, her late husband and also Steve, their son who worked with his father in construction. Steve died a few years ago, and we often mention how much we enjoyed that family.

Time marches on and we all know we're here for only a relatively short period so we'd better make the best of it. Just the other day I opened a little notebook my mother, Lettie Bolton, had kept. There was a slip of paper with her hand writing on it: "I shall pass thru this world but once. If, therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I may do, let me do it now, for I shall never pass this way again."

I was curious, so I searched the internet to find out who wrote that bit of wisdom. Turns out it is thought to have been Stephen Grettet, a Quaker missionary, but William Penn has also been credited with it, although Wikipedia said it's more likely Grettet's. That little message reminded me of so many people we have known who absolutely lived up to that advice, and many others we know who practice it every day. There are some very, very kind people in the world, thankfully.

Stay warm and safe, and if you live in our neighborhood, read the message below so you are prepared in case we lose our electricity.