This is what we awoke to yesterday morning.  I measured 2 inches of snow on our deck.  It was almost all gone by noon, but even today there are some shaded spots that are still white, and the thermometer is staying around 40 degrees with a really cold north wind.  The daffies survived very well, with only a few that have bent stems; most of them perked up after the snow melted.  Last night was cold again, in the low to mid-twenties.  We need to remind ourselves it's still April in this very unusual year of really strange weather cycles.

Today we have beautiful sunshine, but not much warming.  It is nice in the sun if you can find a place where the wind doesn't hit.  We have been working outside a little bit this morning, and it was very nice on our lower lawn where we dug up some rhubarb to take to Bill and Monika.  Monika had never tasted rhubarb, but after she had some here last summer, she really likes it a lot, so we're giving them some to start at their house.  Not everyone likes it, and it does take lots of sugar - which right now is on the list of foods we should eat sparingly.  I think most of us grew up knowing that sugar is not good for us - our mothers told us it would rot our teeth, and it has been blamed for kids being hyper - but now scientists are saying it could be the cause of a good share of other illnesses - diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and cancer.  We've always known excess sugar makes us fat, but there's lots more to it than that - and it's very addictive.  There was a segment about it on 60 Minutes recently.

Unfortunately, it doesn't matter, according to scientists, whether we are sweetening with refined sugar, molasses, honey or maple syrup - it's all bad for us.  Sugar is sugar, no matter where it comes from.  It is used to replace fat to make food taste better - just like some foods have extra salt to make them taste better once the fat is removed.  Turns out, perhaps fat is a lesser evil.  On the other hand, if we wait a while, there will be another study that may contradict this.  It's hard to tell, and like most people, I try not to go overboard with any of these things, and while I may restrict my diet somewhat, mostly I try to be reasonable and moderate.


So I'll give Monika and Bill some rhubarb - they can use it or not.