Today brought us plenty of snow--a couple of inches overnight and we've had snow squalls all day. Plenty of wind, too. I will be measuring today's snowfall in the morning, but I'm guessing 4-6 inches has fallen today. The temperature has been in the 20s all day, but with the windchill, it felt a whole lot colder.  I didn't walk. I intended to, but time got away from me. My plan was to wait until the mail came and take my walk when I went to pick up the mail. However, Fred went out to walk up Jamie and Marie's drive a few times and the mail came while he was out, so he picked it up. By then I was deeply involved in making cookies, and after that, I just plain didn't think to go out.
     I had a nice chat with Shelly Walker this afternoon. She told me her mom, Audrey, is now living at Woodridge Health and Rehab in Berlin. Audrey's health has deteriorated in the past few years, and at 90, Don has had a few problems of his own, so caring for her has been more than he could cope with. Now he knows she is safe so he doesn't worry as much, and can look out for himself better. He has a routine of going to the Wayside Restaurant for breakfast and then goes up to be with Audrey. Shelly said she's sure he'd like to hear from Joe's Pond friends, as he still has a soft spot for Joe's Pond and all of us out here, and I'm sure without his companion for some 70 years, he's a little lonely sometimes. Perhaps you could add Don and Audrey to your Christmas card list - Don's address is:
     245 Town Hill Rd.
     Montpelier VT 05602
     
     Don's phone number is 223-2484, if you'd like to call and chat. I know he'd be very happy to hear from you.
     Shelly is going to try to keep us posted this year about how thick the ice is. She has ice-fishermen almost on her doorstep all winter, and will plan to get first-hand reports which she will relay to me so I can post them here. I know Ice-Out Contest fans love getting frequent reports so they can better judge how long it may take for the ice to melt in the spring. Every little bit of information helps!
     Fred went out to clear the driveway for the first time this year with the snowblower. He added a "cab" to help keep snow and exhaust from coming back at him, and it works well, but he said it's harder to navigate as it cuts visibility. He had chemo yesterday, and that leaves him with lots of energy for a couple of days due to there being steroids in it--but then he crashes and is very fatigued for three or four days. Another effect of the chemo is that eating or drinking anything cold, or breathing cold air, makes him feel as if he can't breathe. So he dug out a face mask to wear today while he was working with the snow blower, and that seemed to work pretty well. I'm glad there aren't any small children in the neighborhood--that is pretty scary!
     Fortunately, Jamie cleared our driveway with "The Peach" last night, so Fred didn't have a lot to do this afternoon. He was glad to get back inside to warm slippers and molasses cookies right out of the oven.
     Cold night tonight, with probably more wind, but winding down tomorrow. It's going to remain cold, though, so looks like winter is here for the duration.
     Did you ever wonder where certain expressions or words originated? Every now and again I do, and it struck me recently that I had no idea why it is said that someone was "fired" when they lose their job. I Googled it and came up with a couple of explanations. The first was that in the 1800's, when the expression first surfaced, it likely came from the rather formal expression of  being "discharged." A gun is discharged, or fired, so it could have been applied as a slang way of saying "discharged."
     Another explanation I found was that in tribal communities where survival depended on everyone working together, if someone did not work with the others or attend to expected duties, their hut would be burned, or "fired" while they were away and they were thereby cast out to fend for themselves.
     Anyone else found other possible origins of common words?
     What started me on this, I think, was at the St. Johnsbury Heritage Center on Saturday, when Peggy Pearl showed us a wooden tool used to tighten the ropes that supported bed matresses back in the 1800s. The tighter the ropes, the firmer and more comfortable one would be while sleeping, and Peggy said that's where the expression "Sleep tight" comes from. 
     Good night, and sleep tight!