New Week, New Frustrations

After a really super-nice day on Sunday with even a hint of spring about it, today has been snowy, blustery, and cold. We've had snow squalls all day and lots of gusty wind blowing the two inches (more or less) of new snow around in big clouds of white rushing past my living room windows. I measured about 1.5 inches of snow this morning, but it has snowed off and on all day so when I went out again to get the mail after lunch, I think we had about 3 inches - with a little more drifted close to my garage door. I used the push scoop to clean that up and then Jamie came with the plow a few minutes ago to finish the job.

Snow and dreary weather was my first frustration, and then dealing with a couple of businesses - both of which had me on "hold" so I had to listen to that really terrible music that I've been told is designed to calm people down, accounted for more frustration. I don't know who can possibly be calmed by that - it is most irritating. Between the two companies I had to contact, I spent a little over two hours on the phone - but I got things straightened out. I think.

None of this was earth shattering in the big scheme of things, but I had other plans for how I'd spend my morning. 

Today is Georg Washington's birthday. He was born on Feb. 22, 1732. Of course, the actual date probably mostly goes unnoticed because his birthday is celebrated on the third Monday of February, along with Lincoln's, who was actually born on Feb. 12, 1809. If anyone celebrates the day at all. The shared birthday acknowledgement is now called "Presidents' Day" and may be mostly overlooked except that it is a federal holiday - and stores offer sales. I remember always celebrating those two presidents separately when I was in school. We read stories about them, made drawings, and sometimes did short skits to illustrate what we learned about each. There were pictures of both hanging in the main classroom of every school, I believe. I think Washington's was a copy of the Gilbert Stuart painting (above).  I don't recall Lincoln's quite as well, but I think it was a print of a pen and ink sketch of his profile. It was unmistakable. I wonder if students today recognize any presidents by sight. I suppose so.

I will be getting my second Covid shot on Friday. Like a lot of other folks, I'm hoping that having that supposed protection I will feel a little more relaxed about being out and about with others; but I'm hoping that everyone gets the shots so by summer we will see some real improvement in the reduction of cases and we will all be able to socialize a bit more. With caution, I suppose. But that's ok. 

Be healthy, warm and happy. Spring is coming!