We have Snow
The snow cometh! First the snow is fine like thick water and the next moment the flakes look like feathers as fine as those from the breast of a goose.
The feathers from the breast of a goose made wonderful pillows. My grandmother Laura had a wonderful summer kitchen. It was used twelve months out of the year. It took a lot of wear and tear from the home’s kitchen. The geese that grandma Laura and grandpa Christ had gave several harvestings of the breast feathers. Grandpa would catch each goose and those breast feathers were plucked at random in the early fall and the goose could run free. A little later at actual butchering time, again those cherished breast feathers were kept separate. As they had gotten wet during the scalding process, they were put in burlap gunnysacks. Those sacks were pinned ono the clothes line and tipped end for end many times to help them dry. If the cold was threatening them to freeze in the sack outside, the sacks were taken into the summer kitchen where there was always heat from the corn cob and wood fed fire. The wings of the geese were used as feather dusters. Somehow Grandpa Christ could make whistles for us kids out of the hollow base of the large feathers. Nothing went to waste.
Goose bed pillows were a treat and well taken care of. Even today Cuddledown, a well known business, that puts out a catalog for mail order or internet orders, still sells the goose down pillows at a premium price.
Back to the day at hand. The snow is intermittent. Dennis had an errand to run uptown. Dennis is excited for Christmas. This excitement has been going on for several months. At this time of his winter season, I indulge him. Dennis remembers my dad, Raymond, serving an after dinner drink. Though most will refuse his offer, he is also offering a non alcoholic look alike. As I said, his enthusiasm is not to be squelched.
The comment when Dennis came home was that the grocery store shelves were dang near stripped and each aisle jammed with carts being filled. I can only imagine what this Friday would be like.
With a snow day, I do have an oven dish to pop in.
I must add an adenium to my comment on Dennis’ winter season. It can be said our lives are much like the seasons. With that in mind, I think it might be fair to say that those of us in our mid seventies and beyond are in our winter’s season. I can feel comfortable about that. For myself, I feel so appreciative of what I have experienced during my 78 years.
The snow is now taking a break. It all looks quite wonderful with so little to disturb it as yet.