My state has issued guidelines, but local districts can make their own decision. And in many areas, high school districts are not the same as elementary districts, and can decide separately. While many high schools around us have committed to online, our high school BoE just walked that decision back, and are asking the admin for a hybrid plan to consider, and the elementary board hasn’t committed yet. They are considering a hybrid, too. Meanwhile, my son is a student at the liberal arts college in town, which had planned to be on campus and was establishing their protocols, but this week followed other colleges in their division and public schools in our area and committed to online instead. I can’t imagine how their heads must be spinning, and how staff are scrambling to change so many aspects of the school year! Our state high school athletics association pushed some, but not all, fall sports to Februrary. This affects more than athletes. Band curricula, field and auditorium use schedules, students who participate in fall sports as well as winter/spring activities, are all impacted. I‘m not opining on this, just thinking . . . I’m glad I’m not involved. What I find most interesting is that the public schools, which have been moving the start date earlier into August the past few years, are not considering moving the start date after Labor Day, which would give everyone, especially teachers, time to prepare for whatever the final decision is.

Yes, like Larry, I've had visions of children starving across pockets of America, including here. I've been cooking and baking for what, 2 weeks? 3 weeks? I was still cooking today, so won't be delivering until tomorrow. I talked with my friends this morning (both of whom have had Covid for 8 days now. . . they assured me they're about 80% healed. . . but they didn't sound that way. John said the total lack of energy was one of the biggest things, and I could hear them coughing.), and I was worrying about not getting food delivered yet. They assured me that everyone was covered. They said all got some things, some more. So that made me almost re-think recipients I had in mind. . . Trying now to think of elderly folks who don't have anyone. I wish I knew more about people in town. I'll have to find sources. I'm so tired tonight! Feel like my legs are going to fall off. Cooked all day long. I gave GDW choice of rigatoni with Ital. sausage bolognese and ricotta filling or cold pork sandwiches from a FANTASTIC pork shoulder roast I ssssllllloooowwww cooked yesterday. He chose pork sandwiches. Fancy Dancy Christmas dinner. I grazed all day taste-testing dishes--pecan praline cake (I made four 6.5x9" cakes. This was MY half of one of em. LOL. John gets 1 and a half because he LOVED that cake.). HJ--I laughed so hard that you had on the same sweater 7 years later to the day! CRAZY. Oh, speaking of crazy coincidences. I was posting pics on FB yesterday. Had a bunch of friends and family pics. One was me in arm slings--with my Dad. I mentioned that at the time both of my arms (actually, wrists) were broken. Two of our great OK gardening friends chimed in that they also had broken both wrists at the same time--one backwards in the bathroom; the other while unloading bales of hay. Sandy and Lori. Sandy commented that we belonged to a kind of exclusive club. Well, through the. years, I knew of another acquaintance in Mpls who did that--while cross-country skiing. This was particularly funny because both of those ladies are friends of mine! WOW. SOOOOOOOO, I don't know how many read these posts--but any of you "two broken wrists at the same time" folks? I'd never broken a bone until I was 51, and then broke 3 wrists and one leg in a year--the wrists from rollerblading; the leg while playing tag with Brisco the kids' wonderful Australian shepherd. I put on the brakes, hit a wet spot, and went sliding with one leg bent back under me/ I hear the snap and thought. . . "Ah, this isn't good." We were in Mpls at Hiawatha park, down a couple hundred steps from the falls, into a valley/basin. Only way out would be the steps or a helicopter. Ankle swelled immediately like a balloon. Thank God Steph (my wonderful DIL) was with Brisco and me--just for moral support. I crawled up the 150-200 steps to the top. Then Steph ran home (was only 3 blocks) to get the van and came back for Brisco and me. This was the year after the 3 broken wrists, so Steph was well-versed in my sudden misadventures. The worst part of it was that Wade was out of town for a couple days, and Steph and I had planned a GRAND dinner out that evening, just the two of us. So we got me home, I told her it'd probably be fine, I'd just put some ice on it and we could go to dinner. I iced it all afternoon, and then took a crutch to dinner. Assured her it was fine, but raised the leg to the empty chair next to me. So that was fine. Next morning, I was going to walk to the neighborhood grocery store 2 houses down and kitty corner across the street. Nope. I called her (they lived right next door) and said I guessed I needed to go to ER. They put a cast on temporarily and I got to go back to my broken arm doctor 2 days later. I liked that doc. Dr. Beck. I asked him if I should be worried about osteoporosis. He said, "No, you might want to pray you'll get over this clumsy phase soon. And stay off the rollerblades." Hilarious. Like Danny and Jen, I have a few being locked outside stories, but Larry, yours takes the cake! That is NUTS. Moni, I LOVE your adventures! That is an awesome park--I would love to see it in the spring. Will you please go back then and take more pictures? It looks to be, by gosh, rockier than it is here! And NO, I most likely won't go there. Thing is, I LOVE being right here. I will say, 20 years ago, I loved traveling and loved road trips. But now, I am stuck here with the critters and yard, and it's okay with me--no place I'd rather be. I think it's true--as we get old our neighborhood gets smaller. . . When I was 40 and heard this, is made me feel sad for folks ike my grandparents and other "oldsters." NOW? Now I get it. Well.................. Christmas has also take on a different tone. I woke. up this morning and felt so joyful and blessed. First to have read and studied Luke thoroughly over the past 24 days (there are 24 chapters in Luke). Second, that I had all day to finish cooking food for others. Third, that I didn't have one ornament to take down, because I hadn't put one ornament up. Also, we didn't have a bunch of gifts to buy. Long story and a lotta kids, but as a result, we just don't do presents, for the most part. That's part of why I go on these cookie-baking binges. I box em up and send to the families. And GDW and I don't buy for each other--if there's something we want, we get it. It was a GREAT Christmas. I'm thankful for what we have and that we're able to share a bit; thankful for knowing so many good people. Bless you all!

I just went into my seed starting room, looked around and walked back out closing the door behind me. How can anyone let a place like that get into such a mess?? I have sweet potatoes from summer before last. The still look okay, but why eat them when I have last years crop sitting there also? I may have to grab a couple and cook them just to see what a very old sweet potato taste like. I also have winter squash and pumpkins in there also. I have a good supply of jars over at the old house, I wish I were able to can food. But I may never get able to can again, but that is okay, that is the hardest part of gardening anyway. The sun is out, but still pretty cool, 37*. I plan on picking some mustard when it gets a little warmer out. It felt so good to get out a little yesterday. I drove around in the wildlife garden, went down and tried to put a cow back into the pasture. I am not able to chase the cows on foot, but the rtv can run about as fast as a cow can. All though I dont chase them, but I do try to work them down to an area where I can open a gate and run them in. The cows belong to the guy that has the place rented, but I enjoy getting out and checking on them. I think that there are too many cows in the pasture, but that is how a lot of people operate. If I were raising cattle I would starve to death because I would over feed them, I would have other people's cows trying to break into my pasture. It is still 37*, but I think I will go pick some greens, it wont take long to pick enough for two people to eat. We had a wonderful lunch yesterday, salmon patties, potato salad and raw vegetables, I hope we have leftovers from that today.

I've been reading waaaaaaay back to the beginning to see what I missed. I missed some gems! I can't believe the bear activity you all have. In NH we had an occasional experience, but they stayed very hidden. They're practically house guests for you all! I have seen more foxes this year than in the past years combined, probably. It's Foxaloooza around here. Gregg, I LOVE all the baseball teams. That's hysterical! That's a very bird-friendly yard. Coronum, congratulations on the Evening Grosbeak. I know that was an exciting day. The pictures are beautiful! I've got some hummers and am trying to keep those feeders clean. Need to refresh the bird feeders. But, the big news is we have a nest, no ID on the bird yet but the beak is curved, with four babies which is placed far too accessible to the cats. I can't believe they've lasted this long. I check periodically and for a while was afraid the parents had been eaten, but they eventually showed up. They built the nest about 4 feet off the ground in a rhododendron that is sparse on one side, making the nest very easy to see.