It's still 2020!

>Crazy times continue!  I read that "pandemic" is the new word of the year in Merriam-Webster.  Then I got to thinking how much I loved dictionaries and encyclopedias.  My grandmother on my mom's side was a teacher and very strict and smart too.  Every time she got a new set of World Book Encyclopedias she would hand down the old ones to us and we had a blast - wierd huh?

So my 3 mile daily walks are getting a "little chilly" in MN talk but I have only missed about 3 days so far 

 

The hat:  When we took a trip on our own to Russia in 2011 Ross bought this hat and I thought he was crazy but guess who's wearing the hat now!  Sometimes it even makes my head sweat if I'm walking fast and the sun is shining!

Notice the "feels like" is 13 degrees.

A couple days later I headed to the fantastic park a couple blocks from our house, my usual walking place, and as I crossed the railroad bridge I saw "white stuff".  First I'm thinking how could that be fog?  Closer - snowblowing the cross country ski trail so I decided it would be a wiser decision to back track and do the neighborhood walk.

A few days ago we had COVID appointments a block from our house at the school so we could walk there.

It was the saliva test when you have to spit in enough (no bubbles count) into a vial while holding your mask away from your face a bit.  The video I watched said it could take 10-15 minutes to do this which I thought was dumb.  Hmmm - NOT!  Ross finished in half the time and the staff were Army National Guard people and the girl said just think of a food that makes your mouth water.  So - I said caramel corn, red licorice and nougat.  It worked like a charm!

And the funny thing is just the day before I had stocked up on the Italian nougat that I can only find during the Christmas shopping time.

Then I get the most perfect gift from a best friend.  Three words say it all!!!  Thanks, Peggy!

Yesterday we had a Globetrotting Grannies zoom call - so fun even though we'd rather be on a trip!  Usually we get cut off at 40 minutes but during the holidays the rules don't hold so Dec 17-19 as it was Hanukkah time there was no limit so we were closer to 90 minutes!

Enough babbling!  Yesterday on my walk I listened to a travel podcast on Dublin and they said in 2020 a new food truck would be starting which will be a "retired" ambulance and will serve grilled cheese sandwiches - bring on Ireland and I like grilled cheese.  Fingers crossed that we get there in June as planned!