Engagement, Snozilla

Happiness is Joe's and Leonor's engagement.  It's official and what we were hoping for!  With what sounds like a memorable proposal, spontaneously in the falling snow, in Central Park.  Joe reminded me that he has done what neither Pop nor I did which was make a formal marriage proposal to his future wife.  (Joe remembered that Pop's question had to do with spending the rest of their lives together.)  I know Mary and I had a conversation at the end of which we knew we had agreed to be married, without me ever having said the magic words.  Whatever happened to tradition?

Anyway, we're very happy for them.  They are planning a small civil ceremony in February, and then a church wedding and reception at a later time and place to be determined.   

The falling snow in Central Park was not the marathon snow event that started in North Carolina and stopped just short of Pittsfield.  It;s nice to see that even though some official came up with names for winter storms (like hurricanes), that social media is giving these their own name, that sticks better - Snozilla.  We saw great photos of snowball fights, indoor card games, snow angels, and dogs in snow that you all in Washington, New Jersey and  New York posted on Facebook.  And it looked like fun, until Annie said she spent 4 hours on Sunday digging her car out, as she had to use a windshield scraper since all the shovels had been sold out.  That has to qualify for something Annie.  

Too bad the snowshoes Margaret got for Christmas about ten years ago and never worn were up here, because we did not get a single flake of snow here.  I know if we take them down to DC, then we'll get a big snow here.

In the "adventurous but not very smart" category, Mary and I decided to stick to our plans to go to Boston to attend a Robert Burns night celebration that Cliff and Sheila host every year.  We knew before that driving through snow is no fun, whether it is one inch or one foot.  We saw the first snowflakes around Sturbridge and then drove through pretty messy stuff at pretty sow speeds the rest of the way.  They ended up getting about 4 inches of snow, but overall it was probably worth it.  Poetry and stories and bagpipes and good food.  Oh and a little whisky.

After Boston, we stopped in to see Mary's high school friend Judy for a cup of tea (keeping with the anglophile tradition of the weekend) and then rushed home to see Tom Brady almost pull out a win, despite being hit over 25 times, more than any quarterback ever in the playoffs.  Do I hear the violin music?  Or is that just groans?

We spoke with Andrew who was working at a food bank with Lur, and also was going to go to a basketball game of Daniel's.  He has hurt his foot but hopes to be back in the lineup this weekend.  We also talked to David, who was on the train, on his way to New York City.  He mentioned he had lunch on the train with a guy who was traveling by train all the way from San Francisco.  

We were also fortunate to have a short visit from Annie, who used Pittsfield as a layover on her way to and from meetings in Schenectedy.  She is still waiting word on when she moves to Boston.

A month from today, we will be on our way to the village in Gabon.  We have a corner of our bedroom full of stuff to take.  I hope we have enough room in our suitcases for clothes.  Our latest purchase: a "Luggable Loo."  We will not take a photo  of that.

So, the days are getting longer, but it's not getting any warmer yet.  Next week, Groundhog Day will definitively tell us about the rest of winter.

Hope you all are well.  Love from up here.