Friday, December 22, 2006

Snow, silver and sweet silence

It's nearly empty at work today, so I can actually get some work done in the peace and quiet. If it were this quiet all the time maybe I'd be more successful at my job..!

Folks asked if it snows in California. Yes, definitely. Even in San Diego, I'm only one scant hour's drive from snow. I can visit it and have a snowball fight any time I want to! We go skiing every few years at a resort that's just a couple hours from home. This is possible because of the huge differences in altitude in the Southern California terrain.

I grew up with snow (on the outskirts of Ann Arbor, Michigan). It was beautiful and had a quieting effect that I do miss, and I miss the long icicles hanging from the edge of the porch roof, and the wonderful crunching sound of my feet on the snow. I don't miss being wet and then frozen. I don't miss the muddy slush in early spring. We left before I was old enough to hate shovelling :-)

By the way, I make my garden look good by only photographing the flowers, but most of our yard is a bunch of dead dirt. We need to get out there with the jackhammer and start planting things again.

I hadn't even heard that silver drageés were illegal here now, poo poo!, but I see the articles now. I still have a half-bottle left from years past; I used to order them from King Arthur Flour or buy them at Williams Sonoma. I'll have to buy them out of state when I restock!! Or ask for them on my next Secret Pal swap ;-)

I don't have any photos today. We woke to the surprise of pouring rain. It was very dark. But we're thrilled to see rain, always, in this semi-arid desert city. So here's a picture from Sunday of my niece Carson. It's blurry, but is she cute or what?

8 comments:

Laura B said...

She's very cute!

Anonymous said...

Did a google on the dragees and here's one result that I found: http://www.overlawyered.com/2005/12/silver_dragees_welcome_virgini.html

Seems tha this lawyer thinks it's an environmental hazard, although he doesn't have any studies to prove that. Dragees were apparently outlawed back in 2003 . . .

Anonymous said...

I always thought they looked a bit unhealthy. They even taste of metal! But you're hardly going to eat a handful of them anyway.

No snow in Germany this year, except in the highest recesses of the alps, and that's on the other end of the country :(

Anonymous said...

Definitely cute!

April said...

No, she's not cute. She's beautiful. =)

Anonymous said...

Happy Christmas Valerie! I'm glad that I (virtually) met you this year and i hope you have lovely holidays!
Johanna

Christine said...

Look at Carson beehaving so nicely :).

What are silver dragees?

jae said...

She's adorable clutching onto her stuffed animal.