Mississippi winter 2015 vs George Washington's 1779-80

This is my fourth winter in MS. Locals say we don't have "bad" weather,  which explains why our 1960's house has"single-pane" windows. And no garage. Thank goodness we have blankets to tack over our windows and layers of clothes to wear. School closes at the drop of a hat. There is no Midwestern plow to clear the way. Mother Nature's sun is it.

Early Monday, She blessed us with a quarter-inch of ice followed by sleet. Can you hear her laughing? Looking on the bright side, think Dr. Zhivago and the costumes. I would love a sleigh ride covered in furs, wouldn't you? Remember when he studied the snowflakes on the glass? Such a romantic. I like to watch the movie in the heat of summer.

Five of us were invited to Harvey Fiser's for a lady's luncheon, but the weather wasn't cooperating. My car's front and back passenger doors were frozen shut with a mottled pattern of ice as thick as an I-don't-want-anyone-to-see-me-shower door. It took me 20" to clear the windshield and a peep hole on the right front window. Two ladies wiggled and giggled into the back seat. I was the back of the neck. Thank you Morgan Freeman for Driving Miss Daisy. We made it to Harvey's and enjoyed her wild rice soup, dainty ham sandwiches, tomato aspic on bib lettuce, baked chocolate pie and coffee in demitasse cups, a blazing fire and friendly conversation. True Southern Hospitality at its best.

Pause for a moment and imagine what it was like for George Washington's troops. Robert Middlekauff wrote Washington's Revolution: The Making of America's First Leader. © 2015. "The winter of 1779-80 proved to be one of the worst that longtime residents in New York and New Jersey remembered. Some soldiers didn't even have a shirt. There was ice on the ground. Streams froze and Grist mills couldn't turn. Troops went without meat for days at a time. Washington ordered the soldiers to take wheat from mills, beat and husk it and boil it to make a tolerable substitute for bread." With so little, so much was accomplished.

©2015 Red Convertible Travel Series

Tawnya & Teresa, True Friends, Food 'n Fun

The last month has been spent tripping up and down the stairs with JB on one floor and Kris on the other. And, yes, I did trip. It was so hot I was thinking of snow, Dr. Zhivago to be exact, and I skied the basement stairs. Not a good idea.

I like to reread Gone With the Wind in April and watch Dr. Zhivago in the dog days of summer. When he studies the frozen designs on the window I remember there's more to life than shoveling.

Confined to "home duty" two of my Missouri girlfriends made a surprise visit. What a delight. We laughed, watched movies, cooked and ate for two days. Tawnya made a baked crab dip to die for with cream cheese, mayo, chopped artichoke hearts, diced onions, crisp bacon broken to bits, parmesan cheese, and spiced it with Worcestershire, chili powder, salt and pepper. We ate it with and without crackers.

For one of our meals we made Suzanne Somers Chicken Piccata with squeezed lemon and capers. We sliced red, yellow and green peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, summer squash and red onion and sauteed all in a smidge of olive oil seasoned with fresh parsley, basil and oregano from my garden. Served on my happy Pistoulet dishes it was a feast for the eyes too.

Tawnya loves breakfast. She scrambled nine eggs for the three of us with onions, green pepper and more cream cheese. I feel so good after a meal of natural fats rather than foods that turn to sugar like potatoes and rice. We had homemade guacamole and put peach salsa on top. Chocolate Velvet coffee tasted great and made the kitchen smell so good.

Teresa really wanted to taste the lemon curd, and fresh pesto, but we forgot. I had homemade gazpacho we didn't get around to either. My decadent dark chocolate Texas sheetcake with cinnamon and cayenne went untouched. That's okay. We're planning a next time.

copyright 2007 Red Convertible Travel Series