This should be our last dusting of white this spring!

11.IV.07 - MoM

Local TV news tonight is full of the major Minnesota snow storm today. During the past week, it has been north of us. Today it was mostly south of us. I did have a light dusting this morning with never enough to stick to the road. It was gone by mid-day. It is spitting again a little now but when I last looked it was 35° so not it is probably not going to get anywhere. Belinda, the weather girl, just said that by the weekend it will look like spring. I hope Ted will be here again one of these days to start getting rid of the dregs of fall and winter.

I am not unhappy to have Imus fired instead of just suspended for 2 weeks from MSNBC. For years I have disliked the sound of his mumbling, conceited voice ever since we got cable. Since he came on first thing in the morning on MSNBC and lots of times it is the channel I last have on at night, I tried to make sure that I had changed the channel before going to bed so I would be tuned to NBC for the Today Show first thing in the morning and I would not have to listen for even a minute to his voice.

I just looked up and there was a fawn standing at the edge above the patio nibbling on some little green shoots. I got my nearby camera and was close enough for a good picture. "It continued to stare at me until the light started flashing as I turned it on, then decided to leave. It is still roaming around just above the hiking path in back of the house. I wouldn't be surprised to see it back in the yard again.

My only accomplishment today was a little more work on the tote box of stuff that I had collected from around my living room chair. I am following FL dictates of 15 or so spurts. I really need to have more spurts each day.

It wasn't enough to have rotiss chicken for quite a few consecutive days. tonight I am have a Schwan's chicken pie, mostly because it is so easy. Need to purge the fridge tomorrow as the major items cluttering it have possibly passed their safe date. I finished off my dinner with some of the good cake that Ruth had made from one of Sandy's recipe.

Cute pictures of Ben. Good for him to have a chance to get some serious exercise.

* * * * *

This is the rest of a letter from Sandy Jan 1985 to us in Saalfelden.

My slides of Saafelden are everyone's favorites out of this year's, particularly among the university faculty. You're living out everyone's fantasy.

Zeitgeist's newest record was just released. One of these days I'll send you a tape of it. They played a concert last week at St. Paul's fabulous new concert hall. Also, Bob is playing an opera there. The hall is beautiful. If you were home you'd know all about it from the Today show. If I can get my hands on one, I'll send you a clipping about their concert here next week. Bob's hair is now much shorter than in the picture, since a River Falls barber got his hands on him last October and instead of the trim Bob asked for, gave him what Bob refers to as an American Legion Special. The group is doing quite well and has a lot of gigs this spring.

There really isn't much news. I'm enjoying my job a lot more now that I am not doing administrative work. It is a great luxury to be able to just concentrate on my students and my classes. Of course, there are always other things that come up -- I was just chosen as one of a four-person statewide committee to make up a standardized French test. Will make a little bit of money doing it, but it's sort of an honor to be chosen to do it; there are people in Madison who know who I am.

Well, this is enough for now. Please do keep writing -- I love to get your letters. Still have not been confirmed for '86 Quarter Abroad, but I'll probably get to do it. Bob and I are seriously considering coming to see you guys next Christmas instead of going to Florida. It cost us almost #1,000 to go there, so why not? What do you think?

Keep in touch. Bob says hello and that he's looking forward to seeing you in a couple of months.

Love, Sandy