We were able to do some sledding on the hill in my backyard. I wish there were not so many trees, but we never went so fast that crashing into one would be a danger. We took turns sliding on a plastic storage box top and a laundry basket. I feel badly that we didn’t have an actual sled – but we normally don’t have enough snow to get any use from a real sled. Our improvised “sleds” did just fine for today.

It sure did snow yesterday! We have at least 3 inches on the ground, maybe 4 inches in spots. The ground is completely covered and the roads are treacherous. The street in front of my house is a solid sheet of ice – there is no way I can go anywhere safely in the car today. It is very cold outside but the snow is calling us to come play!

Finally! I looked out the window and actually see snow coming down. It is beautiful. Too early for anything to be on the ground, but the snow is definitely falling and it is thick. The weatherman still says that we will get at least 4 inches. This might be fun!

We woke up this expecting expecting to see snow on the ground. The weatherman says we are going to get at least 4 inches of snow today and it was supposed to start early this morning.

Well, here it is after 9:00 and still no snow. But the school system closed all throughout Tennessee because the weatherman swears we are going to have a lot of snow today. Hmmmm.

No school means that I have to call out of work and stay home with the kids. I don’t mind that a bit – we will have fun today. Whether it snows or not, it is nice to have an extra day at home with the family.

The weatherman loves to tease us with a prediction of snow. He’s been talking about the possibility of snow this weekend for several days. Well, I don’t believe him until I see it – he is so often wrong about the snow coming here. Nashville is in a funny geographical location – like a large bowl with the Mississippi River and flat lands to our west and the Smokey Mountains to our east. The cold weather with snow usually goes north of us, into Kentucky. But every once in a while we do get some snow here in Middle Tennessee. So I am anxious to see if we really do get any accumulation this time.

The earthquake in Haiti has been in the news and it is such a tragedy. There have been so many deaths – the estimates keep climbing. The last I heard, they expect to end up with over 200,000 dead. They have been crawling through rubble and finding a few more survivors every day – so that is good. But the challenges of getting water and food to the victims are huge. The roads are destroyed, there is only one tiny airport, and the port is damaged. I hope that our military can send a lot of helicopters down there to carry and drop the food and medical supplies that are so desperately needed.

Here it is January and the temperatures have risen. We had a week of really cold weather and a couple of days of snow flurries. That was a winter week. But now the days are so warm that we don’t even need a jacket to walk the dogs in the morning or run errands during the day. It was 60 degrees at my house today and I’m loving every degree over 50.

The school calendar is online and I decided to take a look at how they are handling Spring Break and Easter. This year Easter will come very late, on April 4. But the kids only get a holiday on Good Friday, which is April 2. Their Spring Break will come much earlier than Easter this year. They have off 11 days in the middle of March, from the 12th through the 21.

I want to take a short trip with the kids to the beach, although I’m not sure that early in March is going to be the best beach weather. I have my heart set on going back to Myrtle Beach. That area is so family friendly and has so many fun things to do, even if the water is too cold for swimming.

I checked online for a Myrtle Beach Accommodation that would put us right on the beach, and found some good hotels and condos available.

When looking at Myrtle Beach Accommodations you just have to decide which area of the beach you want to stay on. There is a big difference between the southside area, which is mostly young families, and the North Myrtle Beach area, which is mostly older folks.

I am going to book a Myrtle Beach Hotel for half of the Spring Break and then take the kids to go see my parents for a few days after that. I’m not sure where my parents will be in March, so I have to call my mom and ask her if they have made any plans yet.

You know, I’m about sick of fighting with banks and mortgage companies. They make every little thing such a huge hassle. I always leave the bank feeling like I’ve been ripped off by a bunch of guys in suspenders and bow ties.

Here’s the thing that banks have lost sight of. The customers are choosing your bank and trusting you with their money. Sometimes they are trusting you with their life savings. But in return you nickel and dime us to death with stupid limits and fees and ridiculous policies.

You, banks, have got to get your head right. You won’t get another bailout. I can practically guarantee that won’t happen again.

Today I put on a hockey game to keep me company while I was doing laundry and some other chores around the house.

The game was between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Detroit Red Wings. I have to say, this was an AWESOME game! Both teams played with an intensity that rivaled the Stanley Cup. The goalies were in top form and there were some fantastic skilled shots that gave each team 3 goals during the game.

There was one big fight between just two players, no one got hurt during that fight or the rest of the game, and that was good. The score was tied at the end of regulation and no one scored during the overtime period, either. So they had to go to a shoot out. It was SOOOO exciting! The Blackhawks ended up winning in the shoot out. What a game!