Friday, March 22

Well, the snow finally arrived last night. It was dark by the time it got here, and because I figured it would be gone by morning, I donned a jacket, grabbed my camera, and went trudging around the yard snapping a few pics, one of which I sent to a Capital City news channel, where it was briefly featured on the 6 p.m. weather segment.

Slept late this morning, until around 8 a.m., then exercised on the treadmill after breakfast. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house mid-morning, where she worked on her jigsaw puzzle. I was sort of surprised that she wanted to come over, since there was still snow on the ground. I guess she gets bored when she stays at home.

Before I went upstairs, I uploaded snow pics to my social network page, and sent one of them to the TV station. By the time I was ready for the day, it was close to lunchtime. Hubbie opted for a meatloaf sandwich, and since it's a Lenten Friday, I fixed potato patties and scrambled egg substitute, with toast, for Mother and me. Mother really liked the meal.

After lunch, Mother and I worked in the kitchen for a little while. I put a pan of eggs on to boil to be used in white gravy for supper; and then we made a bucket cake (also known as poke cake). I put a store-bought angel food cake into an empty ice cream bucket, and made a batch of raspberry Jell-o. Mother poked holes in the cake, and ladled the hot Jell-o over it. I put it in the refrigerator to set up. This is such a pretty, bright pink, dessert...one that the grandkids used to love when they were young.

Mother went back to her jigsaw puzzle then, and I worked on our scrapbook club's treasury report. I hadn't reconciled it since our last meeting back in November. Fortunately, there's not much to reconcile. I also called the Extension Homemakers Council president, who (go figure) is a man, to clarify information about a letter he sent regarding grant funds.

I was under the impression that I needed to spend the remainder of our club's funds by the end of the fiscal year. But in talking to him, I learned there are two funds...one is awarded from the Council, and the other is a Quorum Court award. The one our club has been awarded is from the Council. It's a community service award, and can be spent any way we wish, at any time we wish. There is no deadline for using the funds.

The other is earmarked for community education only, and must be requested from the council. In order to access this money, a club must submit a proposal, including estimated expenses. It's a reimbursement fund, so clubs must spend their own money, keep receipts, then asked for reimbursement.

Our club has never sponsored a community education program, and I'm not sure we want to, though the president suggested that a card-making session would be a welcome program. I'll have to think about that. Long ago, I did lots of programs for the Council, and it's a lot of work. So I'm not sure I'm up for it again. But I've been known to change my mind.

At any rate, the Council president decided that if I'd been confused over the two funds, then other club presidents probably were, too, so he needs to send another letter to clear it up. I agree.

Spent the rest of the afternoon reading my novel, and then Mother and I finished supper preparations...she peeled and diced the boiled eggs, and buttered the toast, and I made the egg gravy. Served the meal with dishes of canned peaches. Sampled the bucket cake for dessert.

Hubbie accompanied Mother home afterward, and then he and I watched TV, including a year 2000 Hallmark Channel movie called, "Missing Pieces." A widowed man is told his son has committed suicide in Mexico, but when he travels there to find out, he discovers it might not have been suicide, and he sets about solving the mystery.