Thompsons Lake

February 16, arrived with a temperature of minus 12. My hot water in the kitchen froze for the first time ever. I quickly got it thawed with a hair dryer. I have to remember to leave the doors open under the sink as the wind was causing very low temperatures against the back of my house.

I couldn’t get out of the house because the snowdrifts were waist high in my path. I talked to my granddaughter Kassi Neal, and she told me her fiancé, Jared Martin, was in Altamont shoveling driveways. She spoke to Jared and he said he would be happy to shovel me out, so over he came.

What a thoughtful young man Jared is. We are all proud to call him family.

Brandon and Jenn were snowed in, and shoveled drifts in their driveway all day.

On Tuesday, Feb. 17, it was zero degrees at 7 a.m. I had an appointment with Dr. David Abraham and we discussed my left knee. I am going to have the knee replacement but I am going to schedule it after Kassi and Jared’s wedding.

I invited my grandson, Miles Pangburn and his wife, Melissa for dinner. They were going to stop by for visit. I also invited my daughter, Marcia Pangburn. I made boneless chicken thighs, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potatoes, and fresh broccoli for dinner. Miles’s birthday would be the next day, Feb. 18, but I know they planned to go out to eat with Melissa’s parents, Tim and Carol Maikoff of Voorheesville and her grandmother, Kathy Maikoff of Altamont.

We had a great time visiting and I read Miles’s birthday card to him and gave him his gift.

On Wednesday, Feb. 18, it was a temperature of minus five. I went to Family court in Schoharie with Brandon, but it was only to accept a stop payment of childcare for baby sitting. Veronica’s hours have changed and she usually works from home.

Everything has to be signed by a judge. While we were there the fire alarms went off and we had to vacate the building. It must have been minor because we went back in about 20 minutes later.

On Wednesday evening Brandon and I went to the Ash Wednesday service at the Lutheran church in Berne.

Brandon usually has his dinner visit with Samson and Nichole but it’s Veronica’s vacation week with the children. This year Brandon gets the April vacation.

On Thursday, Feb. 19, it was zero below at 9:30 p.m. During the day I wrote out bills and birthday cards. My daughter, Marcia Pangburn stopped by and brought in my newspaper and mail.

On Friday, Feb. 20, it was minus seven at 7 a.m. The wind blew fiercely all night long. I looked out my back door window and I wasn’t going anywhere. The wind left four to five foot drifts all the way to my vehicle. I called my grandson, Miles Pangburn. He’s a biology teacher at Cairo Durham High School and this is vacation week.

He used two shovels, a square old-fashioned iron one and a modern plastic snow shovel to dig me out. Then Miles and I enjoyed a hot lunch of tomato soup and toasted cheese sandwiches.

I was grateful that Miles came right over, because I like to go to the grocery store on Friday. I did go to the store.

Later, Brandon, Samson, and Nichole came over and we enjoyed creamed tuna on toast. That was one of my son Danny’s favorite meals. My daughter, Marcia came to eat with us, and she said it was one of her favorites also.

Kyra Swan has been spending the vacation week in Coxsackie with their friend, Beth Courtney. It seems like we eat a lot, but that’s what we do in frigid weather.

Then came Saturday, Feb. 21, and it had warmed up to zero. I had not a stick of wood left in my back room and Brandon came over to carry in a week’s supply. I felt bad watching him out the window. He had to shovel for an hour with the two shovels because there were four and five foot drifts all the way to the wood house.

Then he used the wheelbarrow and got in the wood I needed. It makes me feel warm just to see all that wood ready when I need it.

I started cooking a meal again about 3:30 p.m. This time I prepared venison steaks, mashed potatoes, gravy, carrots, and cucumbers. I also made strawberry shortcake for dessert.

Nichole loves cucumbers. My dinner guests were Marcia, Kyra, Brandon, Jenn, Samson, Nichole, and Iain.

Sunday, Feb. 22, I woke up to a 20 degree day and four-inches of new snow. Nichole had spent the night with me.

We went to church and the service was held in the hall because the lock was frozen on the church door.

At 2 p.m. I rode to David’s Bridal in Northway Mall as Kassi had made an appointment for all the girls in her wedding to pick out dresses.

Nichole is a flower girl. Melissa is the matron of honor and Danielle Ricketts, Kyra, and Jared’s sister, Amanda Martin are bridesmaids.

Kathy, the mother of the bride was there to oversee this great procedure.

Marcia came for Kyra, Jenn came for Nichole, and little Zoey Babcock came to watch and the same went for me.

They took pictures for Amanda, who is a school-teacher in Abu Daibi but will be home for the wedding. Amanda will order her dress by sending her measurements to David’s.

Later I rode with Brandon to take the children back to their mother in Schoharie.

At 2 a.m. on Monday morning I woke up and was full of gratitude for my wonderful family that had shoveled me out, and keeps my back room full of wood.

Hilltown community

Lenten service

The Hilltown community Lenten service on Wednesday, March 4, will be held at the Rock Road Chapel at 7 p.m. Pastor Tim Van Heest will be the preacher. The sermon will be based on Ezekiel 17:22-24, “God will transform the low tree into the tree of life.”

Following the service, there will be a time for food and fellowship. Come and join in this spiritual experience of worship and community.

Bible study

The adult Bible study led by Rev. Bob Hoffman will be on Thursday, March 5, at 7 p.m., in the church hall at the Knox Reformed Church. All adults are encouraged to attend.

Let 2015 be a year of growth for you.

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