My latest video posted on YouTube. It's my piano arrangement of Irving Berlin's White Christmas. This song evokes many bittersweet long-ago memories.
Ironically, I wrote this arrangement when I lived in balmy California. Here in the wilds of Tennessee, there's a possibility of a white Christmas this year. Winter storms are pummeling much of the country. The temperature here is supposed to drop near ZERO by Thursday night with possible snow.
If I had a snug, warm house with a working furnace I wouldn't be worried. Unfortunately I'm in an incredibly cold, extremely drafty, impossibly damp house with a dead furnace. My apprehension concerning the up-coming frigid weather is intense.
Am I complaining? Naw. Not at all. I'm just shivering in fear. If I ever knew Tennessee had six month winters with ice floes and penguins, I would have never come here.
On the positive side (I have to search damn hard to find one) I just ordered a lot of supplies from Walmart, which should arrive on Wednesday (before the Big Cold Front).
Unfortunately, Walmart doesn't ship perishable items to my rural area - - which means I can't get things like milk, cheese, eggs, butter, and frozen food. I've been living on evaporated milk and goat milk.
I wanted to get a ham, so I switched to another company (that delivers to my rural area) - - but their hams were pathetically small and outrageously priced. So I ordered some German sausage instead - which will be delivered on Thursday.
I'm sure this is of absolutely no interest to anyone. I'm merely documenting the pathetic remnants of my wretched, mundane existence.
As always, I'm just talking to myself.
My piano videos are precious to me, because they remind me of a time when I was alive, healthy, creative, optimistic, with a life filled with incredible adventures.
In stark contrast, I'm presently nothing more than a weary, disillusioned, sickly, crippled, impoverished, empty shell.
I no longer have the strength to care.
But I'm plodding on, through the depressing death-path of winter - -
hoping that salvation, optimism, warmth, and sunlight await........
somewhere
somewhere......... Jon
(do I use too many dots.......and dashes - - -??)
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I'd be terrified if I didn't have any heat up here, too. It's -5 degrees right now. Predicted highs for the next five days are 4 to -10...and that highs. Lows predicted to be -7 to -19. That's on my phone. I don't think I want to try to watch the actual local weather report. Just grateful to have heat and bird seed to share with the poor birds. At least we have snow. That acts as a bit of insulation and the partridges can burrow down in it to keep warm. Brrr! I hope your groceries come okay and that you can bundle up and bury yourself in blankets with Bosco!
ReplyDeleteYour temperatures are dangerously low. I'm glad that you're keeping warm and safe - and you have a loving family to depend on. It's also reassuring that the birds have much-needed seeds.
DeleteThe temperature here in TN is supposed to drop near zero on Thursday night and the daytime high will be around 15 degrees on Christmas Eve. These are unusually low temps for this part of the country.
Do any other of the small town grocery stores have any kine of delivery arrangements you could make so you don't have to get out and try to get to the store? I imagine you already tried that, but just a thought. I have always lived within a short drive of grocery stores. Years ago there were a wide variety of grocery stores close by, but now one main grocery store has a couple of locations near us. There used to be three big name grocery stores near us. There is an Aldi not too far, but I am not too crazy about their products, and then there are dollar stores that have food (frozens, and snacky), In our area Walgreens has milk and ice cream, I'm not sure about eggs. Maybe you have a Walgreens that would be closer to drive to that Walmart. I hope you will be able to get some milk and eggs soon. I normally drink milk every day, but since having two dental extractions on Friday, my mouth tastes so bad that I can't stand the the thought of drinking milk, and I can't have soda either because of the bubbles. Apple juice is my go to now. The sugar and calories are ok because I can barely eat anything yet.
ReplyDeleteWe have real cold temperatures coming in just before Christmas, and snow this week. I can't remember which days, and our wind is going to be blowing hard gusts up to 50 mph, that is what makes for power outages around here. I had hoped to buy an outdoor whole house generator that hooks into the gas for the house this year, but our little Fuzzy Pom died this year and we couldn't stand being without another little Pomeranian. With the price of Fritzy Pom and having her spayed, and my sudden dental disaster of a molar on each side breaking off a week apart and the pile of money I had to spend on that, and it being the end of December means there will be no generator for us for a long time. Fritzi is only 5 lbs so instead of the dog keeping us warm, we will have to keep her warm, even though she is a big ball of puffy black fur. She looks like one of those muffs(?) that women in the 1800's used to put their hands in to stay warm.
I hope the temperatures don't drop too much for you and that your furnace will continue to work. Merry Christmas! Stay cozy.
It looks like the weather is going to be brutal for just about everyone this week. It's supposed to be near zero here on Thursday night with snow. I'm trying to keep warm with the space heaters, and closing off the unused rooms.
DeleteUnfortunately, I live in such a remote area that there are no local stores that deliver. I'm hopelessly far from everything. If I didn't have deliveries from Walmart via FedEx I'd be doomed.
I'm so sorry to hear about your dental problems - I can certainly identify with it. Take care and keep warm.
You are braver than you know, Jon. I grew up un the boonies and I understand the feeling of apprehension and fear of being STUCK without any type of security. No electric, no, water, no plumbing, no phone, etc. I think of you living there and wish so much that you could move to a less rural area.
ReplyDeletePlease take care and enjoy your time with Bosco - with a cat you are never truly alone. We now have SIX! lol
When I moved here I didn't realize that there would be so MANY problems, dangers, and complications. It's frightening to be so isolated. The upcoming weather is going to be extremely cold. I'll be all right as long as the power doesn't go out.
DeleteDo you happen to have a good sleeping bag --- or can get one on short notice? I'm thinking the likes of what serious climbers use when trying to scale Everest. Something else: I'm wondering if your cousin has an extra bed? At times like this it's hard to remember how miserably HOT and humid it was not that long ago. Please keep in touch, Jon. We're concerned.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately I don't have any sleeping bag. The electric blanket is a lifesaver - - but if there's a power outage I'll turn into an ice cube. I really wish I had a wood-burning stove. It would be perfect out here.
DeleteI haven't heard from my cousin in a long time - - I suspect she is having her own personal problems....but I know she'd help me if I needed it.