Snow Day!

A major winter storm is giving us lots of snow outside my window.  Despite pretreating the roads with salt the snow is piling up on the roads.

We got an announcement over the loudspeaker that dining services is running a buffet from 11 to 4:30, the Pub is closing at 11:00 and the Market Place at 2:00.  We will have our dinner early then at 4:00 today and have a very light lunch of a salad I purchased from the Market Place after exercising this morning.

Here's the stack of books I stockpiled yesterday from the library.  I'm taking a page from Sue at The Cottage at the End of the Lane who always shows us her stack of books she has checked out to read.

You'll see two more Charles Todd books -  I'm quite enamored with that mystery series.  The Anna Quindlen is for the book discussion here at Vantage House and the bottom book "Gateway to the Moon" is the March selection for my other book club.  I always like Anne Tyler but the other tow books I know nothing about.  The summaries sounded interesting.

A Fancy Shindig

Saturday night was to be a sisters' gathering in Chambersburg, organized by my oldest sister, Bonnie. She purchased a table for 8 at the Cumberland Valley Music School fundraising dinner.  My sister Suzie and her husband were not able to come at the last minute so it was three sisters and spouses.

Our table was right next to the photo op spot.

Here are Dan and I.

My sisters left to right, Marie and Bonnie.

A selfie with Marie who is ten years younger than me.

Another shot with sisters.  There is 16 years difference between Bonnie and Marie.  The missing sister is 7 years younger than me.

A close up shot of the balloon on the table.

The Buchwalter boys were not invited.  They live in Pittsburgh and Arizona.

We bid on silent auction items but only Bonnie won something - tickets to a local play production.  The auction items went for larger amounts and the guitar which interested Dan went for what he predicted $1000.  He didn't bid on it.

It was a fun evening.

Volunteering

I spent the morning at Neighbor Ride, the 9 am - 1 pm. shift.

Being Valentine's Day Neighbor Ride drivers were to show the love by having their magnets on their cars.  Here's one of the staff person's van plastered with magnets.

This is a service for seniors by offering rides at low costs to any place, shop, appointment, class, etc they need to get to and from within a 35 mile radius of their home.  I used to volunteer as a driver,  but when we reduced our auto count from two to one, I inquired how else I could help.   The answer was to be a ride coordinator.

I learned the computer program for scheduling ride requests, soliciting drivers to fill those requests, answering the phone and answering questions.

It was a busy morning today with the phone ringing a lot.  Fortunately I'm one of a team of 3 or 4 when I'm there.  I had a chance to wish countless seniors a Happy Valentine's Day, too when I called to let them know the name of the driver for their rides tomorrow and in the week ahead.

What do you do as a volunteer?

Coating

Don't know if my photos will do justice to the coating of ice that is everywhere except the streets, thankfully.

It started late Sunday night with bit of snow but changed over to misting rain that iced on every raised surface.

The streets were well treated but sidewalks were not so schools closed. after first announcing a 2 hour delayed opening.

It looks lovely from here on the 11th floor.

Warming temps this afternoon will bring all the moisture to the ground.

The lake is already having a load of water going over the dam.

But there's more frozen stuff in the forecast ahead.