Hello Folks!

It is a gusty evening with intermittent winds howling around the house. I can just imagine how today’s snowfall is swirling around out in the country.  They did forecast blizzard-like conditions for rural MN.

Did I ever tell you about the snowdrifts we drove through during the winter of ’79?  That was when I was in a three person acting troupe and we put on two plays at schools. For the elementaries we did “Peter Pan” and for the senior highs we did “The Birds” by Aristophanes.  We drove all over western MN, eastern SD and ND, and northern IA.  It was a banner year for snowstorms, below zero temps  and the flu.

The snowdrift I remember the most was in southwestern MN, where there’s not a whole lot to stop the wind.  The road was plowed through this hill of snow, but the height of the mound reached to well over twice the height of the car.  It was like driving through a tunnel.

And the cold! The actor who got the extra money for driving us had a heater installer on her engine block. So, we’d pull up to these little motels way outstate MN and plug it in for the night and hope that the car started in the morning. If we couldn’t make it to the show, we didn’t get paid.

We also didn’t get paid if we showed up and the school was closed for some reason. That happened once. The school was closed due to the flu.

I caught the flu that season, too. I distinctly remember one loooong night in  Renville  when I had a classic earache that kept me up.  I also remember finishing a “Peter Pan” and not staying around for the Q & A afterward.  Instead I headed for the nurse’s office to lie down. I had a temp of 102.5.  I’m sure that I must have startled the little kids with my bloodshot eyes as I sang and danced close to them. They probably thought Smee had been on a bender!

Two of us played multiple parts, the third played Peter.  I played Mrs. Darling, Wendy and Smee the pirate.  I changed out of Wendy’s nightgown with the help of a long strip of velcro and the guy who played Michael and Hook, and left the costume in a circle that I could just step into when I had to be Wendy again. Underneath the nightgown was Smee’s costume: tattered pants, Neverland tee shirt, sash and kerchief for the head.  White tights and knee pads for the falling I had to do as Smee completed the outfit. I did try during rehearsal to wear an eyepatch, but it really threw off my  ability to move accurately. So, I squinted my eyes a lot and growled as Smee.  ARG!!!

We did the plays from January through April or May. It was, as they say, a learning experience. Make no mistake, I had a great time onstage and interacting with the kids afterward.  But there’s a reason why I never did another tour like that.

Ufda, I started talking about the weather! That’s where I meant to be in order to get to the title story.

Well, it’s so cold and with the house all closed up, the moisture on the windows gets to be a problem. Too much moisture and the window sills rot. Not enough humidity and the furniture cracks.  It’s an adjust and monitor situation. (as opposed to teaching which is a monitor and adjust problem!)

The hubster adjusted the humidity by turning it down. The moisture disappeared from the windows.

But now, when I brush the cat, all sorts of sparks follow the comb and I can hear a crackling. She meows and moves away. I can’t blame her really.  It must be disconcerting to be shocked and combed at the same time. And the sparks seem to come from within her fur, so I’m thinking that that’s even more uncomfortable than the sparks I get at my fingertips.

I’m thinking of dampening the brush first, but a) would that make it worse? and b) then I’d have a damp cat running around getting cold. (because you know she would hate being wrapped up in a towel to dry off)

It is a conundrum.

I hope you have a fun filled Friday and a wonderous weekend to come!

Love,

Janet