The whole nation has been hearing about the snow in the Dakotas. All the stereotypes about North Dakota have been reinforced. But it actually was a pretty major storm. We got 9" in Bismarck, and you all know that when wind is involved, that means 2" in some places and four foot drifts in very inconvenient places. Our driveway was mostly clear, but on the front steps and under the deck was a different story. School was called off on Friday, and before 9 a.m. the neighbor kids were ringing the door bell asking if they could sled on our hill.

The weather didn't change our plans much. We stayed home on Saturday and put a fresh coat of paint on the walls in Michael's old room, soon to become Tom's more spacious office. Our streets are still icy, and the snowbanks are probably here to stay unless we get lots of sunshine and warmer temps.

Tom did decide that he should dig the rest of the carrots out of the garden. So after digging through a snowdrift and some mud underneath, he brought in two large bags of crisp, organically homegrown carrots. Wish I could offer you all free samples. The taste always reminds me of Grandpa Charlie and Grandma Ruby's garden.