Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 4:00 a.m. in "The City."

Yes, I have been hibernating. Well not exactly, but I have been enjoying some extra time in a nice warm bed. When I sprang to the WW earlier to see what has been happening while I slept, I was not surprised to see that there has been significant snow accumulation, although it is not snowing right now. The NWS in Grand Rapids has issued a winter weather advisory for the major portion of Michigan from Kalamazoo north. Snowfall in our little corner of the world is anticipated to cause slippery driving conditions, likewise walking conditions, along with a need for extra caution in all outdoor activities.

I received an email yesterday that my Irish Jam session that was scheduled for today was canceled due to the accumulating snow which is expected to add an additional four to seven inches through tonight. However, that advisory is in effect until 7:00 a.m. Sunday, so more accumulation is likely.

I have to be sure to thank our neighbor for his efforts on our shared driveway. He is trying to stay ahead of the snow so that his significant other can get out and go to work, but the city snowplows keep piling the snow back into the driveway. I'll give him an assist later this morning when I decide it is time to go outside, or at least when the fur-children decide it is time to go out.

We have a current temperature of 16° per the NWS or 20° according to the DTWS. I like my temperature better. We are approaching the shortest day of the year, Wednesday, December 21, 2016, the annual winter solstice. After that, the days will begin to get longer and spring training will not be far behind. For the Cubs, their pitchers and catchers should be reporting to Mesa, AZ around February 17, and the position players a few days later. No official dates are published @ this time, with the exception of the date for the first game against the Oakland As on February 25, 2017.

Not unlike the mythological Persephone, who returns from the netherworld each year to signal the start of spring, I too am reborn each year when spring training begins and the players are on the field in Mesa. This year, I can feel even better because the Cubs are the 2016 World Series champions. First baseman Anthony Rizzo says he wants more rings. I concur.

Mary returned to the kitchen yesterday where she interpreted a recipe for vegetable stew that turned out great. It is a keeper. In fact, it was so good and so voluminous, that we had it for both lunch and dinner. Each time, the stew was accompanied by a slice of our latest bread for sopping up the gravy. Sadly, the stew is all gone now. Mary finished one index yesterday and she has another to do this weekend, but she has vowed to spend more time in her various domains, the kitchen, her craft/sewing room, and the La-Z-Boy where she is still working on the tree skirt. As I recall, she is doing this in cross-stitch, nee needlepoint. Or, is it the other way around?

At any rate, I am making progress on the latest jigsaw puzzles. While there are only 500 pieces in this one, those pieces are for 15 separate, smaller, butterfly puzzles. Each puzzle has somewhere between 15 and 40 pieces with no edge pieces, so it is harder than I first anticipated to assemble each butterfly. Mary has done some of the smaller ones as she passed through. I have to be careful because GTWD likes to taste anything that drops to the floor. She likes to lay beneath the puzzle table when I'm working, so any piece that I don't place has to be accounted for or it will be fair game for the wonder dog.

Other than snow removal and walking GTWD to her spot in the back forty and letting STWD out on her tether, I have no plans. I must get to the Bookman for a Sunday N.Y. Times, as they have a great crossword puzzle section in this edition, plus there are also other sections, such as the Book Review, that are worth reading too.

The sun will rise today to reveal the extent of the snowfall @ 8:11 a.m. and set a scant nine hours later @ 5:11 p.m. Ciao.