Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across that nation and around the world. It is just past 5:00 a.m. in "The City." I just woke up in my chair arund 4:30 a.m.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRD_gIoVOmY

No song sums it up better than The Who's, I'm Free, written by Pete Townsend and sung by Roger Daltrey. Not that I am totally free or without restrictions, but I am at last free of that accursed sling that has been pat of my life for nearly seven weeks and which is now part of the trash at the doctor's office!

In spite of the snowstorm yesterday, we made it to my orthopedist appointment and the doctor gave me a lengthy list of things I can't do and a much shorter list of things I can, but, I'm Free! Now it is up to my physical therapist and yours truly to do all the right things and in four to six months, I should be good to go. No lifting of anything over one to two pounds for a couple of weeks, no using my arm to support myself, no over-extending of the shoulder joint, and very specifically, no falling on that shoulder! But, I'm Free!

Yes Virginia, I can resume playing the girls. I didn't tell the doctor that I had already done that on very limited basis. It is now "official", I can resume playing for 15 to 20 minute sessions. That also means that with the assistance of my "Roadie", Mary, I can go back to the Irish Jam session Saturday, albeit with more listening than playing. I'll take it!

So, as you can imagine, yesterday was a great day for both Mary and me. In fact, our house-cleaning person, Dawn, made it through the snow and now the manse sparkles in her wake. In addition, the vegetable broth that I helped prepare the day before, finished up its cook time in the slow-cooker and was harvested by Mary, and part of it went into our dinner last night. That dinner was dubbed TVP Loaf by Mary and was servied with stewed tomatoes, which I also had a limited role in making.

Mary started with those overripe tomatoes that we'd picked up Monday. Working from a recipe in a first edition copy of Cooking for Two, the cookbook, procured by Adam for his mother, she crafted a new version of stewed tomatoes.

I attempted to assist, with some help from the fur-children, in peeling the tomatoes and in the end, we had stewed tomatoes. The recipe included some homemade breadcrumbs, and I'm not sure what else. None the less, they were great.

I'd like to say that I was instrumental in the preparation, but I can't.

Along with the stewed tomatoes, Mary prepared that aforementioned TVP loaf. another keeper. I am not certain, but I think between the tomatoes and that loaf, she used most of the utensils and things in her kitchen.

Loaf pan, pestle, numerous bowls, food processor, slow-cooker, funnel. The list is quite extensive.

However, the end result was a very tasty TVP loaf that did require my one-handed assistance in kneading and packing into that loaf pan. I still have to go down to the kitchen and empty the dishwasher post-meal preparation and consumption.

This recipe is the best TVP loaf to date!

We have a current temperature of 24° that feels like nine degrees, with the strong winds that are still blowing outside the WW. The NWS forecast calls for our Winter Weather Advisory to continue until 1:00 p.m. this afternoon, adding up to an additional two inches of snow to our winter total. The sleet and snow that fell and continues to fall, will produce hazardous driving conditions for the morning commute today.

We were fortunate that our neighbor, Ron, came by with his heavy-duty, two-stage snow thrower and cleared our shared driveway and front sidewalk. Mary did her best with the rear deck and stairs, but today, we have John coming by to put the finishing touches on her efforts.

That River Flood Warning issued by the NWS for the Grand River in Robinson Township is still in effect until 8:00 p.m. Thursday, as ice continues to block many of the dams/bridges upriver from GH.

Today's high temperature, after the sun rises @ 7:45 a.m. and well before it sets @ 6:13 p.m., is forecast to be 28°. Oddly, tomorrow's high is forecast to be 39°, before we fall into the 20s for several more days.

Still worthy of note, is that the pitchers and catchers reported yesterday to their respective training camps. However, in Ft. Meyers, FL, where my beloved Red Sox train, the forecast for today calls for 66°and a 100% chance for precipitation, while the forecast for Mesa, AZ, where the Cubs train, calls for 72° and a 0% chance or precipitation. The Tigers train in Joker Marchant Stadium, i e, "Tiger Town" in Lakeland, FL, where the forecast calls for 62° and a 90% chance of precipitation. No predictions yet for the upcoming season.

We have some indoor chores to do today and I have some reading to do along with those limited shoulder exercises. I have to listen to the doctor's warnings and Mary's even sterner warnings, to limit myself and not overdo. I will, but it will be tough!

Otherwise, I don't see a need to go out today. I have another P/T appointment tomorrow afternoon, but the driveway etc., should be cleared by then. Much as I hate it, I can't help in the snow removal, so instead, I'll assist with those indoor chores. Ciao.