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January 21, 2010

Lee Ward : 01/24/10 — Ideas to pass time on a winter's day

Anonymous The Daily Independent Thu Jan 21, 2010, 02:49 PM EST

Anticipating more bad weather, I prepared to be snowed in for the weekend.

I bought the requisite bread and milk, along with cereal, rock salt, a couple of magazines and, most importantly, a big sack of dog food. Knowing my pack, if we were snowed in without dog food, they might build a fire and roast me in the living room.

Yet, I didn’t feel prepared for three days at home. Alone. Bored.

A couple of magazines wouldn’t cut it for a whole weekend, so I started trying to think of things to do to keep me busy. At my age, I think I’ve done everything possible to pass the time so I turned to the Internet to help me find some snowy-day activities.

Unfortunately, a search on snowy day activities isn’t really aimed to be entertainment for adults. It’s all about keeping the children busy.

Here are a few of those suggestions:

‰Bundle up and go for a walk in the snow.

Snow is lovely to look at and I remember the days when I liked to play in the snow. But now the thought of putting on boots, a scarf, a hat, gloves and a coat to walk to the road to get my mail out of the box is a turnoff.

‰Turn down the temperature in the house, get under a blanket and watch a movie.

If I won’t walk in the snow, chances are I won’t turn down the temperature a few degrees. I mean, I’m going to be under a blanket even when the thermostat is on its normal setting. Already I sleep with a heating pad and wooly socks.

‰Board games. Sure, as soon as I can teach my Boston terrier the rules of Monopoly. She still doesn’t understand the “scoot over and give me some more blanket” command.

‰Look at picture albums and share stories about the photos. Already I talk to myself and I don’t need a picture book to suggest topics.

‰Draw the drapes, light candles and tell ghost stories. Keeping the drapes closed is a good idea. It keeps a little of the cold out and limits what the dogs can find to bark at. I like candles, but I can’t sit here alone and tell ghost stories. I’d scare myself to death.

‰Clean house. Huh? How is that entertainment on a snowy day? While I wish I could divvy up the chores with the dogs, I’m not about to knock myself out cleaning house, regardless of how the weather is.

‰Window shop online. Sure, that’s fine for children, but I have a credit card and I can’t be trusted.

‰Feed the birds; smear peanut butter on unpainted pine cones, roll them in birdseed and hang them from tree branches. It’s as beautiful, generous lesson to teach children and it’s good for our local wildlife. However, it would require me to go out into the snow.

LEE WARD can be reached at lward@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2661.

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Lee Ward : 01/24/10 — Ideas to pass time on a winter's day

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