Tom & Brenda's Family Journal

South Rowan High is closed today for students because of icy conditions that are forecast. I had told the students that there would be a two hour delay. However, the National Weather Service updated their forecast last evening and the bad weather looked much more certain. Enjoy your day off students. Teachers are given the option to report. Will Ms. Benedict report to her classroom? What do you think?

It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas around the Benedict household. I've been busy decorating for Christmas. Michigan is looking very Christmas-like as well too. This is a picture of our cabin near Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. That is in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. This weekend we had a snow storm here on the farm. On Friday I predicted a snow day for Monday. The storm wasn't as bad as predicted but there was a snow day on Monday for the district where we live but not the district where I work. Monday was very cold but also sunny. So we dug out from the storm with a shovel and a tractor. I took the day off to stay home and help dig us out. So now, I'm being asked to determine if South Rowan High School will be having a snow day on Thursday. South Rowan is in the town of China Grove, North Carolina. My daughter, Jennifer, teacher there. I have a snow day shirt that I wear to school if I feel the next day is going to be a snow day. It says, "The...

Last weekend, Kristen, Tommy and Sherry and the kids and Tom and I headed up to the Soo to help out with the annual Mitchell Family Christmas dinner. This event has been held for over 80 years and probably a lot longer. My grandmother Erickson was one of 11 Mitchell children and the descendants of those 11 siblings still gather the first Saturday of December and carry on the traditions started by Grandma and Grandpa Mitchell. We were able to visit the cabin to pick up my electronic piano for Christmas caroling at the dinner. The cabin is beautiful in the winter and it made us wish we had more time to spend there in the winter. Kristen was so happy to visit Grandma and Grandpa Hoath whom she hadn't seen in two years. Grandma taught Kristen how to make plum pudding which is one of the traditions at the Mitchell Dinner. Plum pudding takes quite a bit of time to make and Mom shared some secrets with Kristen. So I think Kristen should be making plum pudding for us in the future. W...