The snow’s been melting, from the right to the left side of the back yard. Could be the January thaw before winter takes a step back and wallops us again.

Last Sunday’s NY Times ran their annual temperature/precipitation chart. We picked up a tide calendar at the Mid Cape Home Center in Dennis. So, we are all set for keeping track of days in 2013.

Emme came over for a visit last Sunday. We made some far too-sweet banana/white chocolate bread pudding. I tried another recipe for mushroom/barley soup that was a disaster until I added chicken broth and the ham bone. The result was very good, and I brought the bone to Remy.

I looked into volunteer opportunities and decided that I don’t have the heart. I bailed out of Falmouth Eats Together as well. For one thing, I need to get caught up with work, and for another, I just don’t think it would be much fun now that Paul is no longer involved.

Uncle Frank’s funeral was today. His two eldest grandsons, Bill Allen (Jr.) and David Valzania, gave the eulogy.

Bill Allen recounted how his grandfather told him that he needed three bones to be successful: a wishbone, a backbone, and a funnybone. In fact, this is a quote from Kobi Yamada, President/CEO of the Seattle-based company Compendium, a producer of books, cards and gifts with “inspirational” messages.

I don’t know if Frank really said that, but it sounds like pretty good advice to share with a young person. Then again, it depends on the person: I can see Emme taking it to heart but our grandsons shrugging it off.

Bill also mentioned a fourth item, a heart. There was more than one reference to Frank’s generosity to his family, for which he was legendary.

David told my favorite Frank story about the time he cut his neighbor’s lawn when he lived in Milton.

Uncle Frank was the consummate family man and a good fellow all the way around. And so is Ron, who patiently looked at all the photos at the funeral home and has been listening appreciatively to my Uncle Frank memories for the past two days.

Friends graciously invited us to dinner and to stay overnight. We briefly toured after breakfast, visiting the town hall and the wharf area.

Trifecta of Sid Wainer recipes last night: smoked chicken mac and cheese, brussel sprouts and avocado, spicy asparagus with goat cheese.

I will try to rein in my temper with Ron.
He will try to express himself more explicitly to me.
We’d like to finish siding the house.
We want to pay off the Home Depot account.
I will (as last year) send cards for each birthday and anniversary.
We will lower our relative expectations.
Now that he’s been repaired and rehabbed, Ron wants to get more exercise and maybe bring home some bacon.

Uncle Frank passed away this morning. He was 96 and lived at home until the last 5 days. He had by my reckoning 45 immediate family members, including in-laws.

This was the worst case: rain followed by freezing followed by heavy, wet snow. We cut down a Russian olive bush that had uprooted and big grasses that were crushed. Filled up the truck and brought it all to the transfer station. New Year’s Eve was quite pleasant, though, not too cold and no wind.

Bell ringing at First Church, pickup jazz combo at the Glass Museum and hot chowder at St. John’s. Pastry from the Dunbar Tea Room. Giant puppets.

As we were walking down the street, Ron started talking in his duck voice.
Ron (loudly) “You didn’t know you married a duck, did you? Well, now you do.”
Me “And so does everyone else”.
Sympathetic woman bystander “That’s okay.”

This week ended with bad news about two people we know, Bonnie’s mother and an old friend of Ron’s. Judy is in Intensive Care and we just found out that Ron’s friend passed away of lymphoma on December 10.

We’d planned a couple of cheery errands today and were so glad for the diversion.

Made another trip to Sid Wainer and the produce stand in New Bedford. Picked up coffee and day-olds from Uncle Jon’s on the way. Stopped at the Wareham Y but couldn’t get the special membership deal straightened out. Hope it happens next week.

It’s supposed to snow tonight, possibly several inches, so we did the transfer station run today and picked up a raincheck item at Stop & Shop. Also dropped in to Sea Mist with a few questions.

We shut off the water here and disconnected and put away the hoses.

I got new tires for the truck yesterday!