1. Brrrr.  After a week or more of temperatures in the sixties, it's really cold here now.  I actually had to scrape the windshield this morning.   I hate cold weather. 
2. Once Christmas is over, one of the few saving graces of winter is football, and Sunday is the second-most important day of this NFL season.  I could not be more nervous if my own child was quarterbacking.  Go Panthers!
3. Another thing that makes winter bearable is winter food.  Tonight we're having pot roast and creamed potatoes.  I will probably serve a salad or green vegetable of some sort, but I can't swear that I'll eat anything but creamed potatoes (otherwise known as a gravy-delivery system). 
4. Tomorrow I will have the pleasure of going with the first- and second-graders from Liam's school to historic Thalian Hall to see Bossy on Broadway.  This will be Liam's first time going to the theatre, and I can't wait!  I know the playwright and several of the performers, which makes it even more special.
5. Wilmington has a fabulous theatre scene, and even though I was just a dabbler, I loved every second of my involvement and have it in the back of my mind as something I want to pick back up.
6. I was an outstanding stage manager.  I attribute that to my inherent need to boss people around.
7. Since my workload has been so light, I've been watching way more TV than usual.  I've gotten hooked on Judging Amy.  Since its original run conflicted with other shows that I watched, I had only seen the last couple of seasons, but I happened across the very first episode recently, and now DVR two episodes a day every day.  Isn't technology wonderful?
8. I am such a big sap that it makes me cry at least once an episode.
9. Last night when I went grocery shopping, Harris Teeter had strawberries on sale, buy one get one free.  Even though they're Liam's favorite fruit, strawberries are one of those foods that I will normally only buy in season from a local grower.  These were so beautiful, I couldn't resist.
10. Apparently they are as delicious as they are beautiful, because Liam has eaten a whole pound of them since last night.
11. When Liam was a little guy, we ate bagels and strawberries every single morning during strawberry season.  Now we mostly skip the bagels.
12. In Wilmington, Lewis Nursery and Farms is the go-to place for strawberries.  It's a spring tradition for us to go out there, pick up some plants from the nursery and a couple of quarts (or flats!) of strawberries, then eat some of their delicious homemade ice cream.  In good years we do it once a week or so!
13. Since my last post was all griping, I'm trying to restrict my griping today.  Unfortunately, that means that it has taken me a very long time to compose this list.  I'm quite sure that doesn't say anything good about me.

Leanne was the brains behind the Thursday Thirteen. Her little experiment has taken on a life of its on, and she's decided that it's too much for her to maintain, so she's put it up for grabs. This might be the last one, or someone else may pick it up.  But go by and say hello/good-bye to Leanne, and check out her TT blogroll one last time.

Comments

[Lori]

We're big strawberry fans here too, but alas ours are frozen right now.

It was surprising and sad that Leanne quit the TT but it's been loads of fun, hasn't it?

Have a good day, and vent all you want!

[Uisce]

Our weather's been really crazy -- we were up in the 50's and then down in the single digits and now the 40's again... in New England, if you can believe it! My 13 are up!

[Laurie]

I know what you mean about the creamed potatoes. I waited too long to do the TT. I socked away little comments in Notepad all week for it, and now I see it's too late! Well, not too late, but I'm not going to bug her in the last week by asking to be added. I'm still gonna post it tonight.

[colleen]

Love hearing about Willimgton and strawberries! I've been musing on 13 things too.

[Mayberry]

I'm a die hard Steelers fan from the 70s when I was a kid, so I want them to win it all, but am really rooting for a Panthers/Steelers matchup. That would be awesome and at least then if the Steelers loose, we'll have SuperBowl champs right here at home.

Amy and the kids have a big strawberry picking tradition. It's their favorite thing to do in the Spring. The boys come home with stained faces and full bellies and then we get to eat strawberry shortcake, strawberry pie, strawberry cobler...

[emily]

We had frost here this week,too.First time all season.

[Jennifer]

There's a big strawberry farm not too far from here, and it's on my list of things that I must do while living in the Triangle. Liam would love it, from the sounds of it. There are picking, and eating, and hayrides, and homemade strawberry ice cream...

Wanna go? :-)

P.S. Judging Amy is the best, best, best. Makes me cry every time, too, even if I've seen the episode in question a million times before.