By Camille McClanahan
Corsicana Daily Sun
Corsicana — Baseball season already? How can that be? Sure, for the McClanahan household, basketball season is over, and it’s time for baseball to begin, but I’m not quite ready for it. If you ask me, the winds are too cold, and the nights are dark too early.
No, I’m not in baseball mode yet, but I know I’m going to have to force myself to become so. As any sports enthusiast can tell you, if baseball and softball season is here, then track season is, too. Yikes!
I’m so glad my kids never wanted to play soccer (other than indoor soccer!) because I don’t think I could have endured soccer-season temperatures. I believe I’m becoming more of a basketball fan than a spectator of other sports. Could it be I just like basketball the best because I can sit in an enclosed climate-controlled gym where the temperature is neither freezing nor hot enough to fry an egg? Probably.
Weather permitting (as in no rain, sleet, snow or ice), I’ll probably get my first view of baseball this weekend at a tournament. Oy vay! I can already feel the bone-chilling wind while I’m typing this column in a 72-degree temperature room.
I don’t know about you, but I haven’t been dealing with the cold weather too well lately. Someone told me it’s an age thing. Maybe so, maybe not. I just know that I will try my absolute best not to complain this summer about the soaring 100-plus degree temps that I’m sure we’ll receive.
I just realized I’m writing a weather column. Gee whiz, how depressing is that? I guess it’s kind of like the old saying about if you have nothing to say, there’s always the weather.
Thinking of the weather, wasn’t the snow we received Feb. 11-12 beautiful? Obviously, we don’t drive well in such conditions, but it was wonderful to see the pristine, white stuff covering all the ugliness that abounds. What was my brain thinking about the snow? No fleas! No mosquitos! Whoo, hoo!
For the longest time on the night of Feb. 11, I listened to KRLD 1080 AM for weather updates. I’m not exactly sure why. I certainly wasn’t planning on a trip to the Dallas area, but I was enthralled with the weather reports. (I’m sure if I had been alive in the ‘40s or ‘50s, I would have been one of those kids with eyes transfixed on the radio during broadcasts of “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriett” or “The Adventures of Superman” — strange how it was always an adventure, hmmm?)
Stories of motorists stuck on Interstate 35 near Waxahachie for over an hour, reports of closed exit and entrance ramps, descriptions of stranded motorists throughout the Metroplex had me spellbound while I sipped on several back-to-back cups of hot chocolate. Then there was the caller who questioned the weather guy about snow cream. Was it safe to eat the local snow? Since when is a weatherman an expert on the previous question? The weatherman proceeded to say the caller needed to scrape off the top inch or so, then collect snow for the next couple of inches which ought to be OK to eat. Apparently that was all the caller needed for verification.
Maybe this caller didn’t have any cats or dogs. Trust me, I wouldn’t be eating any snow that had fallen on my ground since I watched my dog trying desperately trying to find a place to do her business every time she went outside. It was definitely a funny sight. At one point, I went outside to search for her because I couldn’t see her. The snow was taller than her body, and I was beginning to wonder if she had gotten stuck to the ground. But eventually she came running back to the house.
Our poor old dog gets the shivers when it reaches about 50 degrees and can’t stand the heat when it’s 85. You know the saying a dog and it’s owner looking alike? Well, in our household it’s more like the dog and I have the same body temperature. Can’t stand the cold, can’t stand the heat — unless it involves food, of course!
Thinking of food brings me to today’s recipe which I recently received from my coworker Deanna’s mom, Nancy B. I had a sampling of this treat while at room temperature, but I betcha it would be good anytime. Enjoy!
Mocha Nut Butterballs
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons instant coffee (dry)
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups flour
2 cups finely chopped pecans
powdered sugar
Cream butter, sugar and vanilla until fluffy. Add coffee, cocoa, flour and salt. Mix well. Add nuts. Shape into 1-inch balls and put onto greased cookie sheets. Bake at 325 degrees about 15 minutes. Cool. Roll in powdered sugar. Makes four to six dozen, depending on size.
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Camille McClanahan may be contacted via e-mail at camille@corsicanadailysun.com. Want to “Soundoff” on this column? E-mail: soundoff@corsicanadailysun.com
