I haven’t seen this much snow since I left New York almost 20 years ago. It came down non-stop for more than 30 hours – just crazy. It started on Friday and was fun, we went out and played and enjoyed the day off. We woke up Saturday and it was still going, and by the afternoon we were over it.

Lia went upstairs to work on a project. We’d just moved into a big new house. Lia, a writer, was hard at work. She didn’t want to be disturbed. We were snowed in, cut off from the rest of the world. The sound of typing, Joe on his tricycle. All work and no play makes Lia a dull girl. All work and no play makes Lia a dull girl.

Not much to report from there, we all grew to resent each other and ate away the hours. Tomorrow is supposed to be really nice, if they get a plow out our way we’ll be all set.

Intrepid Arctic explorer Joe Tremblay.

And his faithful first mate Pete.

Day two: Jammies.

View out of the front door near the end of day two – this was about the worst of it. But ‘Merica, so we won.

See ya!

Did you ever have one of those days when everything is going normally, then you find a big box on the front porch and open it and BAM! there’s a remarkable hand-made gift from one of your favorite uncles? No? Well it happened to Joe and me today.

My Uncle Tony calls it an “Ugly Box,” but we’re calling it magnificent. Every side is covered in detailed wood burning and so much color – it must have taken days (weeks?) to make. If this isn’t true folk art I don’t know what is.

This was an incredible surprise and a heck of a house warming present. Thanks Uncle Tony and Aunt Pat!

It wasn’t just a big wonderful box. Inside there was also a round box that Joe mistook for a bongo. He does that sometimes.

This is the top. The detail and color is something else, and lots of texture from the wood burning. The photos don’t do it justice. Sort of like the Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Office.

The front side is my favorite scene. It reminds me of home, except we always kept the pigs and goats inside the fence, rather than running loose on the hill. And who lets their cows hang out right next to the garden? That’s asking for trouble. The other sides have small towns and a funky cityscape.

Underside of the top of the smaller round box. Inside were two leather bracelets decorated and personalized for Joe. They’re similar to a Tony-made leather bookmark Lia swiped from my folks over Christmas. Now she just needs a Grammy and Oscar for the EGOT.

Signed bottom. This will be important for appraisal purposes on Antiques Roadshow 2125.

Tony made Joe a great box about five years ago, and it’s where we keep all of Joe’s most important things, like his first pair of glasses. Joe has only met Uncle Tony a couple of times, but they hit it off right away. They both speak the quiet language only sincerely good people understand.

Incidentally, Uncle Tony, my Dad and their four brothers (Pat, Peter, Francis and Henry) share the same middle name … Joseph.