Back in Blogland

It has been a hectic few days as I tried to complete four grant applications, all due at the same time. My mind is boggled, to say the least. But they're done and I can raise my head from the keyboard a moment and breathe. And notice that this is mighty fine weather for the end of January/beginning of February. It makes me uneasy, to be truthful. I found pink primroses blooming today, and the flowering quince or japonica is also in bloom. Usually I have to bring some branches in to force them into bloom this early.

Will we suffer for this weather later on? I wonder. I just read a book called the Great Blizzard, by Jim Murphy. In it he notes that the winter of 1887-1888 was extremely mild, with little or no frost or snow in New York City. And then on March 10, the blizzard struck with a fury unknown before or since, dumping snow and blowing so hard that there were 50-foot drifts in places. I hope that this history does not repeat itself. What a disaster that would be today. Or perhaps we're better prepared for it? One point he makes in the book is that country people were better equipped to manage since they always kept a good store of food, whereas those in the cities expected to get their supplies daily. Would our country people be as ready now for such a storm?Some will, but many have left the old ways behind and are as reliant on the grocery store and power companies as those poor people in 1888.

But enough of that. What comes will come and we will get through it one way or another. I have been busy but I did take time to notice a beautiful sunset this week, and to walk down to see Larry's progress on his poutin' house. He's building a rough little cabin in the woods from a small log building given to us by a neighbor. He took the building down earlier this month, and now he's putting it back up. It's small, all right, about 14x16, and it will not be fancy, but he's having a blast and I think he is looking forward to having this little getaway place.

And today was a real treat: great-grand-daughter Cadyn came to stay for a few hours! We had a wonderful time. I was still piecing together the last grant but she jabbered along and talked to the dogs and took pictures with my camera and was just a very good girl. When I finished we went to town to drop off the grant at the library and had dinner with my friend Suzette. I asked Cadyn if she wanted to eat, and she responded immediately, "Yes, Chinese." She's not even 3 years old! I am sure I didn't know about Chinese food at that age. And this photo? I took one and she looked at it and she said, "Granny! I had my binky in my mouth!" We had to do a re-shoot. Geesh.

What else has been going on? Lots of eBay, a little junking, and a new-to-me bed! I'll post pics later, but I am so happy with it. I'd bought it at a yard sale in the summer--it went with the new dresser we just put in the bedroom. I have had the same bed since I married my first husband when I was 17 and I am so so tired of it. I honestly never really liked it in the first place, not being a lover of maple furniture, but it was free and it was really a good spool bed and it has lasted wonderfully. I can't tell you how happy I am to have this lovely new bed, though.

A flat tire, writer's group, a big house-cleaning on Sunday (because a friend was coming over and boy was this place dusty), work on the couch project, sending out contracts for storytelling, another 2000 words on my novel--that and grant-writing about sums up the past week. Tomorrow I get to see my sister Judy, a reward for this past week of nose-to-the-grindstone. Then it's on to send out publicity for summer and fall programs and working on upcoming performances and workshops, and finishing the new CD. And maybe, somewhere in the next few weeks, we'll put out the lettuce bed if the weather stays good.