random thoughts – Day 2,146 (Saturday) – another winter day

Bathroom skylight.

The day was cold and sunny with a blue sky. There was talk earlier in the week of a storm over the weekend, which is currently slamming the Carolinas and southern Virginia but now the absence of screaming headlines makes it seem it will miss central Massachusetts. Or not. Who knows.

The snow on the skylights is melting off. This morning there was a large chunk of blue sky and the tippety-top of a tree visible over the shower, but the kitchen skylight is still about 75% snow-covered. 

When the kitchen skylight is covered, the room has a gray tone to it, but the difference in light quality is less noticeable with the bathroom skylight over the shower area. Or maybe it’s just that I spend a lot less time in there.

There was dance practice in the afternoon with the duet partner. First, we move the area rug and sofa out of the way and then we run through the dance in the still small area available as many times as we feel are necessary. Our dance is looking and feeling great. 

Almost full Snow Moon.

Before and after practice, I worked on the final steps of adding brocade trim to the back neckline of the costume which was declared done a week ago and now might really be done done. Now I can shift my attention to a full obsession over hair, makeup, and earrings.

As darkness fell, the nearly full Snow Moon shone bright in the sky. It looked large, but in cell phone pictures from the living room it looked like a little fluff ball or a moth ball nestled in the trees. 

The sky was clear and that means cold, so hooray. It's a whopping six degrees that "feels like -4". Winter is really wintery this year. The forecast is for warmer temperatures with 24 degrees on Sunday and 30 on Monday it will feel like a tropical heat wave and I am all for it.

random thoughts – Day 2,145 (Friday) – amateur sleuth

Icicles like weapons.

The icicles out front grow more impressive each day and the morning sun shone upon them. They glistened and dripped, extending their length throughout the day. They now extend like sabers half the length of the window. Nearby houses have matching lethal-looking icicle protective devices.

This morning I called Mom’s house. Instead of the line ringing or the recording to leave a message because the line was in use, I was quickly met with a message from my cell carrier notifying that the “person being called is temporarily unavailable.” Unusual. Mysterious.

I called several times, then donned boots, coat, hat, and gloves and walked next door to see if Mom was aware her phone was weird. There were no cars in the driveway so I returned home. I checked the outages site for her provider and saw none noted.

While in the guest room to open the curtains that had been drawn against drafts the night before, I noticed Kiki’s toy was gone from where I had placed it and couldn’t find it anywhere. Mysterious. Also, the pale yellow pillow on the daybed had black hair on it that matches the hair often found on the blanket at the foot of my bed where Kiki naps all day and on the arm of the chair where she perches in the evening when I watch TV.

The pillow offered a clue to Kiki’s nighttime whereabouts after she leaves the bedroom when I go to bed. In the morning I find her sitting on the rug staring at me while I’m in bed, under the dining table, or on the arm of the chair and wondered where she spends the time in between and how long it would take for her to discover the day bed.

In the afternoon, the car was warmed up and I drove to the mail boxes. I hadn’t checked for mail all week and the day’s USPS alert indicated several pieces of mail including tax forms and a package which turned out to be the four-inch by four-inch canvas I will work on for a fundraiser.

On the way past Mom’s house I saw she was home and called her land line again. It was still the Verizon recording. On a whim, before going over in person, I called Mon’s cell phone, which is usually not even turned on when she’s home, but this time it was. I informed her of the phone issue, she called the provider, and it was fixed quickly. Situation solved, although the outage reason is still a mystery. 

Costume jewelry.

The recently ordered set of rhinestone bracelets for the dance costume arrived – five narrow bracelets and one double rowed large stone bracelet. There are still a couple details to be dealt with including earrings, but it is mostly complete with just over a week to go until the dance showcase.

random thoughts – Day 2,144 (Thursday) – snow clean

During Wednesday’s late afternoon shovel-the-front-stairs adventure, it was observed that the snow was the perfect dry and fluffy consistency for cleaning rugs the very old-fashioned way but the late hour made it less feasible. Today, dressed for the snow and bitterly cold weather (officially 16 degrees - feels like 5 degrees) in snow pants, layers, snow coat, heat reflective liners, and snow gloves, I went outside to check out the day’s snow situation.

Digging to the shed,
snow-cleaning rugs.

The shed doors were still blocked by two feet of snow, holding captive the snow shoes I neglected to retrieve the 1,000 times I thought about it since December. The sun had been shining in a blue sky all morning and by 11:30 the snow in the front yard was wetter than Thursday. Not wet and sticky enough for building snow sculptures but just wet enough to be not useful. At the side of the house near the carport, it was still shaded and the snow was dryer.

The three runners (laundry, kitchen, hallway) were retrieved from inside and set atop the snow. The larger rug that really needed the refresh lives closer to the front door/front yard and is just too large enough to be paraded through the house alone so it wasn’t dragged out back.

Dry snow was tossed on the runners, then I took a few minutes to start blazing a trail to the shed doors. One by one the rugs were swept free of the snow (and dirt), flipped, swept on the backside, then hung on the porch rail and swept again. Unlike the last time I did this on different rugs, the swept-off snow remained relatively clean around the rugs. Either I’m doing a better job with routine cleaning, rugs are cleaner without two dogs, or these new runners are magical. My money is on the absence of dogs, but I would take dirty rugs all day any day to have Moose and Winston back.

The snow shoes were successfully retrieved from the shed and set into the tiny cargo compartment of the Jeep. Most of the car’s length is under the hood, and the so-called “cargo” space is minimal in the Renegade if the back seats are upright. For now, it’s full of snow shoes and a set of ski poles, a large umbrella, and various household items intended for donation. I couldn’t fit a bag of groceries back there if my life depended on it.

It was much more pleasant outside today then yesterday. The sun was shining, a neighbor stopped by to chat, and tasks were accomplished. Remembering I own reflective glove liners was helpful and my fingers didn’t get cold during the shoveling and sweeping.

Once back inside, a modification was made to the dance costume. Brocade trim was hand basted along the back neckline and pressed using the tailor’s ham and it looked okay until I tried it on and saw that the neckline no longer lays flat. Did it ever? Suddenly I don’t know. But Houston, we definitely have a problem, but it’s now a Friday problem. Sometimes sleeping on it delivers the solution.

My necklace for the costume was located, ending a day long search. That is what happens when I “organize” things, like I did in December after our last performance – they end up being set someplace “logical” which I unfortunately can’t remember when I need to (lifelong affliction). After looking for the tenth time in various jewelry boxes and travel cosmetic bags used for transport to performance, the necklace was found today in a clear plastic bag on a closet shelf with many other dance accessories. Perfectly logical, right next to the storage bag of troupe performance coin belts and veils, except for the part where I might wear the necklace for non-dance purposes, making it also “everyday jewelry” which lives elsewhere. Clearly, a better system is needed.

random thoughts – Day 2,143 (Wednesday) – outdoor adventure

There are stairs
under there.

Today had an outdoor adventure. I bundled up in the tall snow boots, favorite outdoor coat, a hat, and ski gloves and grabbed the shovel. Dry, light snow had drifted against the back storm door and was cleared, along with the back steps. The snow that had drifted against the driver side of the car was cleared. Then it was over to the front of the house to clear the mound of fluffy snow that had buried the steps and hid the entryway.

It was quick work. There was a lot of snow, but it was feather light and easy to throw. Icicle daggers were knocked down from part of the front of the house with the shovel, but the snow out back is too deep to trudge through to reach the icicles on that side of the house.

Thank goodness for the quickness of the work, because it was cold. My body was warm enough in my coat, but my toes were chilly in my boots and my fingers were cold in the ski gloves. It’s been ages since I had a reliably warm pair of snow gloves, despite buying ski/snowboard brands. 

Winter sunset thought the trees.

From an energy standpoint, I could have kept going, clearing the access to the shed and the recycle and trash bins, but the cold hands cut that short and I returned to admiring winter from inside the house. As the sun was setting, I camped out at the window trying to get a glimpse of the pink sunset through the trees and the icicles on the back of the house. It's rarely successful, but I check it out most days anyway.

random thoughts – Day 2,142 (Tuesday) – clean up and look forward

Kiki watching
the proceedings.

Neighbors tackled the final round of snow blowing and clean up from the storm. Driveways and walkways received another pass and paths for oil deliveries were carved across lawns from the street to tank access. Kiki watched from the window while the Snow Angel neighbor cleared the walk of the fresh snow covering it since he cleared it one day ago. The management truck made the rounds spreading salt and sand. I haven't left the house since going to the grocery store Friday night. It's been a daily choice, made without guilt. 

The sun was shining in the morning, sharing the bright blue sky with a sliver of moon, but it retreated behind heavy cloud cover later in the day. Around 5:00, the gray sky began spitting snow again from its seemingly endless reserves. The forecast for the coming weekend is still iffy, but only to the extent of the fresh chapter of winter misery to be bestowed upon the east coast. 

This winter shall pass. There are 52 days until spring. Let the countdown commence. I'm looking forward to seeing what grows in the yard and where I can plant things. In the meantime, I need a plan for winter fun. There are 52 days of winter frolicking to be embraced. Or ignored. It really depends on the day.

random thoughts – Day 2,141 (Monday) – peace and snowfall

Snow drift against the shed.

It snowed all day again today, but with less fervor and intensity than Sunday. Snow is drifted against the side of the shed (seen from a window), and likely against the equivalent short length of the house (not able to confirm from within the house).

The plow was out. The snowblowers were out. The not-allowed-in-the-neighborhood tag team of door knockers pushing something or other was also out. I saw them approach the driveway, one holding a shovel. My guess was they would shovel their way up to doors blocked with snow drifts. I didn’t answer the doorbell rings (twice) or the standard shave-and-a-haircut knock that must be part of door-to-door basic training.

I went in the bedroom and chatted with Kiki on the bed. After the door knocking duo had left, Mom called to ask if the forbidden solicitors had been by. They were three houses up the street by then, talking with the homeowner who foolishly answered the door. That’s when the neighborhood manager arrived in the pickup plow truck with the salt/sander in the bed. There was a conversation. The two dudes with one shovel turned and headed back the way they had come.

Foil war.

There were no wildlife sightings, but none were expected. Trash was delayed, but lounging about was not. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel streamed on the TV. Brussels sprouts, green beans, broccoli, and carrots were oven roasted. While trying to line the baking sheet, there was a ferocious battle on the domestic front with a roll of Reynolds Wrap. It had a crimp in the foil at one end of the roll that caused the edge to tear, made more infuriating by it being the name brand, expensive foil and not the dollar store, crimp-free stuff I usually buy for a much lower price. 

Dances were practiced. Overall, it was a satisfactory and peaceful day spent avoiding life outside the house.  Peaceful, except for the foil battle.

random thoughts – Day 2,140 (Sunday) – snow, roses, rooster

We were promised snow by the days of weather forecasts leading up to the weekend and the actual weather delivered. It started around 9:40 a.m. Sunday in Gardner, and at 8:40 p.m., it was still steadily blowing and going. I looked online but couldn’t find snowfall totals specific to Gardner, but other cities and towns ranged from three inches near the Cape to nine inches in a neighboring town and 10 inches on the North Shore. At 7:30 as the snow continued to blow and fall, a neighbor was snow blowing their driveway.  It seemed a bit futile, but to each his own. Sometimes you just need to take control and do something.

Roses!

Dance group for this morning was cancelled yesterday, so dressing for the day was straight into the fuzzy fleece lounge pants that signal there is no intention of leaving the warm and dry confines of the house. While the weather raged outside, all was calm inside with Kiki hunkered down under the bed, me flitting around, and vases holding yellow roses in the bedroom, dining room, and kitchen. All was calm. All was bright.

There was coffee in the morning, more of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel streaming on the TV, and more of Friday night’s delicious pastrami on marble rye with cole slaw, and half sour pickles for lunch. It was delicious and now it is all gone. The memories will linger. New York pastrami from Hannaford is on the list for future deli visits, but probably just for special occasions.

There were plans for the snow day which included practicing dances. It’s crunch time and we perform in a showcase in two weeks. The practicing was delayed by looking at costume jewelry and weirdly shaped bookcases on Amazon, and reviewing the pendant lights added to the cart last night (but not buying).

My not favorite
light fixture.

The initial plan was to replace the weirdly located weird dining room hanging light featuring roosters and poor illumination with something more to my taste also on a chain that could be swagged to a hook to achieve centering in the space. That seemed easier than relocating the electrical mount to a centered spot and repairing the ceiling. My favorite thing about the current fixture are the cigar band star and heart made by an artist friend that I hung from it.

The new idea, developed while looking at pendant lights online, is to get two fixtures – one for the original electrical placement and another for a foot or two away to improve illumination and provide balance. It is expected this plan will change up to 100 times before any fixtures are bought and an electrician found. It’s all part of the usual process.