random thoughts – Day 2,133 (Sunday) – snow and sew

It wasn’t an especially trying day, but it was tiring nonetheless. I have no theories for this, but I look forward to sleep.

Parking lot trees with snow, 1/18/2026.

It was cold but not brutally so, and the world was pretty with snow. The drive to dance was the perfect New England winter scene with winding roads lined with snow covered trees that made me wish I had a dashboard camera to get images. As I parked, snow fell from the trees bordering the parking area. 

We did our “walking zill warmup” where we move around the space in a line with walking hip lifts while playing our zills to different rhythms called out by our troupe leader. Large clots of snow quietly fell past the windows from the roof. It’s nice having a dance space on a country road with trees beyond the windows. Our former space was in a second floor studio with traffic noises and parking that could sometimes be a challenge due to a  popular breakfast restaurant across the street.

After practice, it was back home to perform a small amount of shoveling to facilitate moving the trash and recycle bins to the curb in the morning, and to clear the shed entrance in case I decide to pull out the snow shoes. I bought them one of my first winters back in the area when the snow seemed it would never end. Snowshoeing made it more tolerable. Fun, even. It was not enough shoveling to make me tired, or to even break a sweat.

Time was invested in the costume for the February show. The seam edges on the side slits were finished off with fewer sewing machine issues than yesterday. The hem border was cut, pinned, and hand-basted in place and it’s about 99% done. The length will get a final check tomorrow and the dress will be tested with the choreography before I do the final stitching on the hem. Soon, I can clear off the dining room table/sweatshop. And get in gear with setting up the sewing and stained glass room, which first and foremost needs better lighting. It’s currently like a cave.