xmas is over

Contemplating resolutions, etc. this morning. Not to make, but just reflect on the idea in general. Everyday can be Day One of an improvement in one's life. Some improvements are a transformation but most are not.

• Took Clio on a token walk this morning, around the block. It was too cold for her feet. I didn't even bother trying with Watson.
• Finn was crabby - he kept asking to go out, but came right back in after about 30 seconds. Meanwhile, Beau was being a butt, attacking the dogs (*not* a good idea) and Finn who pinned him down for some punishing bites. 
• Put away the rest of the xmas decorations. How come, when you think they are all back in the closet, there is at least one item still lurking somewhere? It's like vacuuming pine needles - there are always some left in June. And stink bugs! Every so often, another one appears; yesterday one fell out of nowhere, into the dog's water bowl while I was filling it at the kitchen sink.
• Also ironed the xmas table linens and put them away. It's not often that I iron.
• Returned to knitting the never-ending baby blanket.
• Worked on the whatever that is on the 24" loom. It's been a weaving experiment that I think is finally coming to an end, except I ran out of yarn.
• Looked at my Blogger statistics for this blog. Today there was a huge spike in views, mostly from Russia. Hope they are amused.
• Started reading Future Home of the Living God, by Louise Erdrich. My first nit to pick is it is supposed to be a journal-like letter to the narrator's unborn child, but it reads like straight narrative with dates serving as chapter titles. I've heard both favorable and unfavorable things about this book, so I'll probably continue reading, to see for myself.
• Tried watching River, but it wasn't doing anything for me. Switched to Call the Midwife.
• While watching TV in the den, I heard a strange noise, like something cracking or crackling. I thought it was Beau but he wasn't out there. I looked and looked for whatever it was, found only a cracked outlet cover on an exterior wall. It's a mystery. In case it was due to the cold (and that room is colder than the rest of the house), I decided to up the furnace for the night. I can't wait for this cold snap to be over.
• House maintenance and repair is the one thing that will probably drive me out of my home and into a rental of some sort.

Merry Monday!

Dear diary:

• This is a rare white xmas. I was afraid the new guy who plows our addition thought he had the day off, but he finally showed up. (This is my concern because I am the treasurer of the HOA and I hired him. If anyone complains, they will become the new treasurer.)
• Besides snow, it is really cold out. Abbreviated dog walks - Clio actually sat down a block and a half from the house and refused to go further. It is supposed to get even colder this week. I finished shoveling the driveway.
• Pot roast for xmas dinner, the easiest homemade meal ever. My son and his new girl friend stopped by and helped eat it. P's pumpkin pie (his secret ingredient is eggnog in place of condensed milk) lasted through two meals.
• Like little kids, the dogs were overly excited about the holiday. Clio even piddled when my son arrived, then later out-and-out peed on the dining room carpet. WTH?
• I am peopled out, ready to hibernate and have some alone time.
• Also: xmas is over, folks. Time to return to our regularly scheduled program, including two more repeats on the baby blanket and the start of a weaving swatch.

Winter weather advisory

Dear diary (you need a more interesting name):

• I slept in a bit this morning even though there were THINGS TO DO
• Finn was out all night. I hate it when he does that in winter, but the temps were near 30 and he has a straw-filled dog house to hunker down in. At least he was waiting by the patio door this morning, but oddly voiceless. Usually he talks to me when he comes in. Silent treatment?
• Quick run to the grocery store: chuck roast for tomorrow (it's easy to cook) and a few sundries. 8am is a good time to go, at least on a Sunday.
• The new paper carrier missed me for the second Sunday in a row. I think she is putting my paper in my neighbor's box (who I think no longer subscribes) but I didn't want to presume.
• More cleaning - the ground is frozen enough to make mopping the kitchen floor worthwhile -  plus washed the dog bedding because it STINKS. My life is very dog-centric these days.
• The Lagom book is not bound very well, as the pages are starting to fall out even though it is brand new. I dread returning it to the library because I will feel guilty about the damage even though it is NOT my fault. BYW, I did not read-read it but skimmed through.
• My daughter and family came bearing Mexican food from the nearby Cebolla's. Not cooking was a great gift! Gave me time to shovel snow before they arrived.
• I love listening to seven-year-old Nora explain things. She has really made leaps and bounds in her vocabulary and her comprehension and her ability to explain things. 
• Peace to all!