It's a Beginning

January 17, 2007

Well, here goes. Welcome to B-Days. I have started this space at the urging of my two wonderful daughters, who are afraid their mother is allowing herself to age too quickly. One says "Get a Blog - post your writings". The other says "Let's work out, Ma!" So I know they think I am on the downward slide into reverting to dust!

I will use this as a journal, reporting my writings and my workout plan - how's that? And from time to time I will post some pictures for your enjoyment. I have to admit I find the possibilities to be somewhat stimulating and a good alternative to staring at the tv or sleeping. Ok let's try this on for size.

Housebound

We are in the midst of the worst ice-storm Central Texas has seen in quite a while. Most of us have been housebound for 4 and a half days. Mike and I are lucky, we think. We went to the store before it got bad and hauled in enough food to keep us fed for a week. We have been hangin' in the kitchen trying out heart healthy recipes and he has enough leftovers to last until I return from work in 2-3 days...that is if I even get to go to work this week. The temperature has not risen above 28 degrees for 4 days now and doesn't look like it will make it today, either.

We have been entertaining ourselves appropriately, with several bottles of inexpensive but tasty red wine and lot's of nintendo 64 Mario Brothers, a good book and lots of cooking. I have been dashing outdoors in my flannel pajamas and wool coat to photograph snowflakes as they appeared and this morning we have a healthy array of icycles hanging from the roof and various yard objets d'art. There is a smattering of snow and ice on the ground across the slough and the heated air in the house carries a constant chill as though the heating system just does not know what to make of this event.

Phoebe twinkle-toed down the steps for her morning constitutional and tried to squat in her usual place, with her feet on the grass and her back legs hovering over the sidewalk brick. She paused for only a moment, allowing her puzzlement to take over and lead her tottering off to the side of the porch, where she usually can find a nice area of gravel that doesn't disturb her underbelly when she dips to relieve herself. This, too was rather unsatisfying for her, since the gravel was covered with a layer of ice and she kept skidding and sniffing to figure it out. Mission finally accomplished, she hopped on the porch and pranced into the house, proud of her success.

The weatherman still maintains that we shall not rise above freezing until just before the sun sets and the temperatures start to plummet again, so I will remain at home today, I guess. And I will hope that tomorrow the sun will rise and melt the ice so I can escape this cave for something a bit more stimulating. I mean, I love being home, of course, but being housebound for so long has dulled the senses somewhat, can you tell?

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