At least it snow-rained. In fact, there was a wet mixture of white stuff to start us off and then it quickly changed its mind and became all rain, leading the weather announcer on the radio to comment -- we're having a Dan Fogelberg moment. Of course, as always, I felt my pop culture ignorance swell: I had no idea what he was talking about.
It's quite unusual for Wisconsin to have such a prolonged period of overcast skies (I have not seen the sun since... Paris), but honestly, today it just didn't matter. After breakfast (ours and theirs)...
(leftover spaghetti)
...I took off the slip covers and protective cases from the couch and gave them a thorough washing. (A similar maneuver with the bedding upstairs did the trick for Ed and he no longer has a reaction to the furniture there. Thank goodness, or it would have been goodbye bed, hello floor for all our sleeping needs.) Alright! Once we wash our two carpets, we should be done with furniture cleaning.
And then came the grocery shopping. If you celebrate Christmas with copious amounts of food, perhaps you have a strategy as to when to shop for it. Mine used to be the day before. Not anymore. As the decades pile on, so my interest in last minute anything diminishes. And so there I was, loading the cart today, which is about as far in advance as I'll ever grocery shop (any farther and the stuff wouldn't be fresh).
There is a pleasant buzz in the air now and it makes this year's drab days of December quite inconsequential. Anticipation overshadows even the wettest, soggiest weather moments.
I stopped off at my daughter's to drop off a few things...
(hi, Virgil the cat!)
... then came home to watch Ed gather the brood and lead them to shelter. The rain was just too much for the cheepers.
The day closes with more of the same: damp and dark outside, bright and warm inside. Winter, especially this winter, is our time of the greatest contrasts.
It's quite unusual for Wisconsin to have such a prolonged period of overcast skies (I have not seen the sun since... Paris), but honestly, today it just didn't matter. After breakfast (ours and theirs)...
(leftover spaghetti)
...I took off the slip covers and protective cases from the couch and gave them a thorough washing. (A similar maneuver with the bedding upstairs did the trick for Ed and he no longer has a reaction to the furniture there. Thank goodness, or it would have been goodbye bed, hello floor for all our sleeping needs.) Alright! Once we wash our two carpets, we should be done with furniture cleaning.
And then came the grocery shopping. If you celebrate Christmas with copious amounts of food, perhaps you have a strategy as to when to shop for it. Mine used to be the day before. Not anymore. As the decades pile on, so my interest in last minute anything diminishes. And so there I was, loading the cart today, which is about as far in advance as I'll ever grocery shop (any farther and the stuff wouldn't be fresh).
There is a pleasant buzz in the air now and it makes this year's drab days of December quite inconsequential. Anticipation overshadows even the wettest, soggiest weather moments.
I stopped off at my daughter's to drop off a few things...
(hi, Virgil the cat!)
... then came home to watch Ed gather the brood and lead them to shelter. The rain was just too much for the cheepers.
The day closes with more of the same: damp and dark outside, bright and warm inside. Winter, especially this winter, is our time of the greatest contrasts.
Honestly, those chickens can't even find shelter from the rain for themselves? psh.
ReplyDeleteYour daughter's house already looks spotless in anticipation of the new arrival.
I appreciate the last photo...diamonds in the rough.
Happy cooking day today! We're one day behind you. Dan is at the downtown market and specialty stores this morning. Big cooking day tomorrow. We have the Christmas Eve gathering here, with our kids and their partners.
The new little family is staying home of course. We all had our Christmas get-together at their house last weekend, and next weekend we will all go up to see my mom and my brothers family. That is always a fun party.
After that the kids must feel like they have done their family duty and are ready for a winter of decreased interaction with us :) And actually, I will be ready for my quiet season too.
But the new parents will be seeing us again soon and often. I hope they like that because they have no choice!!! :)
I'll address your chicken point later today! :)
DeleteMy daughter has something that I never had in my entire adult life -- cleaning help. I truly think it's grand when my kids can eliminate stress from their lives and hard work and not enough free time have been something both daughters have lived with since.....high school. So, 1. yes, the house looks clean, especially the day after their person has come through and 2. I wont need to help with the floors once the baby comes!
But as to your other point (from the previous post) -- about helping more with cooking than with childcare when the baby comes ... well, I'm hoping that they wont be entirely like me. I had a hard time letting go of my babies. (Possibly because of the tricky childcare situation that I found myself in --'nuff said.) They dominated my emotional center round the clock and if I could leave work super early to be with them, I would do so. My work suffered, especially when they were young. And my husband and I did not go on vacations without them. Ever. And we rarely went out. I just wanted to be there, right next to my girls, or at least on the sidelines watching. Was it good? Maybe. But I can envision a different approach.
Still, I surely expect that in the first weeks, they will be mesmerized. And yes, I've already been told that preparing food would be most welcome. I'm okay with that -- to a point. I want to hold that baby!
Finally things are looking up for Ed and the asthma. Yay!
ReplyDeleteYour daughter has a very nice tree and wheel.
Ed is alpha rooster! Oreo is so spoiled......
How is your shoulder doing?