Thursday

In the sun room, another orchid is in full bloom.






Good morning! What a beautiful day! A harsh day. Cold. Sick cat on the porch. Mixed messages from government agencies that should not be sending out mixed messages. Super cold! But beautiful. Especially at sunrise.






You may, by now, roll your eyes at this breakfast routine of mine. Every day a photo. The place of the meal does not change. We've not eaten in the sun room. We haven't gone out to Finca, the coffee shop, in a while. Same flowers on the table, same guy with, chances are, same t-shirt. Still, for all the grit and harshness to the day (so cold!), when I put up this breakfast photo I always smile at the recollection of our morning meal. Warm, milky coffee, oatmeal for both today, sweet fruits, gentle tones.






The sky is very blue. No cloud, no wind, nothing but that forget-me-not blue sky and sunshine. Still, it's so cold! The animals stay inside. Ed and I stay inside.

Until it's time to visit my mom.

She hands me lists of things to pack. My doctor said I'm going to live -- she tells me, as if to surprise me. Well yeah! Why else all this fussing with a very messy transfer. I don't repeat to her the statistic of 3.17 more years. After all, it may be more. Why make her feel life is finite...


I stop at the grocery store on my way home. There's a storm rolling in tomorrow. We here in Wisconsin know that the best defense against a snowstorm is not to go out until it's all done  )unless you have to). So, almost mechanically, we stock shelves and make sure we're covered for the days of the storm. May the snow be dainty and light. Pretty and puffy. None of this howling wind, dangerous blowing drifts, piercing ice stuff.

One can hope.

In the afternoon I pick up the kids. This is getting to be a long process. Snowdrop's friend likes to play with Sparrow when he arrives with me to claim his sister. Games and works aren't put away, back pack remains unpacked. Disengaging everyone from each other is tough. And still, you have to take pleasure in the kids' love of fun, in their playfulness, in their ability to make a game of just about anything, including going home.












At the farmhouse, we spin through the usual.











Including art.






A book is in the works. About super pigs.











There aren't many things that are more beautiful than these two working a their art at my desk.


And in the evening, Ed and I both set out to my mom's apartment to offload the couch.






Ed asks -- so, should we sell the desk? 

No! And really, there is too little time. My goal is to pack up and be out of the apartment by next weekend. January is moving ahead really fast. That's what happens when you have full days. Today was a very full day. Cold, but very full.