Monday

Classic beauty. You know the type -- one that everyone agrees on. Take a vote and you have near consensus: stunning!

Of course, even though there is near universal agreement, it does not take away the fact that beauty is subjective. I once listened to a report disputing this. Research had indicated that there are objective indicia of beauty. That they act like magnets, creating attraction even if there isn't an ingrained social belief that something is a marker of beauty.

And maybe that's right: symmetry and harmony are pleasing to the senses. You are at peace when you are in the presence of near perfect alignment.

I am, of course, talking about the weather.

I wake up to what surely has to be a classically beautiful winter day. A fresh snow cover, temperatures just below freezing, plenty of sunshine. It's stunning!






Everything is perfectly aligned!






And yet... Maybe I am drawn to things that are a little bit off. I'll take classic beauty, but I'm one of those who is intrigued by skewed, mismatched vignettes. And of course, perfect weather days torture you: good bye quiet morning with a book. The great outdoors beckons. You'd be a fool to turn your back on this!






Still, Ed is sleeping in and I am not going to wake him. Not even for a late breakfast.






By noon he's feeling better and wakeful and so yes, we pile the skis into the car and head out to our nearby park.






And it is a gorgeous run. Crisp, exhilarating.





Though you know, I'd be okay with some rain and mud in the next few weeks. A sprinkle perhaps, a melting snow, the first appearance of a green stem...

One can dream.



In the meantime, the kids just can't resist a snow drift.











In the evening, Ed asks -- want to go out to dinner? 
Sweet thought, but clear skies make for cold nights. Let's stay home. I'll cook up a couple of chicken brats...