Hey clouds! Coming or going?

Last day of February. Zoom! Here it is, and it's been a wild weather ride; a wild emotional ride; a hopeful (if unfulfilled) work ride. We have successfully inched the last four weeks closer to spring, and the promise of new things! Can you feel it?

The grip of cold, grey-blue winter is loosening - Old Man Winter simply does not want to let go. As tenacious as he is, his grip is weakening and the back-n-forth tussle with Miss Spring is beginning to wear him down. The wild swings from extreme cold to unseasonably mellower temps is having it's effect on the poor old curmudgeon. Soon the lows will be a steady upper thirty degree to low forty degree fluctuation, and spring showers will replace the repugnant, dreary snow squalls and stinging icey flecks. Winter will limp out of here and quickly be replaced by the chittering, excited birds and eager early spring sprouts.

Oh those early flowers! I love to see them poking their beautifully new-green, curious selves upward from the icey chamber they've been slumbering in all through winter (all through last summer, too, if you stop to think about it).

The thawing ground gives just enough leeway for the regenerated bulbs to push to the surface with those delicate, pointy tips on slender submerged stems. After weeks of watching and waiting, it always seems as though I must have missed one day, because - POW! There they are. One after another. Dozens of little green solders appearing in the black earth of the flowerbed.

And sure enough, you start to see all of the vining plants showing signs of getting on with another year of color and delightful views. Not to mention the perennials greening up and preparing for a show of their own!

Yes, yes, I have plans this year. The gardens and I are going to get re-acquainted after my absence last year. I have plans, alright, and it is going to be beautiful!

Grey-blue winter is moving over for green-blue spring. S'long, Old Man Winter - see you in, oh.....say, nine to ten months.

An update on the Cleo front

For those of you wondering, Cleo is feeling better, although it remains to be seen whether her stone is smaller or gone.

She is no longer in need of the towel in the bathroom to urinate, and is using the litter box full time, again. Yea! The last couple of weeks her urine output has been good, and without any visible traces of blood either in the stream or spotting afterwards, and this is good, so I started weening her from towel use, and she is now comfy and back in the box.

All of this doesn't mean she likes using the box, and after breakfast she heads into the bathroom to look for a bathmat left on the floor - poor dear. Old habits (and new ones, too, for that matter)...

Oh, by the way, she caught a pinkie last week, and had a great time reveling in the status of mouser of the house! Bought her a toy mouse and she beats the tar out of it daily, then brings it to someone for praise and a treat when she feels it is dead. You should hear the mournful caterwauling when she feels her mission is accomplished and no one is around to see!

Thanks for asking.

It's a little early for me

This is the second day (or is it the third? Oh, wait, no. This is definitely the fourth day) where my brain has decided to get up around 5a.m. This is a little disconcerting, but I suppose I am meant to listen to it and find something to do at this very early hour.

The first time it happened I was successful at simply repositioning my head a little on the pillow and returning to la-la-land without significant interruption. The second morning it happened I - naturally - rolled over and ignored the rooster in my brain. I kept my eyes shut and my breathing level, hoping to lull myself back to sleep without much effort.

It didn't work.

Yesterday, I lay awake fighting the urge to stretch and open my eyes. Alas, the urges proved too much for me, and...ping! Awake again at 5:06a.m.

I lazed around under the covers until I could stand it no further. I had done an inventory in my head of things to accomplish for the day (holy crap do I have some stuff to get done)...listened to the cats' grumbling tummies...turned on the TV to find something interesting (God bless PBS), and finally...f-i-n-a-l-l-y swung myself into action.

Today was about the same, but different. I didn't laze as long under the covers - furry creatures have been working upstairs at doing things they oughtn't be doing. Most notably, Cleo. Her hunger monster was raging this morning, and she was determined to get food any way possible.

I seriously believe the other two put her up to these little tricks, but I can't prove it (yet). How do you polygraph a cat?

So I climbed out of bed and up the stairs accompanied by familiar dances of kitty joy and expectation.

"Hurray!," you could hear the cats silently cheering. The best thing is the swirling eddy dance they do as they implore me to the feeding zone. "Hurry. Hurry! Up the stairs. Yea!" Around the bend at the top, where they begin Opus I of the Meow-alluhia Chorus.

Furry little sharks with sweet little voices and happy little feet.

"C'mon, c'mon...yea! She's walking to the kitchen!!" Drool puddles line the runway to their plate. Cleo follows me to the fridge; her job is to count the cans I pull from it.

Quick, trot faster. "Watch the feet...mind you don't trip her!"

There is a pause at the feeding zone where it takes a moment to spoon portions onto the plate at three points around the edge - one for each girl.

There is much purring and tail swishing. Hopeful, happy, hungry eyes, and little pleas from them as the plate is readied. I love to taunt...er, that is, I talk to them while they wait.

"Oh, meow...get on with it...meow. Is it ready? Meow. Are we there yet? Meow."

Eventually, each of the three has uttered their share of noises, and the plate is lowered to waiting mouths and growling guts.

Aahhhhh......the sound of purring quickly gives way to the sounds of chewing, licking, grunting and swallowing.

It's earlier than normal for them to be fed, but I don't hear any complaints.

The only real problems with getting up this early is that it's not nice enough outside, yet, to go walking, and I have a real hard time not nodding off before 9:30p.m.! But I guess those aren't really problems, are they?

Here's hoping your troubles are few and surmountable.

And on it goes

There is a production going on in Detroit called InZer0, and it has been filming (and in post prod) over the last year and one half (at least). Due to many contemporary issues (i.e.; mostly the economy), portions of the episodes have become a movie...sort of a premiere episode to set up the series.

I have - in the past - seen a small portion of an episode or two, and the production value looks good. The story is sound and driven, and I was hopeful for the production to soar, as I am certain were all those actually connected with it. They have good reason to be excited, and it would be a tremendous feather in the cap of the D.

Getting on with it...

The CraigsList ad I responded to recently was for this production, and when I was invited to be a part of the auditioning group for the VO roles, I was happy.

Oddly enough, as luck would have it, in a follow-up email I was asked if I would be interested in helping out in the casting of the VO's as a PA this past Sunday...however, by the time I got back to reading my email (an entire day later) to see this cool offer, the deadline for getting in touch and saying "yes...yes...YES!" was already gone.

Ah well. From now on I will not take a whole day off of sitting at the keyboard without at least checking in once in a while.

I took a chance and called the number anyway just to say thanks for the offer, and to ask if the spot still existed, and to say I would love to help out in that way. Of course the PA role was already filled, but she thanked me for getting back in touch.

Around two hours later the phone rang, and it was the producer asking if I could be in Royal Oak in half an hour or less to help out - it turned out the person they had coming was delayed or simply not getting there at all!

Wahoo!

So I hot-footed it down there and spent the next 7+ hours handling the check-in, preparation, etc of the auditioners, and whatever else they asked me to do. I was also allowed to stay and watch the screening of the very rough cut of the film and newest footage with the backers and many of the main cast! By the end of the evening I was asked to join the crew and work in post production, AND I will have opportunities to work (crew) on other pick-up shots in the near future, as well as additional production value stuff!

Small but certain...slow and steady. Cool beans, right?

She said I have an impressive resume (which was really nice to hear), and that as well-rounded as it is I will be able to get more work.

Hey, it's another beginning, right?

My first day will be Friday (all of my days will be Fridays until the boys have other ride options to school and work and tutoring), but that's OK, cuz the gig is in Detroit...which is far enough to drive one day a week for a no/lo/deferred pay project. It's still a resume builder and networking opp, which is also a very big thing in this little film 'burb.

Hang ten and check back soon, and I will let you know what the 'job' entails. Hugs and a million smiles all 'round.

Just one of those things

The snow began in haste just about an hour ago, but currently it is that tiny, flakey, you-call-this-snow? stuff. The sound of the wind is far more vicious than the snow looks as it's falling (currently), but we all know how deceiving it can all be. The threats of the meteorologists for the past several days have been ominous, and as feint-of-heart as this snowfall appears at present, the ground has already become sufficiently white, with only small patches of pavement and grass showing here and there.

As the snowfall began I was looking out the large window in the front room, and I happened to see the neighbor's cat on the roof of their house! It was as though it had been sunning itself in it's own private Idaho locale, but decided a snow-covered roof, out in the open, was not the perfect place to be any longer. So, it was hunting for a way to get down - pacing from end to end and side to side. Eventually it opted for the same route (I imagine) it took to get topside.

I have only one errand I need/want to get done before settling in for the weekend, and fortunately, Brian is not scheduled for work over the next two days, either. So the plan is to get out of here and DO IT before the roads and other drivers on them become too dumb to navigate.

When I checked my email this morning I found a response and sides for a voice over role audition I am going to tomorrow. The creator of the show said she thought my resume "...looks like you're more suited for crew rather than a voiceover role. But if you're willing to come in and audition, we'll have you."

I did R.S.V.P. as directed, and added while I would love to become a part of that crew, I couldn't let the opportunity to work - even as a VO in the production - pass me by.

C'est la vie.

Found my phone!

...and I didn't even know it was missing.

Fervently knocking on wood

Making resolutions around the start of a new year is tradition.

I never make resolutions...mostly because I tend to make lists all the time, anyway. Then, those lists either follow me around, live at the bottom of my purse, get tacked to the fridge door, or are set down somewhere - only to be covered with another several documents or forgotten mail, etc. Sometimes inches of other things are piled on top.

I've mentioned before I have a sewing 'room', right (so I know this all sounds familiar to some of you)?

LAW of NATURE: All piles eventually end up in close proximity to the favorite work area.

Now, I go through my stacks to some degree periodically, eliminating paperwork, correctly filing other pieces, or finally reading and discarding - or dealing with - the last of it.

Hey, it may not be your system, but it works for me. :^P

At any rate, I've noticed lately that I've been tending to do more and more of this activity at an increasingly frequent rate over the last few months, so there is less to do each time. This is a good thing...I know. But I have also noticed that in clearing through the piles more frequently, I have also tended to put things - with a greater sense of significance - in some terribly strange out-of-the-way places in order to not misplace them for future need.

This has not been such a helpful thing, and now I am scrambling about, looking for a few key items which have become important for me to put my hands on quickly.

[Insert sounds of exasperation and raspberries here]

And you know how this works, right? You can picure the item in your hands the last time you placed it somewhere. Or, you can clearly remember having found it as you were looking for something else. You can remember with clarity taking the time to think or mutter to yourself: "I need to remember that this [widget] is here when I need it next week (or some such thing)."

Uh-huh.....r-i-i-i-i-i-g-h-t. Me too. That's what I did!

So where is it now?

I am resolving to not clean anything else (except for laundry and dishes), or mistakingly trick myself into believing I am doing something good by sorting and putting away anything which is going to bring on Alzheimer-like behavior in the future.

I know I will find it when I stop looking for it...when I least expect to see it (knock on wood), so I am going to watch a little TV and mentally unwind.

Tomorrow...already!?!?!

Is it tomorrow already?

Once I fed the girls and checked on the newly transplanted wisteria, I began the day by taking down the sheers one side at a time and laundering them. Before I could get the first five panels from the floor to the washer - after getting them down off the curtain rod - Cleo was burrowing in them and having a gay old time.

When Flop decided she wanted to play in the cloud of material piled on the floor, Cleo suddenly became very territorial, and the hissing and swatting ensued.

Once Flop was removed and Cleo was calm, Hobbes then took a chance, and began nesting in the folds.

OMGosh! What a bunch of sisters! I'll have to be faster with the next five panels. :^)

Planting fever is upon me BIG TIME, and I can't wait to get this year's gardening underway. After having played in the dirt yesterday, I desperately want to begin planting seeds and making flower babies. I can hardly wait to attack the garden and weeds this year, either! Watch out you thistle monsters, I'm comin' to getcha!

The packets of seeds I have from last year, and those I bought at a greatly reduced price just after Christmas, are calling my name. "Plant us! Plant us!" they scream. "OK, OK," I reply.

Today I placed the columbine and delphinium packets into the fridge to chill before planting. I know...I am pushing it by a couple of weeks, but I can't wait any longer. Anyhow, they need approximately 3 weeks or so in a cold place to simulate wintering in the flowerbed - it provokes the sprouting mechanism - and once they come out of the cold and go into some sprouting mix, it will be closer to time for planting 'everybody' else. The wait for these first packets to come out of hibernation will temper my itch for a bit, which will then be that much closer to the beginning of April - and more appropriate timing for actually getting a head start on spring and summer seedlings.

If I time it just right, and keep up with my deadlines, I could have some good sized plants to get into the flowerbeds by Memorial Day. I will keep you posted and, of course, be certain to maintain a photo log.

All of this is probably a subconscious way to fight off the doldrums and restlessness from the grey winter days, a relentless job search and the news that another snowstorm (and a day of rain) are on their way over the next couple of days.

So not cool.

For the time being, I am headed to the washer to retrieve my first clean set of sheers and rehang them. The next set will be done before the afternoon begins to fade, and I may even get an urge to continue with the last of my to-do list from yesterday. Big maybe.

Enjoy your tomorrow, and I will see you again soon.

Tomorrow is another day

A few chores I have been promising myself I would get to:

• Transplant Mr. Wister
• Clean off the fridge (yes, "off"...not "out")
• The banking
• Vacuum the sheers - darned cat fur!
• Sort out library and pack up unusable clothes for Purple Heart
• Another load (or two) of laundry

Congratulations to me, I accomplished 3.75 of them. :^)

"How," might you be asking yourself, "would she manage to get 3.75 things on that list done? '3.75'?"

It's easy, really.

1.) Tick. I did get to transplanting Mr. Wister. A lovely little white flowering American Wisteria, which is not so little any more. I have been overwintering it in the kitchen window for two years now, and it looks strong enough to finally go into the ground this spring. In the last two weeks it's gone from producing one little new arm bud every three weeks or so to continuously extending the main stalk and forming several side branches (or suckers) nearly every other day.

We used to be able to chart the growth at a very slow pace, but now it is phenomenal to watch! Just in the course of one day we've seen it grow over an inch in height; and the last 6+ inches now has 7 visible suckers!

It became necessary to move it from the pot it's been in since late last summer to a newer, larger pot. I couldn't chance it's early demise when I am so close to being able to put it in the garden surrounding the back patio. The pergola was built with this wisteria in mind from the very beginning.

My only real fear is that I may not have done the best thing in sheltering it inside for the last two winters. Will it be able to acclimate into fall temps and then make its way through winter to the following spring? If anyone knows the answer to this question, please let me know...thanks. From the looks of it however, I can expect it to really grow and climb this year!

2.) Tick. Cleaning off the fridge is one of those things it seems you always need to do, and due to the fact that it's always in view, and you come face-to-fridge with it every time you step into the kitchen, it is one of those things that also never quite seems to get done. So I harvested the front and top of the icebox today, cleaning off the magnets and notes, washing down the sticky fingerprints, splashes of this-n-that (kids are amazing creatures), throwing out the old ads and menus from days gone by, and replacing only the things essential of what remained. It may not seem like a lot to outsiders, but to my eyes there's a definite improvement. Brian only had this to say: "Somebody was bored."

I reserve the right to (eventually) clean "out" the fridge at another time.

.25) The banking - well...not really my fault it wasn't 100% completed. Darned banks were closed for the lame holiday. But, I did get the paperwork done and get to the bank, so....ha!

Hey, and where's the Hallmark card for Presidents' Day anyway?

.5) I did vacuum the sheers, I did. Got into the whole thing, and was making great headway when it dawned on me - I should just pop them into the washer instead and let them air-dry after hanging them back up. The moisture would be a great way to add humidity, and the living room would smell Tide fresh for a few days! Alas, I already had a load of clothes in the wash and had to leave to pick up Karl not long after, so I figured to start again with new momentum tomorrow morning. Under the circumstances I think .5 is pretty reasonable.

3.) I did get a load of wash done - washer to dryer. I do still need to get down there to pull the clothes out and get them put away, but they are clean...so there!

My sincerest thanks to Scarlett O'Hara for permission to look forward to tomorrow.

Valentine's schmalentine's

My brother, Aaron, is now back in his beloved California, having left town Sunday afternoon. He spent the majority of his time trying to help our younger brother move his possessions...and keep him on task during the activity.

Turns out, unless you're wearing a cape and tights, it's a very hard thing to keep Andy motivated and packing. So, there was a lot of frustration, and not a lot of accomplishment. Andy = avoidance.

As we were leaving the funeral last week, I asked the brothers if they would like to get together and have dinner before Aaron's departure. Aaron thought it would be a great idea; Andy was neither commital or against the idea - so Aaron and I decided to leave it loose enough to work around, but keep in touch about it; planning for either Friday or Saturday. I would cook and they would host.

Turned out the house was now lacking any of the modern conveniences - stove, fridge, etc - so how about either coming to my place or visiting Gram? The latter idea killing two birds, as it were.

Either plan was good, and we drove off in our respective directions, secure that we would get together once more before Aaron left town. I called Gram's place straight away to leave word she would be having visitors over the weekend, and that we would be bringing dinner on whichever day was best for her.

Well, we did get together over the weekend, meeting at Gram's Saturday late afternoon for dinner and chatter...and it was a good time. Aunt Joan was staying with Gram (according to the rotating schedule), and she had called Unc. Paul to ask if he wanted to drop in and visit with the eldest grandkids whilst we were all in one spot. That was a pleasant surprise for Aaron.

After sticking another leaf in the dining table, we gathered around a huge pan of lasagna, some pretty good bread, a lovely salad and plenty of smiles, and had a great visit. Although it tuckered Gram out, she seemed to have a nice time, and participated in the conversation. She continuously stared at Aaron, drinking him in (it seemed) as we see him so infrequently, and you could tell she was trying to imprint his image into her brain. She compared him several times to the image she has hanging on her picture wall, saying it "just doesn't look like you," and that she had lost track of him in her mind's eye. She also thought he looked so very much like his father. We all laughed, and then discussed that man's unfortunate hairstyle choice (he opted for an extremely curly perm to avoid helmet hair when he rode his motorcycle), and how he might look now.

Later, we shared photographs and some stories, but Andy left prematurely to go play Euchre with buddy's, so there really wasn't much sibling visiting. We did manage to take a few shots of the three of us with Gram before Andy bugged out, but Andy Scrooged his way through those so they weren't as successful as they might have been.

I departed around 9 pm or so, dropping Aaron at Andy's location on the way home, but as will happen, we sat in the car chatting until Andy finally appeared outside the VFW hall asking if Aaron was ready to go home for the night.

We hugged and said goodbye, vowing to keep in touch. I have to send Aaron a copy of a photo from my album (one taken of him with his lovely wife 21 years ago), and then I drove off on the slippery roads for home, and the two boys headed for 1109.

I guess that's not too bad for a Schmalentine's Day, eh?

Once in a while extreme sorrow can bring profound joy

My brothers and I gathered yesterday to say goodbye to our stepmother. Although dad has gone on to collect yet another spouse, Bev will always be our only true stepmom. She was legally a part of our family for more than 18 years, but remained a part of our lives even after dad walked out.

All told, we have known Bev for the better part of the last four decades; even following their divorce, she was forever entering and shadowing through our lives at the obligatory card-sending moments, and remained in our [my] thoughts often enough (even though I never acted upon the urges to call as often as I could - or should - have). For that I will forever be sorry.

We have been fortunate over our lifetime(s) to have been blessed with an abundance of grandparents whom we had the privilege to know and communicate with, and given the elderly-ness of their ages upon their deaths, I suppose we can look forward to a good deal of extreme longevity from either side of the family tree. But as is the case at a funeral, you can't help but experience pangs of mortality mixed in with the sorrow and remorse. You find yourself wondering: which of our relatives will we reluctantly have to say "farewell" to next? Am I taking care of myself well enough to earn the right to live on a good while longer?

We stood around her casket, linked arms around shoulders and waists, talking to one another. Kibitzing and chiding; then we wondered what she would say about our demeanor and words? We exchanged quick references of our childhood experiences and remembrances with Bev, and laughed. We must have been quite a sight to the others who had come to pay their respects, but not in a disrespectful way. My brothers prodded at each other good-naturedly, betting who would be the first to break down - at which point which Andy brandished cleaned handkerchiefs.

I had done the bulk of my mourning at home the two days prior, and resolved to keep the stiffest of upper lips while there. However, when my bleary-eyed (and somewhat moist) brothers each exchanged sorrowful glances, I teared up briefly, then dabbed the tears away quickly. I left a stain of blush on one corner of the folded hanky, but I don't think Andy will mind.

Despite the reason for our getting together, I enjoyed the grown-up moments with my brothers, and I look forward to spending a few more hours talking and laughing before the weekend is over. Aaron is heading back to California Sunday and who knows when we will see him again, so I am reveling in the joy of the sad moment.

Peace, comfort and joy to you and yours.

A day for tears

For those of you who knew stepmother number one, you may wish to know that Bev passed away over the weekend. She suffered a heart attack early in the weekend, was taken to the hospital, intibated and defibrillated, but never fully regained consciousness.

'Visitation' for Bev will be at the Uht Funeral Home in Wayne on Tuesday, and the funeral will take place at the First Congregational Church of Wayne on Wednesday.

Following the service, she will be laid to rest near her folks and other members of her family who have gone before.

You will be missed, Bev. God bless you...rest in peace.

Little pearls and love notes

My mother sent me the nicest note, and as I was cleaning out my inbox (trying to make this the one habit I can stick to fairly easily - NY's resolutions, and all of that rot) I ran across it again.

Found this quote by Rabindranath Tagore [edited]: "If I can't make it thru one door, I'll go thru another door --- or I'll make a door. Something good will come no matter how dark the present." Reminds me of you, always making another door.

Made me cry to think this is how she feels about me and my accomplishments/forced changes over the last 1.8 years. Of course the tears were tears of joy, and not the usual mother-daughter residual variety. I think we have finally found our comfort zones - between the space afforded with her location and mine, and the process of email and infrequent phone calls, we have finally managed to begin communicating less adversarial-ly and more like a parent and child should.

God knows the getting there is tough (has been tough), but while I don't think it was meant for [us] to have such struggles in these relationships, I do think it is a way to find (or build) admiration, love, faith, respect and strength into the generational familial equasion.

As I worked through the classes at Specs last year, she was in the background cheering and encouraging...but still gouging and needling at times. I think it is the nature of the beast - the mother beast - and it is hard to overcome. No matter how rah-rah you want to be, there is always that little demon on the shoulder whispering into your ear with the alternative conversations. The: "what-ifs", the "if you had only done (blank) instead of..."-type comments.

Fathers do it as well. They do it to their sons more often than not, and if the father is not careful, he becomes the bully away from the school playground.

There are however, equal opportunity esteem-wrecking parents, who don't mind about the gender boundaries. Hurling insults and self esteem-crushing blows is appropriate in their minds no matter who might be standing within spewing range. They will even go out of their way to be certain it is rubbed in with extreme fervor. These are the sorts you hope 'get theirs' at an equally appropriate time in their lives.

Personally, there are a few folks I can think of who deserve to be found with a cross town bus in a crosswalk.

All of this simply to say: Thank you, mom, for believing in me, and for helping me to get through this extremely tough period. I love you.

Changing of the guard

Mom is leaving Gram's today, her watch is over; another relative or friend of the family will be taking her place mid-day. The boys and I drove to Livonia on Sunday to visit with Gram while mom was down from Marquette, and we were treated to quite the meal. Gram said mom had been up throughout the night preparing the turkey and other dishes so it would be ready to pop into the oven to simply reheat for our arrival. It was as though Thanksgiving had come all over again, and it was delicious!

Thank you, mom!!

Yesterday was a lovely break from the dreadfully freezing temps, and you could tell from the smiles on all the faces. Not to mention the outerwear choices! or lack of outerwear.

Funny, isn't it, how we bundle up and apply all those layering techniques...until the sun comes out and we hit 30*F! Then you see open jackets - or no jackets at all - and less layering. No gloves or ear covers (once called "muffs"), and certainly the scarves never left the closets yesterday, either.

Let's face it, we had a MI heatwave Monday, and it was a 'beaut'! MI mindset appeared to be why not enjoy it for all it was worth?

Today, however, cold temperatures have returned, so if you didn't remove your sloshy snow from driveways, sidewalks and wherever else yesterday, you can forget about it today. Oh, and those stunningly massive icepickles hanging from eaves all over the neighborhood...they are smaller, but not gone completely. We've been watching ours go from crystal clear to cloudy and air pocket-filled, to glossy and dripping, back to crystal clear. I know I should have gone outside - and I really wanted to - with a shovel and whack them down now that they are smaller and somewhat less dangerous to be around when they fall. Looking at them from the windows up close and personal, I have no reason to question why they were called "widow makers" back in the day.

From the sounds of the forecasters this morning, we are in for another day or two of extremely lovely upper thirty to low forty degree temps - isn't that great! I know it's no good for the pothole situation and what-have-you, but I love the fluctuation in the weather, especially at this time of the year. It just means Old Man Winter is getting tired, and winding down - even though I also know there is a very strong possibility that we can still get slammed with ice storms, blinding snowfalls, and weeks of bleak, dreary weather.

Last, but not least, I forgot to mention mom heard from Andy...and then Aaron while she was at Gram's. It seems Andy flew out to CA to visit our older brother and take in some of the CA sights while he is recuperating. Yup, he broke a collar bone over the holidays, and so while he can't work he figured "why not head somewhere warm?", and that's what he did.

So that's all the newsy stuff for the time being, except to say thanks for those who asked after Cleo...her appetite has improved, and she is almost willingly eating her dry kibble more often, and a bit more of her prescription moist food, too. Can't see any blood in the urine, although the crystals may still be present, she seems to be in less discomfort. Weaned her off the pain meds Sunday, as they were making her sick - and that was something to watch for. All in all, we think things are better for her. Time will tell.

Take care of yourselves and start planning those flowerbeds. Pretty soon it will be time to plant seeds to be ready for that frost free deadline!

Whadaya mean he saw his shadow!?!?!

Doggoneit...I thought we had this all worked out.

Those men in charge of the feeding and handling were supposed to fix it so that no matter what...Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow.

Never send a man to do an intelligent person's work. Now we're in for six more weeks of this stuff!

Where's Elmer Fudd when you need him? (Technically, he's not a man...cartoons are hardly ever anatomically correct) [Insert E. Fudd laugh here]

Brand new

Howdy, February!

I have been waiting for this month for, oh...about 31 days, now. This is one of 'those months' for me. It's nothing special or important as months go in a year. No tremendous personal markers or goals set or met for the second month in the modern calendar.

Nope.

It's really just a whole bunch of days we have to get through before March can arrive, and that means we are one month closer to spring and the greening! Planting new little flowers into the garden...pulling weeds and getting our homes and yards in order. The possibility of opening our windows and allowing those gusts (warmer temps, if you please) into our walls, cleaning out the staler air pent up inside all winter, and watching the return of finches and other aerial acrobats. Not to mention the advent of a day lasting more than a waning nine hours! Maybe it's nothing more than the fact we are have one month less of winter to endure...I don't know.

More than all of that, though, I also like the look of February 2009. Have you looked at a printed calendar? This month begins on a Sunday and ends on a Saturday. Very neat. Very tidy. You have to love a well-packaged month.

Yes, February 2009 has a great look to it. Four perfect, tightly packed weeks from stem to stern. No partial weeks...no Friday the first hanging out there like a Florida chad, and no Tuesday, Feb. 28th, hoping that March's Wednesday won't be late arriving to cover the midnight transition.

Yup, as months go, this February is a great little month, and just because it's always been one of those months I have let crawl by without much of a thought, I think I may find a way to enjoy this one, in an abstract sort of way. Usually I just sort of sleepwalk my way around it, but this February may hold some fascination for me.

Yes sir, it's a brand new month with a brand new February outlook. I'll keep you posted.