winter whites

I drove to Detroit to visit Dr. Not-so-cranky this week.   I swear, the harder he tries the more crazy he makes me, and I have a hard time being patient with him these days, but that's another story and not a very interesting one, at that.  

But while I was there, I drove past the lake a couple of times.   The bank was covered with snow and the whole landscape was made up of tones of pewter - the sky was a pale grey, and the silvery grey water was smooth as glass, except for artfully placed chunks of ice and a flock of scattered white swans.    It was so bleak and so beautiful, and there was nowhere to park so I couldn't take a picture.   

Crazy about the cold

My treasured (and copywrited) bumpersticker, "Sanibel is my sanity!", was the brainchild of Cheryl, one of my cyber-friends.   You can see that I wasn't fully sane when I put it on, I did it on a windy day and it went on all crooked!   I bought my bumpersticker years ago - maybe 6 years ago? - and people have pulled alongside at  red lights and rolled down their window to talk about the island.    It's brought me many a smile through many a winter -- and, through the wonders of internet friendships, I finally met Cheryl IN PERSON last year!   She is the one to contact if you want one, but be sure she saves another one for me!

I see my bumpersticker every time I clean the snow off my car -- which has been way too often, lately -- and it reminds me that I can hold on until my next trip to paradise, no matter how far away it is.

For me? You shouldn't have!

I got terrific presents for Christmas, but you never know, so I prepared in advance by ordering an amazing present for myself.  This beautiful handmade Ulu is from Siksu's Knives in Kotzebue Alaska.  I saw lots of Ulus the two trips where I played tourist in Alaska and was tempted by them because I love kitchen tools, but on inspection I could see that they were poorly made and not for any serious use.  This Ulu, on the other hand, is absolutely beautiful, sturdy, sharp, and comfortable in my hand.   I have not been able yet to use it for the jobs it is designed to do so well (we don't get many moose or caribou here in Saginaw and it is unlikely that I will ever skin a seal), but I've cut tons of veggies and pizza, and love the way it rocks and chops - like a chef's knife is supposed to if you can hold the tip down properly, which I cannot.   I am enjoying its use, but I really think of it as a piece of art.

My front walk

 

It snowed all night, it snowed all morning, and it is STILL snowing this afternoon.   I am trying to convince myself that my yard and neighborhood look pretty, but "pretty is as pretty does," and when I have to shovel several times a day, pretty isn't doing it for me!

New year, old attitude

Lately it seems like my get-up-and-go got up and went.   I am listless, so boring that I bore myself to sleep, and worst of all, could care less about it all.   I can't even imagine what would make me feel happy and energetic.    I wonder if all the changes and troubles of the past year -- from my daughter's traumatic injury to losing my job unexpectedly to selling my house and moving to a new city - are finally catching up with me.   Or maybe after a year of flight after flight and trip after trip, I just need a vacation.

Spammers

I've been deluged with a zillion spam messages this week, so I am adding 'word verification' to my blog -- I know it can be annoying and regret having to do it.   I hope my friends will still visit me and comment!

Snow Day

I am glad I got home from Detroit before the snow started yesterday. The morning news says that we got 6 inches of snow here in the city -- it seemed like more when I was shoveling last night, and I know there's been more snow since then! My old car (and I) been through years of snow-abuse, but neither one of us is giving up our (copywrited) bumper sticker from Sanibelover!