Broken Bear

10:06 am - I've got a nice empty house and I'm enjoying it. The feeling of being relaxed is somehow strange to me. I'm watching an old Jimmy Stewart western Broken Arrow on AMC. I've done my laundry and in a few minutes I'll get to work on some research. Best of all I'm not even going to get out of my PJ's.

11:45 am - I broke the only Christmas gift I got this year that I liked or could use. It was a little bear that my Mother gave me, which was to hold toilet paper. I knocked it off the wall and it broke into pieces on the floor. The whole house just shook, when some of the snow and ice just came slidding off the roof.

9:10 pm - I've all the preliminary research of by book done, now comes real leg work. I love this stuff, and can't wait to start spending my time among old books and papers. Big E called and said they had a great day on the ice and caught some really nice fish. It's good to know we've all had a nice weekend.

Thank God I'm In Ely

9:18 am - I spent the last two days on the road driving C and Map back to Minnesota. Not that it wasn't a fun trip, because I really enjoyed being with C, but winter driving really sucks. We rented a car in Albany [cause I'm flying home], and started west in what became an unpredictable mix of ice, snow, and good dry roads. Driving along, than the car would start sliding and I would think we're going to have to stop soon. Than I'd drive out of it and think better keep going as long as I can while the roads are good. Plus with Map along when we did stop for the night in Toledo, we had to find a place that took dogs. Anyhow with all this we just kept going yesterday, until the three of us finally made Ely last night at eleven. I don't care if I never get in the car again. I think that since C and Map are both still in bed I'm going to take a nap.

3:42 pm - C was up earlier than I thought, so we ran out to Trader Craig's and Pamida's to pick up a new vacuum and stuff to run the snow blower. Than we grabbed lunch at Subway, and bought some groceries at Northland. We came back and C and I cleaned up the snow so we could get the car in and unloaded. I've done laundry and cleaned the house. I'll make us dinner, but for the most part I'm ready to call it day.

9:22 pm - We've had a nice quite night. Ate dinner and watched a movie. I know I'm going to have hard time leaving Ely on Thursday. I really love it out here. I'm going to miss C and Map, and this town. So right now C is flipping channels and Map is sleeping beside me. As soon as I get enough energy, I'm heading for bed.

Full Moon and Glitter

7:42 am - It didn't ice up that badly, but now we're fogged in. I know I'm really home. I'm doing laundry.

11:46 am - It finally changed to snow. Gr is happy, like a little kid, when the first flakes begin to fall. After running a circle around the house and rolling in the snow, he is now lying out front getting white.

7:35 pm - The clouds have gone away and the biggest brightest full moon has shown up. It is making the ice and snow we got last night and today glitter. I wish I could take a photo that would show the beauty out my window. We are among the luck here as it seems most of Vermont and upstate New York are out of power. This has reminded me to ask Big E to bring home the power converter from hunting camp. It would keep the pellet stove running if our power went out. Got to plan for these things.

10:06 pm - Been watching Christmas shows on TV and wrapping gifts.

Sunday Soup

8:07 am - I am never going to get caught up with the laundry. I do two loads a day, every day and still the pile seems to get bigger.

10:39 am - I took myself out for brunch in Rutland at the South Station Restaurant. I have never in all my travels found a brunch that equals. They have a dessert bar with so many choices that it would be very easy to make yourself sick trying just on each. So now I'll go do a little bit of shopping and start back toward home. My big day out.

2:33 pm - I'm dealing with a dilly of a headache. I felt it coming on this morning. I thought I could make it go away with a big meal. Than maybe I thought I could shop around it, but the truth is I could hardly drive home. I've got the daily chores finished up, and I'd like to give my wash room a good cleaning, but just writing this is killing my head, even my eyes hurt.

6:29 pm - I made myself the best comfort food I know of. Campbell's Tomato Soup made with milk and lots of black pepper. Than I added in Oyster Crackers a few at a time so that each bite is crunchy. It's a dinner that takes me back to my childhood and Sunday nights, getting to eat in the living room while watching The Wonderful World of Disney. I would have been sitting between my Dad's feet and using a wooden step stool painted black ad table. Our yellow tabby cat "Sally" would have been trying to sneak some of the soup.

9:17 pm - My headache has finally gone away.