Sunshine Day

Today was a sunshine day.  All day.  And it wasn't polar vortex cold, just regular winter cold, in the 20s but a little windy, so normal.  There wasn't a gigantic plow drift at the bottom of the driveway when I got up (too early) so I went out to move it before the renters left for work.  I can sometimes be nice like that.

My neighbor, LJ, was out blowing his snow too and I thought it looked pretty with the sun coming over the trees behind him and the snow arcing through the air.





I thought I would sew today but then it occurred to me that it'll be close to the end of February when I get home and tax day is April 15 and my tax accountant is popular so I should probably spend a couple hours organizing things this afternoon.  I went through the accordion file of paid bills to find the deductible ones and paged through the green "medical and tax deductible expenses" checkbook AND was smart enough to call the chiropractor's office to have her fax me a copy of what I'd paid her through the year.  In January I go to the pharmacy and get a printout of the previous year's payments so I don't have to keep track of all of that.  I kept all of the "getting the duplex ready for the new tenant" receipts in a separate envelope and all of the nursing home/assisted living bills in one too.  KK sends a letter with an explanation of some of the changes in the tax code and a workbook of sorts that has places to fill in the info she'll need which I imagine cuts down on the "so what does this mean and where's the proof?" phone calls.  I got it dropped off at her office this afternoon so that's one fewer thing I have to do when I get back.



Tonight I knitted the leg of the Zauber Orange sock long enough (finally) so that it was time to put in the waste yarn for where the heel will go later.  I had to dig around to find smaller yarn and something that the sock yarn wouldn't stick to so it'll be a bit easier to remove when the time comes.  I confess that I'm using a pattern I bought in Indy last year but for the method (and I'm changing that) so that if everything goes as planned I'll end up with two different socks.  We shall see.



I looked out the patio doors this morning and was surprised to see how deep the snow is on the patio.  Look at how far up the birdbath it goes, at least a foot.  Maybe when I get home it'll be over the top.  Man, I hope not.  I've never wished I lived across the street but the other day I realized that RP can drive his snowblower out the back of his garage to clear off his patio.  I suppose I could shovel mine but... nah, I'll walk on the snow and pack it down until it's like a glacier.  Shoveling's too hard.

13 February--Tropical Obsession. 

It's quiet down here, peaceful. Not silent, not by a long shot, but different sounds from the regular everyday ones. There's no traffic, no ringing buzzing tootling phones, no voices of any kind. It's restful to ears jangled by the escalating buzz of modern life to wade into a blood-warm sea and submerge to spend an hour neutrally buoyant, unencumbered by gravity's demanding pull. The Darth Vader whoosh-click of your breathing fades as your vision soars, strains to pull in every color, movement, and shape. It's peaceful spending time in a place where the rocks are alive, the plants are animals, and the only soldiers are six-inch-long red fish that roam the reef at night.

I'm hurrying to finish this because (I can't believe I'm saying this) my alarm is set to go off at 3:45 so I can get to the airport for my 6:02 AM flight in the morning.  Ye gods.  I need to sleep.  Fast.
--Barbara