The wind has kicked up and the wind chill is already below zero. It will get worse as the day goes on. The musical accompaniment to my taps on the keyboard is the constant ringing of the wind chimes on the porch. I always used to say that, because I inherited them from my parents, whenever I heard them Mom and Dad were talking to me.

Well, now they’re yelling at me. Nonstop.

We watched the Opening Ceremony for the Olympics last night. Two things: whatever happened to educating us about the countries represented, identifying their leaders who are shown as the athletes enter the stadium? For heaven’s sake, they didn’t identify Georgia Meloni, the Prime Minister of Italy, nor did they identify Princess Anne and her husband, or the dignitaries from any number of countries. Yes, I know Savannah Guthrie was expected to do the hosting, but there are a whole slew of people working for NBC whose jobs are to research and provide all those facts and bits of information to the hosts. Instead, we heard what countries Shaun White had competed in, as well as information on his ‘brand.’ Now, I like Shaun White a lot, but really? Bob Costas and Jim McKay did all of that and more and that’s why they were so darned good at their jobs.

And  they edited out the boos from the crowd when Vance, aka James Donald Bowman, was shown on the Jumbotron. I’ve since heard them. They were loud. Hey, NBC, that’s called propaganda and it’s what the press does when they bow down to a dictator.

Okay, moving on.

We ran out to the store yesterday to get a few things we needed as at some point today it’s going to be dangerous to to go outside for the rest of the day and for part of Sunday. I ended up dealing with a lot of chores, so I didn’t get around to my miniature piece. But I will today.

Thoughts going through my head: I’m getting the itch to do some handwork. I have a quilt that needs to be hand quilted. Some of it already had been but I have a lot more to go. And then, because of this crazy winter, I’m thinking of crocheting another ripple afghan – this one for Don. If you remember, years ago when I was selling scarves on Etsy, I sold so many that I had to work quickly to replenish the stock and my right wrist really suffered. The end result: I haven’t crocheted for years. But I like the rhythm of it and I think I really need that to counteract the insanity we face on a daily basis. I would use cheap yarn from Michael’s. Crochet is a yarn eater and I want this to be an inexpensive project. I’ll check out thrift stores as well.

Alright my friends, I hope you’re warm and cozy this weekend.

Stay safe.

Happy Saturday.

Another frigid morning here at the cottage. I’m currently covered in an afghan, with fingerless gloves on, waiting for the temperature to rise. But this will be a walk in the park compared to Saturday evening into Sunday afternoon, when we will have dangerous wind chills of 25 – 35 degrees below zero. As in almost immediate frostbite if you go outside.

Are you kidding me??

I am trying very hard not to wish away the present. As I age, time seems to go by much more quickly than it did when I was young. HOWEVER, I am ready to move on from this winter, which has been nothing but a pain in the tush.

At some point next week, it will be warmer than it has been. I cannot wait.

So today I’ll run to the grocery store for any last minute items we need, as neither of us wants to step outside on Sunday.

Speaking of a pain in the tush, painting this little sideboard has been exactly that. It’s a piece of cheap dollhouse furniture with a glossy finish that the former owner sent along with the house. Since the Beacon Hill is so large, I figured I’d keep it and use it in the third floor hallway. I had a can of primer on hand, but since it has been at least 3 years since I have used it, it was in bad shape. So I sanded the wood as best I could and painted over the finish with a brown color as the base coat. But I clearly didn’t sand it thoroughly because paint wasn’t adhering everywhere. I added another coat – same problem. My vision for it was a cheery yellow color. But again – same problem. I finally hauled out the primer and mixed it with some water, painting it late in the day yesterday. That is what you see in this photo.

I’m all about saving money as I work on this house – I have to! – and I know I have to order wallpaper soon, so I was trying to get by with what I had on hand. I get some points for that, don’t I?

Lesson learned. Buy some fresh primer and use it.

Today, I will make some decisions about what wallpaper I want to use in a couple of rooms.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

Anyone need an icicle?

It reached 37 degrees on Monday. I went outside for few minutes and it felt positively balmy. Funny how it’s all relative, right? That’s when I took this photo. Honest to God, for a moment it felt like I’d been freed from captivity.

That’s what the days have been like here. Unbelievably cold. Endless snow. An extremely dry house. (Yes, we have a humidifier. It’s still way too dry.) Both of us feel lethargic, which I suppose is the universal urge to hibernate. And that 37 degree temperature is an anomaly. We’re back to below freezing.

It’s been years since we’ve had a winter like this one.

So I’ve been reading off and on, playing Solitaire on my phone, working on the puzzle (which just might take all winter to complete) and doing the usual chores. We won’t mention the news, except to say that it also consumes a lot of my time.

It’s a surreal world that we’re living in now. Thank goodness for Don, who helps keep me sane. I believe I do the same for him. Thank goodness for “Best in Show,” which we watched the other night in tribute to the late, superbly great Catherine O’Hara. It still makes us laugh and we’ve probably seen it 10 times. Thank goodness for moments when we allow ourselves to be silly and giggle. Thank goodness for Don’s music, his voice, his gift. Thank goodness for “Slow Living” videos on YouTube, which I now am addicted to. Also videos about living off-grid in Alaska. Also old SCTV episodes. Seek out the funny, the things that, for a moment, take you away from the horrors we’re living through. Or the peaceful, like those “slow living” videos.

I hope you’re all hanging in there.

Stay safe.

Happy Wednesday.