It was 3 degrees this morning, but I guess, on the bright side, that was ABOVE zero. While I was gone it was -5 and the house got down into the low 40's. I'm getting pretty tired of cold weather. Will soon be tired of snow. We have more than a foot on the ground, with more due soon. I know I always say "that's what it's like to live in the North Country," but every year around this time I have the same reaction to the weather: WHEN WILL IT END? The frost heaves on the Clayburg Road are out, which is a good sign that winter is moving right along. We've had some ice jams on the rivers (like, where else would they be?) but nothing too serious yet. When I drove through Upper Jay there were chunks of ice on the other side of the road from the AuSable River, which is pretty dramatic.
I had a good trip to RI. The driving was uneventful, which is what we like. The trip down is boring, probably because I'm really sick of the trip to Albany, and after that the ride is broken into different legs.
My mother is fine but has slowed down a lot in the last couple of years. She turns 87 next month. I'm just used to having a YOUNG mother, so it's an adjustment to be with her at this age. She moves more slowly and is very careful, as well as being fairly forgetful. But she's a peach and I enjoy being with her. I took her grocery shopping because she won't drive in the snow and hates to go out if there's any ice at all. I wish I lived nearer so I could take her more often. She doesn't like to ask Mark to take her, but does that often enough. I don't really wish I lived nearer--I wish SHE lived nearer. I like where I live. Even in the winter.
Mark & I walked on the beach one day with the dogs. Not many people there (3) because it was a cold day. We didn't go back because it was snowing hard the next day, and the next day I left. What did I do while I was there? Not much. Read quite a bit of the book group book (Billy Lynn's long halftime walk), which I'm not really enjoying. I have hopes that it will become a better book in the second half. Rather pointless right now.
Not sure when I'll read it--I often read the book group book the weekend of book group, but I have a lot to do this weekend so may not get to it. I have to clean clean clean my house. That will include dusting and getting rid of cobwebs, straightening the pictures, tidying up the piles of reed upstairs, cleaning the bathroom upstairs, making the bed in the guest bedroom upstairs, and oh, so many other things. I'm hosting book group on Sunday, which is nice, but have company coming next weekend, which is more complicated. I've only had my family stay at my house in recent years, so it will be interesting to have friends instead. These are people from Boston who own a camp down the road from my house--they want to be here in the winter. They'll arrive Saturday & leave Sunday, so I just have to figure out a few meals. We'll go out for dinner Sat. night. Someone suggested I feed them whatever it is that I eat, but I don't think frozen Weight Watchers dinners and yogurt will really do.
The dogs had a good time in RI, and it was good for Treasure to be quieter than she is at home. She's stopped limping, which is a big relief. I guess she sprained a toe or something, and resting while we were there did the trick. They run around a lot at home--chasing squirrels and each other. This morning they trotted to the bog to check it out. Why do they always leave just as I'm getting ready to leave for work? Well that's a stupid question--they can tell when I stoke the stove and put on my coat that I'm getting ready to leave, usually without them. Anyway, they were gone for a few minutes but came home, out of breath and happy.
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