A daffodil bud? Be still my heart. I was awakened very early this morning by my dog and cats, literally circling me like Indians around a wagon train. It was way too early to get up, but I did anyway. It's already warmer today than it has been for a week and the sun isn't even really up. I've kicked on the little fire in the kitchen as has become my morning ritual this winter, and sit before it with my big tom cat and sip my coffee and wake up gently. I looked at my office calendar and noticed it is still turned to December. Belly laugh at that one, we are five days into a new month and year. I should maybe change it now? Last evening I ventured into town for what my SIL calls retail therapy. I am not much of a consumer, but gift cards were burning a hole in my pocket and it was time to remedy that situation. I certainly didn't want to go anywhere near the mall until the Christmas "returns" issue was over. I am a "cheap date" and my purchases were both functional and things I wanted, but could have survived, had I not bought them. A delightful set of stainless measuring spoons, a butter crock, a nice icing spatula, a stainless steel funnel. I've observed that a large number of my personal cooking and art tools disappear at my house to be found months/years later in my husband's wood shop. I don't mind him borrowing, but I do resent his choices. When he wants a rag he doesn't scarf up a ratty synthetic tea towel, he choses a nice linen one, nor does he get the cheap spare tableware, but heads for the matched set. After looking for a year for my good mechanical drafting pencil, I find out it is up in his workshop too. With another giftcard, I finally after a lifetime of seamstressing, splurged on a quality set of dressmaker's shears. I will break fingers if this gets taken from the sewing room. I've started working on another quilt, hopefully to be done before the end of my short winter break. I had a clerk in a quilter's shop share with me she thought quilting was an "expensive" hobby. This remark really bothered me, as the artform of quiltmaking began as the ultimate expression of thriftiness. I've seen some beautiful quilts I know cost hundreds of dollars to produce, in addition to the time and work and being art, and that's OK. But, I really get a kick out of making mine totally from recycled materials, with no fancy equipment, tools or patterns. What materials aren't fit for a quilt, gets made into rugs. I have four more weeks of winter break before I start kicking on g'houses and frankly, I'm getting itchy to get started.

Thunder and lightning skirted the horizon for a couple of hours last evening. Around nine-ish, the storms decided to meander over to us and park on top of us. For about five or so hours, we got one of the most fabulous lightning shows I have seen in a while. Oh, and it dropped a goodly amount of rain. Nothing approaching flood levels, but enough to know everything got a good drink. Droplets of water still cling to the grass and the plants. Rather strange after getting used to dust coating everything. We were without power until this morning, but that only enhanced the enjoyment of the show. Sitting in the dark watching the lightning illuminate everything in a freeze frame sort of way. Pictures at Exhibition type scenes. It's still oppressively hot and humid.

It was about the same here. Temperature at 8 a.m. was 70, but it warmed up quick, especially on the run. It's 92 right now. I just missed the time I was shooting for. That's inconsequential to the fact that when I took my blood pressure after the race it was 125/75. If I keep up with the exercising and weight loss I should soon not need any pharmaceuticals for the bp. One takes life's little victories where one can..

How about old fashioned Chocolate Fudge and Peanut Butter ice cream all by itself? NUM !Only a few calories ! Or I've found that a nip of "Cask and Cream" helps relieve a tired body!