CLAY AND WATTLES

Thawing

Today isn't quite as cold. I was outside earlier without a coat and for me to do that proves it isn't that cold.

From Friday night after eating at Jean's, until Monday morning when I fired up the truck to come to work, I didn't get out of the house. I didn't even get dressed Sunday. Church was cancelled.

After eating at Jean's, which went well - she had homemade soup, cornbread; and Charlene and I furnished the side items - dessert, pickles, cheese, crackers - we all sat around the table like we have done on New Year's Eve in years past and just talked about everything, even someone finding out they have cancer, and looking in the paper at an obituary. (Did Richard feel like jumping out of his chair? He didn't seem to.) Around 8:00 we dispersed ourselves out into the cold. Bill and Charlene got to the video rental store just before we did; we chose our movies and I told Charlene I had a few she might light to see. They came by and borrowed "Fawlty Towers," "Chicago," and I can't remember the other one.

After battening down the hatches, we were in for the night. I watched "Ladies in Lavender" and Paul went to bed. Sometime in the night it started sleeting and by morning the ground was covered with about a 2 or 3 inch thickness of ice. And it was cooooolllllldddd! I really thought I'd go to Tiffany's shower at 2:00, but it was 15 degrees! That' s just too cold for me, the way I cough and carry on; I didn't want to risk getting sick.

Saturday afternoon I watched "Must Love Dogs" and "Elizabethtown." Both good. Made hamburger steaks for supper. Sunday morning I didn't get up till about 10:30. That is so late for me! No newspaper, no book section. I made breakfast of biscuits, bacon and cheese; put on some pinto beans, and then slouched around in my flannelly pjs all day, with a long shirt over that, and eventually Paul's down vest over all that, and blankets and the heating pad. I called Richard to see if he was okay and he'd been down to the office, so the roads were getting much better.

Two more movies: "Crash," which I couldn't watch, but Sher said last night I should. ("The part you stopped watching at was the worst. You need to fastforward through that.") I told her I'd try it again. Failing that I watched "Meet the Fockers" and almost stopped it (and probably should have - it was pretty stupid, contrived, and crass.)

We checked on Amy, Mama and Mama Nick and all were doing fine. Mama and Mike had gotten out to take food to Lorraine across the road, whose husband died. Mama Nick sounded stronger. Amy was tucked in her house listening to the heater run, knowing her electric bill would be out the roof again. But she was warm.

I wanted to drive to the cemetery Sunday afternoon, but Teri, Honey, it was just too cold! I thought about you, though; you know I did.

Paul watched the Daytona Race (Jimmy Johnson won), we ate a little supper and later to bed, knowing Monday I'd have to hit the road, which was, fortunately, just about clear. And for Paul, Monday was a holiday (Presidents' Day), which I didn't realize until up in the day and never got an answer at the post office!

Monday was pretty slow. Today I went to Dr. M. to see about this twitch in my right eye and the dryness. (Space heater probable cause; tears not in great abundance either.) "The twitching will stop eventually. That's probably caused by not getting good rest at night. Try antihistimine," he said. I didn't even tell him I couldn't take it. I'll take Ambien 2 or 3 nights and maybe that will help. Lately I have had some pretty weird dreams and have woken up during the night. "My eye was twitching last week," he told me. "I think it's something about this time of year." Could be just the dryness of the heating systems, and I probably don't drink enough water, and not resting well. See, when you get older, all these things are very noticeable! Gave me Systane samples of eye drops for night (thicker) and day.

While I was in "my" town I stopped at the library and returned a couple of books, bought two quarter books, both by Laura Lipman, (no children's books again!), picked up the free Book Page book review magazine, and talked to Wanda, Gail, and Sherry R., who is now working there three days a week. Then I stopped by the Christian Book Store and bought a few cards, a new copy of "Hinds Feet on High Places," and "Chicken Soup for the Grieving Soul," plus a refrigerator magnet with "Sisters" on it for Sher (she has a bad cold). These little stops and just being in my town for a little while during the day lifted my spirits considerably and I came back to work reassured and refreshed. I'm always surprised to see so much traffic and activity when I'm there in the daytime, not my regular hours from 5:30 P.M. to 7:30 A.M.

Doesn't take much to make me happy - defrosting being one!