Another Friday Off from School, A Little Theater, Belated Wings

1. We woke to about 4 inches of beautiful, heavy snow this morning. It clung to every branch and twig. By afternoon, it was all melted. I really don't mind this kind of winter.
 2. A few miles drive on some back roads and we reach the little town of Buchanan (pronounced Bu'-can-an). There is a little movie theater on Main Street, built in 1919, that still shows movies. I was getting more of a 50's vibe as I sat there but either way, it's old and still kicking.
2.a. We saw Life of Pi which is an excellent movie.
3. I fried up a huge batch of chicken wings for dinner...with Blue Cheese dressing. I wasn't home last Sunday to make them and the craving for them didn't go away.

Tidying Up, Privacy in a Box, Righting the Universe

1. Someone new is coming for tea. Before I can set out the china, I have to clean the house. Sometimes I need a really good reason like this to deep clean.
2. Youngest receives a phone call for her very first job interview. Her phone rings while we're driving in the car and before she answers it she says, "Don't listen." I'm driving on the interstate and she's sitting right next to me. What am I supposed to do? Goofball.
3. Steve returns home from his trip. After all these years of marriage I'm still so happy when he comes home, like everything is right again.

Next to My Chair, My Favorite Bird, It's a Sign

1. It's feast rather than famine with books to read. This has been my spot lately, reading four books at once with two in waiting. Another is at the computer where I can type notes.
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde- in depth study for small group
Cutting for Stone- almost finished and reading for enjoyment
Exuberance The Passion for Life- chock full of information, taking notes 
One Thousand Gifts- just began for Wed. night study, first chapter is excellent
Arabella- waiting
The Horses of Proud Spirit- also waiting
2. Last week Chelsea told me she saw bluebirds when she was out. I envied her sightings and made a point to look for some around our place. There they were; I just had to look for them! I counted nine bluebirds playfully fluttering from fence posts to ground.
3. Later in the day, Tess and I saw a huge flock of robins on a neighborhood lawn. Our car was stopped so we rolled down our windows to listen to their beautiful song. I know nothing about migratory patterns, but my hunch is they are heading back north. Get ready for spring, Northerners! The robins are on their way.

I put on Leon Russell's Will O' The Wisp for housework today.

Old Apples, Old Wood, Old Tooth

1. I found a bag of five, slightly shriveled apples in the spare fridge. They're not good enough to eat raw, but too good to throw away. I cooked them into an apple pie which turned out especially good.
1.a. Mondays are her long day with piano lessons directly after school. I brought her a warm slice of pie to eat in the car for the forty mile drive to lessons. That and a carnap gave her a little boost. (We stayed up way too late last night.)
2. I took the back roads through some of the hollows where most people heat with wood stoves. They must all use different kinds of wood because each had it's own unique woodsmoke scent. One in particular smelled old, really old. But it was the good kind of musty, old that I like. It makes me think of very old city houses I've been in with a lot of history soaked into their wood.
3. I was looking forward to my consultation with the endodontist today in order to bring some closure to this ongoing toothache. He told me the solution. It's the one I hoped he wouldn't speak of and the one I dreaded because I've had one before and it's very unpleasant. But I made the appointment to go forward and if I can pull this off again I will be a very brave person indeed.
*This isn't a pleasant and beautiful thing to put in my day, but I want to mention how bad the "before" is so that I can write about how good the "after" is next week, when it's all done.

Reading, Little Girl, Baby Boy

1. It's been the perfect weekend for curling up with a good book. I haven't had a worthwhile novel to read in a long while. Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese has broken that trend. The story begins in 1950's Ethiopia, the setting, a mission-run hospital.Your imagination will be guided by the author from here!
2. A two-year-old girl, who does not know me, is left in my care. She eyes me suspiciously, ready to cry or even worse, scream. I make believe I am cooking goldfish crackers on the play stove. Very soon, curiosity has her sidle up to me to play along. I send up a silent, "Thank you" of relief. She is happy and content to pretend together, feeding goldfish crackers to dolls and stuffed animals, and ourselves.
3. A friend's baby is Christened today. Her mother handmade his long, delicate gown which has been worn previously by her three older children. The gown's slip is embroidered with the names and dates of each of their Christenings. Little baby lies content in someone's arms as we finger the light-as-a-feather voile and read the beautiful embroidery, stitched so lovingly in pure white.

From the Frigid North, To the Steamy Bayou, At the Source

1. The air is frigid, the sky, a dreary gray. Snowflakes, the sharp kind that prick your skin, are falling hard. This was ice skating weather. Even the darkest, coldest season had a unique gift to offer, a silver lining inside its bleak exterior. 
2. I saved this movie for the weekend, giving it special consideration. It's a narrative film with a sprinkle of a child's fantastical imagination. The actors are excellent.



3. Sitting by the wood stove, poking at the glowing embers, the hypnotic effect of heat and flame.

The Roads Are Fine, Complementary Colors, Baked Potato Soup

1. School officials called it a 'snow day'. We bundled up and met friends at the coffee shop at 9:00. Any change of the routine is welcome as I feel cabin fever slowly creeping on.
2. The blueberries' and oranges' are pretty together, deep, dark blue and bright orange.
3. My favorite Potato Soup recipe turned out exceptionally good this go around. Was it the cold, blustery weather, the right kind of potatoes, our appetites? Who knows, but I highly recommend it. (I didn't have bacon this time, but it's easily omitted.) 

Baked Potato Soup

5 lbs. russet baking potatoes (6 large bakers)

½ lb. bacon

3 cups 2% milk, at room temp.

1 stick butter or margarine

3 c. onion, minced

7 ½ c. chicken or vegetable stock

½ - ¾ c. flour

½ tea. thyme

1 Tbl. parsley

¼ tea. Cayenne red pepper *I never use this

1 tea. or less of salt

Preheat oven to 350 F. Wash and dry potatoes; poke with a fork and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes until soft. Cool to room temperature. *Refrigerate for 1 hour to speed up the cooling. Remove the skins and coarsely chop the potatoes. Set aside.

Finely chop the bacon and fry until crisp. Drain on paper towel and set aside.

Place 1 ½ c. of chopped potatoes in a blender. Blend or mash with a little water to make the potatoes thin, yet smooth and creamy.

In a large heavy pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook until they are soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. In a separate pan, heat the chicken broth to boiling. Using a wooden spoon, gradually mix the flour into the onion mixture. Continue stirring mixture for 3 minutes. Do not brown. While stirring the mixture, slowly add the chicken broth into the onion mixture. Next, add the potato puree. Mix well, using a whisk if necessary. Lower the heat to simmer and cook 30 minutes. Stir often to avoid scorching on the bottom of the pan.

Add milk, parsley, thyme, cayenne, salt and pepper and the remaining potatoes. Cover and simmer another 30 minutes, stirring often. If soup is too thick, thin with more milk.

Add ¾ of the bacon and mix well. Serve garnished with remaining bacon, cheddar cheese and chives, if desired.

Serves 10-12