Sanity Is Madness Put to Good Uses

A slight break in precipitation has Blue back on his morning routine. Out the east stoop he goes before daylight. He journey makes a complete circle around the house and he deposits himself at the kitchen porch on the west side. He barks to mark his arrival.

When I opened the door to let him in before dawn, I noticed these very long icicles. I stepped out in the chill wrapped tight in my bathrobe to get this photograph.

Usually, we race to his treat jar. The jar marked "Blue's Treats" holds something magical to him. I fill it with bite-size shredded wheat. The vet suggested this as a healthy alternative and it works just fine for Blue.

He's almost completely blind so I have to talk him through a snack so he won't take off a finger.

Lina perches in a central point to wait on daylight. She waits--sometimes patiently--for me to refill her food dish.

When I go for coffee after daylight, Lina has already been sprayed once or twice with my plant mister for sneaking on the counter for a better look at the birds.

Once Blue gets his treat, he settles in for his morning nap in my bedroom.
If he's not quick enough, Lina will grab the pillow before him.

Armed with coffee, I continue studying for tomorrow's test.

I do my studying while taking calls for Crisis Line.
Sometimes I get a lot of calls, other mornings are quieter.

Once the sun is up, Lina settles in front of the patio doors to watch for birds.

Her tail twitches and she meows as the birds swoop in and carry off the dogfood.

After a job interview at 10 am this morning, it started snowing again.

The city-girl was in the next county at college so I phoned her
and suggested she head this way before things got any worse.

It's a long way up to the top of the drive,
but it sure beats shoveling and breaking up ice
to get your car out! We're all getting our exercise, for sure.

The snow is pretty on these tree branches right off my back deck.
It makes the them look a bit like lightning bolts.

But this stuff is down-right scary!

Note: "Sanity is madness put to good uses" is actually a quote by George Santayana.

Making Tracks

You should see the all the paw prints, going every which way!

It's up to 24 degrees now. JB and the city girl daughter have both gone to work, leaving me with all the animals.



So now we know why they have all the energy to romp through the house like a herd of buffalo after dark.

Blue, on the other hand, just moves from one place to another, waiting for that fabulous four-letter word: RIDE.

No ride today, I'm afraid. With the snow slowly melting away, I'm devoting my energies to completing assignments...

And I have a new (eight-week) class that starts this evening!

Sleep Is The New Sex

I long for long, deep uninterrupted sleep.

I've taken to putting a few drops of this marvelous herbal cure called Rescue Remedy on my tongue every night before I retire. It calms all the thoughts banging around in my head and helps me fall asleep more quickly.

Life is just too full of interruptions.

The days are too long and the nights too short.

I'm trudging through work all day and then class. The way I figure it, I have two hours at home--awake--in the morning followed by two hours --awake, in the evening.

And of course, weekends are for catching up on homework, doing laundry and grocery shopping. Am I crazy or is everyone's life this busy?

I'm three weeks into this schedule, so there's only nine more to go.

I had a goal to finish one degree by year's end, but now realize I will spill over into spring.

Since my parents are in their 70s and still kicking, I know that I still have time to accomplish all the things I would like to accomplish.

But in the meantime--I must keep moving...