Four letter swear word

SNOW.  It snowed last night.  It is only about an inch, but I was so over the winter, so encouraged by the daffodils and crocuses peaking out of the ground.  It should be gone by tomorrow, but today it is just a bitter reminder of this past winter.  I want spring, dammit!

We drove to visit my uncle and aunt on Wednesday.  My aunt is slipping away, physically and mentally, and it is heartbreaking to watch it happen.  Soon my uncle will be unable to cope, and it will mean moving her out of their house.  They have already shut off the upstairs, and live exclusively in the LR, DR, and kitchen.  My aunt was an English teacher at the local high school, and for all of those years she had students and former students dropping by to shoot the breeze with them.  They don't come anymore; just visitors from their church, and a couple of neighbors.  A sad situation all around.  She is in pretty good spirits, although her train of thought is a little unreliable.  I will miss her so.

I got an email from a good friend in Virginia today.  She moved away two years ago, and I miss her still also.  She is very busy with her family and her career, so she doesn't have much time to answer emails these days.  I try not to answer too quickly, putting pressure on her to respond.  I don't think she reads my blog any more, so I can grumble away here without hurting her feelings.  I keep hoping she will move back, but it doesn't sound like a possibility for now.  

I bought a box of disposable gloves to use in here when I fiddle with my fountain pens, one of my better ideas.  Bad enough that the ink stains my fingers, but it gets under my nails where it is nearly impossible to remove.  I read in a fashion magazine (don't as me why I am subscribed to In Style) that the trendy look for nails is dark colors that then are wiped back with remover, to give the appearance of worn off polish.  Heck, I have worn this for years; that is why I sport a french manicure all the time now, so it doesn't look chipped or worn off.  Trend setter, that's me.  I wonder when the fashionistas will follow me in the makeup free face?  No time soon, I'd guess.

Bumper sticker for the day:  "The last time I reached for the stars I pulled a muscle."

Unwanted wildlife

I'm all over finding these furry wild animals appealing   Today we found one of these in the horse stall (luckily the horses were outside and not in the barn).  C tried to shoo it out with a broom, but it kept hissing at him and sidling around to go into the yard.  The dogs went berserk, and as soon as it got in the yard they went for it.  Both dogs (Newfys) got bitten, but the coon got shot by DH.  A call to: the vet; the police; the DNR, as we feel the coon was rabid, to be so bold and aggressive in the day time, and so the dogs went to the vet for a rabies booster.  $200.  Because it was shot in the head, no autopsy is possible, but the assumption is that it was rabid, and so we washed all the blood, etc., with bleach.  And will keep a sharp eye on the dogs for the next two weeks.  Vicious damn animal.  It has been bagged for pickup tomorrow.

Up until then it had been a nice day, sunny and cool, and lots of birds at the feeders.  All the barn has been cleaned, and the laundry is all done, and some knitting is underway.  I think that's it for today, yes?

Bumper sticker for the day:  "I like poetry, long walks on the beach and poking dead things with a stick."

Forgot to post a title...

I went to the ophthalmologist on Monday and as I expected my cataracts are blocking a lot of my vision.  I will have surgery on the left one next month, I have heard it is no big deal, and I am "focused" on that (ho ho).  It will be so great to be able to see clearly again.  Having cataracts, for me, is like seeing through my glasses when they are heavily fingerprinted.  And at night the lights are all starry, not so great for driving, or even riding in a car.  I know there is a small chance of complications, but I am willing to risk it.

I finally changed out the Christmas wreath on the door for the tulip and daffodil one.  And the wind sock went from the snowman to the Easter bunny one.  Now if the weather will continue to cooperate;  March snowfalls are not unknown here.  N saw the first robin yesterday, the first one of the (dare I say it?) spring.

I missed St. Patrick's day this year.  I didn't leave the house that day, so there would not have been anyone to appreciate my greenery.   Years ago, in a microbiology lab, the graduate asst. said, "anyone wearing green today gets 5 extra points on their lab."  I replied, "What am I offered for a pair of slightly worn green socks?"  I was dressed head to toe with green, myself.  No one took me up on it, although I did get a few scowls.  Maybe microbiology attracts grumpy students.  I enjoyed the med tech classes, myself.  Although parasitology taught me to never go to third world countries.  Or if I did go, to never eat or drink anything, never go barefoot, and always to sleep with the windows closed...

When I worked in the physiology lab, my boss was this British woman (who went off her meds frequently, but that's another story).  She went to a scientific meeting in St. Petersburg (Russia).  All the attendees had been told to only drink bottled water while they were there.  But what she found out, later, was that the vendors outside the conference area were refilling bottles in local water and putting on a new cap.  She came home with a Giardia infection, no fun at all.  Usually only occurs here in people who drink "wild" water, from a spring or stream contaminated with wild animal waste.  Myself, I'd rather drink from previously boiled water.  Right out of the saucepan.  Still hot.

Bumper sticker for the day, "Dear Algebra,  Stop asking me to find your X.  She's not coming back."

Pi day

It's pi day!  For those who can't remember high school math, that's 3.1415 and if you are compulsive, that value goes on and on, you could post at 9:26 to get 3 more decimal points.  Me, not so much.  Happy pi day!

Nothing new today, doing laundry and cleaning up the kitchen.  Thank the gods of invention for the washing machine and the dishwasher.  I remember the early days of our marriage, when laundry meant hauling stuff to the apartment laundry room, and staying there with it until it was done, then hauling it all back home.  And dishwashers!  Is there any appliance more valued?  I HATE to wash dishes, I used to swap chores with my sister, if she would take my turn at the dishes, then I did all the rest of her chores (sweep, trash out, yes and laundry too).  When married, we only had the bare minimum of kitchen stuff, 2 plates, one saucepan and one skillet and so on, it wasn't like I could postpone dish washing indefinitely, tho I tried.  The first thing we bought on time was a dishwasher, a Kenmore, it was an absolute work horse.  I have a Kenmore now, and tho it has many more bells and whistles, it still does a dynamite job on the dishes, pots and pans.  That first dishwasher lasted through two moves and zillions of loads.  We have been married 45 years in June, I doubt I would have lasted if I had had to hand wash everything!

The horses have finally been able to get out of the barn for a while.  Blankets off, they carried on a bit when turned out, but nothing too wild, thank goodness.  We have begun giving the older of the two "bute" or the equivalent of horse aspirin, to make him more comfortable as his arthritis progresses.  It's too soon to tell if it is helping, but I've had good results with other geriatric horses.  And if they can get more outside time, they will be happier, I know.

I hope we are all through with below freezing temps, slick roads and treacherous driveways. We are so very tired of trying to keep the steps and the front landing clear, and I am tired of all the mud and snow dirt being tracked in.  For a while we had an indoor-outdoor rug on the landing, but the cats decided it made a dandy place to relieve themselves, so it was back to tile which can be mopped.  Frequently.  What this house needs is a mud room, to leave the groady boots in.

Well this has been one topic after another of cleaning woes.  I chalk it up to spring cleaning fever, but all 6 of you readers are bored to death I am sure.  Therefore, I will end this, and hope that life is treating all of you kindly and that we all will be glad for spring SOON.

Bumper sticker for the day:  "Irony - the opposite of wrinkly."