Thursday, December 4, 2008

Small Joys


Why is it that the smallest thing
can suddenly lift my spirits?

I went out to unpeg the laundry from the clotheslines -
it's 19F and supposed to get down to single digits tonight.

As I started taking the laundry from the line
in the still and frosty air,
I looked up.
The sky was soft with dusky colors,
the quarter moon was shining,
and my heart lifted.

I would love to be able to bottle that feeling
and take deep breaths of it when I need it.

Monday, December 1, 2008

Morning, interrupted

The snowfall wasn't a surprise -
we had lots of warning about
the first major snow "event" of the season.

But the broken storm window
wasn't on my list of activities for today.


It seems a falling branch must have hit the upper storm window
with enough force to put a significant hole in it.
I didn't hear it happen,
but when I opened the blinds early this morning
before going out to shovel -
Surprise!

Thank goodness it was a first floor window and not a second.
And a storm window and not an interior one.

It took much longer to pull out all the glass than I would have imagined. I went outside armed with a ladder, a large paper bag, and heavy gloves, thinking I would just pick the pieces out one by one and drop them in the bag. But no. After the first one wouldn't budge, I went back in to get safety goggles and a hammer. After a bit of that activity, back in again for a pair of pliers.

Then, back inside the house to open the window from the inside and pick out all the broken glass pieces that had fallen between the windows. Finally removed the screen and storms.

I took the broken glass (thinking they might be able to recycle it, but no) and the empty storm window to a local glass place, who will have the window repaired later today or tomorrow at the latest.

And was greeted by Scooter.

G would have a fit if I tried to do that to Quincy.