Calm After The Storm

Were it not for hail still on the ground, wet grass, and the ice still in Bessie's pool at noon, one would never have known that there had been a full-blown storm the day before.  It simply was a glorious day yesterday.  Cold, yes, but warm enough to sit in the sun on the deck with Bess and bask like lizards.  After the excitement of the games and races on Sunday, the only things I had planned were 1) taking the trash down to the big road and 2) hauling a couple of wagon loads of firewood up to the porch.  Mission accomplished!  I'm at an age and stage in life where I can take pleasure in the little things, and like to portion out chores.  I no longer have the urge to get it all done in a day.

My new phone has a kind of pedometer gizmo that tells me (like I didn't know) that I average walking over a mile a day.  There are days when it feels like that mile is uphill both ways.  I was concerned that Bessie Anne was not getting enough exercise.  She's been on a diet and has lost some of her pudge, but limits the majority of her activity to moving from one nap spot to another or going out on a potty run.  A "real" walk would be good for both of us.  Yeah, and how's that working for ya?  We go out together and I head around the drive.  Bess accompanies me just so far, plops down, and says, "You go on, Mom.  I'll wait right here for you."  She makes me think of that sentence in typing class, "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog."  I head back to the house.  "Oh, good, Mom.  I knew you'd come to your senses."

It's a scientific fact that heat does not turn corners.  No matter how warm I can get the living room, heat never makes it down the hall and into the bedrooms.  That's okay by me, I sleep better in a cold room.  However, waking up clinging to the edge of the bed with not enough blankets to cover my bum, cats jammed up against my legs and the dog sleeping on half of my pillow, huffing into my face, is not my idea of a good rest.  It is an accurate indicator of how cold it has gotten during the night.  Last night was pretty darned cold.

I like the pattern Nature has gotten into with one or two stormy days a week.  We need the rain and the sun just makes us appreciate it all the more.  It was a good day.