Just a Typical Michigan Winter

There was snow covering the ground in a thick, white blanket earlier this week but the streets were sloppy and the snow banks were gray. Then, after two weeks of temperatures that were in negative numbers (sometimes not including wind chill), we experienced the January thaw.

I wouldn't have believed that this would take us down to grass and pavement, but upon rising Wednesday morning I saw a back yard of wet, greenish grass. I'm sure the fraternity boys at the university were in their shorts, sitting on the roof of their house drinking beer and no doubt will be at the health center getting antibiotics next week. (And then last night the temperature dropped, the rain came and turned into pretty, clean, white snow -- which is came down fairly heavily as I typed! Today it took me an hour to go what normally takes 20 minutes and there were sirens and blinky lights everywhere. Michigan Winter.)

During the now-ended thaw. It is at times like this I wish I'd put the pumpkins farther back into the brush. When I "hid" them at the end of the season for the critters, they were behind the hostas. Looks sad, doesn't it!

In a typical Michigan winter, after the holidays, I de-decorate. The trees are down, apart from the winter trees which stay up a bit and all the Santas are stored away.

New winter decorations are coming out, including the felt skiers that are currently residing on the mantle.

To be honest, it doesn't look much like a snow bank. But I like them and I'm not sure where else to put them. So there!



The birds (and Bushy the Squirrel) are socking down feeder food like bonus night at the Golden Corral. Lizzie, of course, is amused. Only her own dinner and her frequent naps top birds in the list of "favorite things to do."

January is Get Organized Month. So, I looked at my junk drawer.

I might look at it again. Or maybe not.

I did, finally, finish Rick's scarf. Knitting doesn't come as easily as it used to -- sore fingers! I'm waiting for the tumeric that my cousin swears by to kick in and ease the aching joints. This scarf is long overdue, his other having taken the scenic route to Detroit on a sloppy, icy day three years ago, dragging outside the driver's door. He'll be careful with this one!

I took a page from Barbara Windle's beautiful blog and made a scarf wreath out of a foam wreath form and a Dollar Tree scarf, capped off with a cute pin at the knot.

Barbara's weath is somewhat different (and more lovely). I wanted something sort of rustic to fit my cottage feel and the checked pattern worked well. I wasn't sure about the knot and when I remembered the pin my friend Jane gave me, I pulled it off a sweater and added it to the wreath (and now I see it even more!) It reminds me of Gypsy and his mentor, Stimpy, the pre-Lizzie residents. And it brings a little bling to the wreath, which I liked.

Barbara's instructions and wreath are wonderful (and much more elegant) and I hope you will check it out right HERE and maybe even try one of your own.

And then there is the part of me that is heartsick. My favorite, neighborhood book store is closing. It's not that business was bad. It was just that the landlord wanted them to subdivide their store, losing the popular cafe, coupled with taxes four times more than their mall or Grand Rapids location. I went today for the first of their markdowns and it felt like being at a wake. We hugged our favorite staff (that's Dewey, below) and told them we were worried about their jobs. Strangers were coomiserating with other strangers. We are heartbroken.

And yes, I bought books. On sale. But I felt guilty about it.

Meanwhile, I head to physical therapy for that pesky arthritic knee several days a week and eagerly anticipate a trip to London, Ontario, to see our friends Suzanne and Jim and enjoy Stephen Sondheim's "Follies" as performed by England's National Theatre, live on the big screen.

I say "it's winter! (At least in this part of the world!) Go out and treat yourself. Oh, go treat yourself, no matter what time of year it is!"

How's your January faring?

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