Grateful Friday

Today I give thanks for...

Keeping warm any way possible. Winter finally arrived on our side of the lake and it's been cold and snowy as it should be in late January. This is wool weather and I'm loving it. These two furbabes don't mind it either.

My boss for brushing off my car during a snow storm the other day.

Story slams. I took Candace to her first slam this week. It wasn't the best I've heard, and yet it was a wonderful night because just being there is special. It's because I know this that I went out after a day of staying cozy inside watching the snow pile up. Downtown was abuzz too. Neil Young was in town and there was a Marquette game. There was a feeling of festivity and camaraderie in the air.

My nephew attended the concert and on his way back to Lacrosse, he hit ice, lost control of his car and plummeted down an embankment. He's okay. His car is not.

Mid-week soup parties. I made stock during the snowstorm Wednesday. It's such a cozy thing to do. Then I made a pot of chicken noodle soup. Thursday after work, I made bread and another batch of cabbage soup with farro. Jess joined us for dinner. The entire loaf was devoured, but we have lots of soup to get us through this cold snap.

                                          The winter sky. I'm sort of captivated. 

Stacks. Dani Shapiro's latest memoir was recently published and I started it. Then she was interviewed in The Times Book Review, which I love, love, love. I quickly ordered some of her recs from the library and I feel rich as Roosevelt with this stack. I've long been a Truitt fan and I'm loving  Hall's essays.

This is why:

When I was young, my language wore coats and shirts and trousers, neckties, bespoke shoes. In my lifetime as a writer I have cast off layer after layer of clothing in pursuit of nudity. I hold nothing back except transitions that might once have elaborated notes in to an essay. In a paragraph or two, my prose embodies a momentary victory over fatigue. As I write toward my nineties I shed my skin. I tell short anecdotes, I hazard an opinion, speculate, assume, and remember. Why should the nonagenarian hold back anything?

Why should anyone?

Another kind of stack. Homemade onion rings for a cold day lunch.

Top Chef. I'm hooked. It's funny too because I really don't cook or eat like that, but I'm fascinated by their knowledge and their abilities.

My writing companion. Although it's a struggle to get much done when he's purring and pawing all over me.

We've completely deChristmased. Out with the greens and in with the tulips. I bought these for a dinner party last weekend and they are still going strong.

Two new orchids too.

Dinner parties. It's such a welcoming way to spend time together.

Sunday night dinner.

Uncle Brad was our guest last weekend. The steaks were not the best. Too thin. I was glad he urged me to bake the tuna casserole I made for him to take home. We both enjoyed our mom's signature dish.

My crew. Company while I clean up. 

A very mellow weekend in our purview.