Snowy tracks

I owe all of y'all a blog post. It seems like there's a lot to say, but a great deal of it isn't blog-public, so I'll go with a bit of what's happening here. One important thing is how very helpful your comments were on the "about the author" section of my book. I wrote it, the editors think it's just fine, but your comments made me feel confident about it. It's hard to put yourself on display in this way, on what might be a book's cover, and when anyone does it, they mostly need a pat on the back. I needed a reminder that, like Mr. Rogers, you like me, just the way I am. Thanks for that!

You'll note the lack of a photo here. Instead, focus on the white backdrop of this post. This here commemorates the five inches of snow that fell Friday night and Saturday on south-central Kentucky. This is the most snow I've seen here since moving to town five years ago. I thoroughly enjoyed it, the dogs played and romped, and now, as of Sunday night, there's almost nothing left. The short conclusion I've come to is that I miss snow and truly wish I could see more of it. The professor knows this, and he's working on it. Luckily, writers have portable worklives. Have computer and desk, will travel.

The professor was off on a trip, giving talks at a couple other universities. On Friday I was supposed to drive to Nashville -140 miles or more, round trip-, but cancelled because of the storm that was coming. I have a lovely all-wheel drive car, purchased in Buffalo, a fair amount of winter driving experience in upstate New York, and no, I didn't want to cope with everyone else's crazy accidents. The highway doesn't have a lot of exits, imagine being stuck in a 20 mile long traffic jam because someone's not a good snow driver, or skidded on some ice. 'Nuff said. I'm going on Tuesday instead.

So, Friday night, I invited over one of my favorite Norwegian Bachelor Farmer friends (OK, he's really a biologist, but otherwise, he grew up in the Midwest) for dinner with the dogs and me. This moniker's from A Prairie Home Companion , a great radio show, if you don't know the cultural reference. Anyhow, this guy is always happy for a homecooked meal so after potato leek soup, some salad, homemade bread and peach jam, and pear streusel for dessert, we looked outside and it was finally snowing in earnest. John moseyed on home, and I watched the dogs pop dog wheelies and skid in delight. Truly fun. Almost as much fun as doing snow angels, but I reserve snow angels for deep snow, and we never really got that here... but the joy and the snowflakes were enough.

On the knitting front, I'm working on a pattern for someone else's book! It's got polka dots in it, but of course, no photos, this project's a secret for now. I'm enjoying it, which is good, because it's due to the editor pretty darn soon.

I got to go to dinner at a friend's house on Saturday...and eventually, at 2:30 or 3 AM, the professor made his way home, very weary, from the airport. Snow delays airplanes, alas, and the poor man is leaving again tomorrow morning.

Today I got to spin with some friends at our monthly spinning group, and the professor took me out for sushi. There now. I have mentioned a variety of very cheerful things here! I am shielding you, purposely, from transitions, all potentially positive, that I am anxious about, here at Chez Seiff. Hopefully they go away--poof! like a dandelion head, and then it will be easy to tell you. For now, I'll just worry (and yes, I find worry is productive for me!) and work it out.

Instead, please imagine Harry the dog's feathery footprints as he marched through the snow, licking this novel confection from the ground as he goes...and Sally's enormous clear track beside his, making her look like a giant instead of a lovely 40 lb pointer girl with big feet. There now. That memory of those tracks? makes me smile.