what a difference a day makes



I am writing this blog post in bits and pieces when I get a chance.  We just had world's longest staycation with the boys.  My brother wrote me a "happy back to school day note," and boy, I felt like celebrating!  I am so grateful for preschool that it hurts. :)

A few notes from our cold cold last few days.  On Sunday, a friend babysat and we went out to eat after the boys went to bed and walked too far in the cold (my idea) and I seem to have a bit of frost nip on my ear. It is red and hot and hurts, but is not white or blistery, so I don't think I will lose my ear or anything. However, no earrings at this time. Just the idea hurt.

Monday was another weird ordeal: here is the summary from a note I wrote to my brother.

We are under an extreme weather warning, with temperatures between -35F and with windchill, -50.

We had a very tough morning.  The professor's car didn't start (at all) so he heated up mine and we got the boys into it. I went with the professor to preschool as I thought I'd have to drive him to the university (first lecture of the term at midday)

Then, a guy yelled to us as we left preschool that one of our tires was flat. It was.

Three gas stations later, we realized all the outdoor air pumps were frozen and would not work.

We stopped at a tire place, where the professor dropped me off with the car and he went off to find a bus to the university.

I sat there for 2 hours, but now our tire is fixed, and I can pick up the boys.

I hope he made it to lecture on time.

Did I say it was -50F with the windchill?

Oh, and we forgot to turn on the slow cooker last night, so the oatmeal didn't cook for breakfast. I turned it on and it is cooked now.

I am eating it now. It is hot. Hot is good.

(That was just before noon yesterday.) Picking up the boys at school was again hard, and they both fell asleep in their snow suits in the car, and I had to carry them in one at a time and lay them like mummies on the rug in the kitchen and take off their outdoor clothes there. I could not risk leaving anyone outside very long, obviously.I was dripping with sweat just getting them out of school and into the house....

Anyhow, today, I have had a whole morning indoors, mostly on my own, and have made a full meal for tonight.  (rice, chicken, salad, the works.) The silence is blissful.  I have two things to share.
Remember this post?  I am posting a photo of the sweater again as I have remade it.
I never wore it as this deep v-neck with a zipper and a shawl tie.  It didn't work.  The sweater was too heavy and yet freezing around the neck.
So....
I took the zipper out and sewed up the front.  I transformed the deep shawl collar into a high one, which can be buttoned up like a turtleneck if necessary.  The following snapshot (lopsided? sideways? no, finally corrected!) shows how loved it is now.  I wear it often.  It is warm, soft, bulky handspun that is getting pilled and loved and spilled on with use.  Finally--this is how a sweater should be. :)

Also, today, I managed to have lunch.  It is an open faced ricotta/cream cheese/chutney/eggplant salad sandwich.  Again, is this upside down or something?!
(It tasted great though)

OK--for anyone who is checking this a second time, I have finally fixed the photos so that they are right side up.  Took several tries.  I think it is possible I am not quite done with being upside down and ice cold yet. :)