I took my first walk of 2014 that was not a head-down-against-the-chill/cold trek from car to store or store to car. I wore a sweatshirt and an earwarmer and was comfortable. When I came back inside I immediately had to take my sweatshirt off and had some sweat in my hair. The sky was a brilliant blue and I passed a couple of people walking dogs – both dogs had their noses to the ground continuously. I think they had forgotten that the earth and smells were still there.

After I passed one house, I heard a rustling behind me but didn’t think anything about it until seconds later when a dog whacked into the back of my leg and an angry shout of a name rang out. I didn’t look back and just kept walking. Living with my own herder leads me to understand how these things happen.

I could write some routine stuff, but I’m going to be brief and just mention that Der Bingle and I drove home today with a rug sticking about two feet out the window. Come to think of it, I guess that’s better than him driving with me sticking my feet out the window.

I started painting today – Vanilla Milkshake. With a sigh, I have to say that of course, with all the poetic titles in the paint color selections, I would choose to put Vanilla Milkshake on some of my walls. Actually, it has already given more brightness and warmth to the house, even though only a bit is painted. I’m going to be doing a bit at a time because I don’t see any benefit in doing a marathon session. I don’t want to talk about it anymore.

We had rain this morning that turned to snow and back to rain, along with a 20+ mph wind. It is not a day to be outside and I have decided to start a fire in the basement and let the smell of woodsmoke remind us that the dampness is being fought. The wet, gray, creeping chill of this weather is, in some ways, more trying than bitter cold.

Ironically, spring break for East Noble begins tomorrow. Summer counted 10 days, when you include the week-ends and said, “You and me, Grandma, 10 days – together.” I am thinking about that.

I finally got in gear and found the post about the knitting shop that is related to the items in the posts below by Sue: Strandsofpurls.

AND – Here’s a picture of Cool LeRoy in his nifty sweater, followed by Wanda in a more demure poise:

Wanda wanted a post all to herself, so the clerical worker here at the Peanut Butter Cafe & Roadhouse had to make a separate entry to show you the really nifty ear warmer/ neck cowl/ all-around cozy head comforter made by Sue, Little Jody’s mother. I could link to her business card, but my clerical worker (previously mentioned) told me I could take care of the details later since she announced she was quitting – something to do with mitten-like hands and little keys.

So I will do that link – when my former clerical worker tells me my password . . . for a price.

Meanwhile, what I will be wearing today:

Thanks, Sue.

Sue was the mastermind behind LeRoy and Wanda, but you’re going to have to wait to meet LeRoy because Wanda has a bit of Miss Piggy to her – she doesn’t share the spotlight. So, without farther ado, and before I let slip any familial connections* and wind up in deep doo-doo . . . Here’s Wanda.

*When I went to transfer the photo from iphoto to desktop, the screen told me wanda.jpg already existed there and asked did I want to replace it? Without revisiting the entire post, let us just remember Summer coming out to see me laughing at a picture and telling me I was cruel and then Summer looked at it and fell onto the sofa in massive guffaws.

I stepped outside today and found a big white box filled with all sorts of Peeps and two sock monkeys – LeRoy and Wanda, and knit earwarmers AND a DVD that features FIVE movies of the outrageously mutated species ilk. That’s going to be next week-end’s watching. I’ll post pictures tomorrow.

From where cometh this box? Well, the gnome-meister himself – LZP and an accomplice.

And now, of course, we are thinking of a very special box to send out to him. Zombie gnomes, perhaps?

It’s Sunday night. I’m not in school anymore so I don’t have to face the weekly lament of “Oh, rats, I put off my homework and now I have to do it . . .” It’s amazing, however, how well I adapted procrastination to other aspects of my life.

I think I have reached some convoluted philosophical area where things turn on themselves because I believe I am actually procrastinating procrastination. I know; it shouldn’t make sense . . . but I kind of feel as if it does. Gordon Ramsay could probably summarize my mind right now.

I don’t know if anyone remembers or if I ever said anything about it, but I bought an old Volvo for my grandson to drive around – because it is like a tank, even though it uses oil. Well, (deep breath) it was parked out front by the side hedge because I was driving it here and there last fall and early winter and then, WHOP, a lot of snow fell on it and the battery went dead and we were going to take care of it when we got rid of the first snow – but we only got more and more – and so it sat and everything froze.

Yesterday, I went out, hooked up a jump starter and she revved right up, but would only run while I was giving it gas and the battery stayed completely dead. Der Bingle went and got a new battery, figuring that the alternator just couldn’t be bad and then he drove to Jiffy Lube only he didn’t make it because, gee, two tires went flat. There was no jack in the Volvo and Der Bingle’s car was parked behind mine and I didn’t have any keys. So, we got in touch with Robert, who had taken Alison to the doctor because she either has an ulcer or pancreatitis, and he came by and got the jack out of his dad’s car (because I could get in the trunk) and took it over to him. Then Der Bingle called to say Robert was coming back for WD-40; I stood in the middle of the street in the yellow striping and handed it off as Robert drove by.

The lug nuts were on there so tight he still couldn’t get them off and another man stopped and couldn’t so someone from a nearby garage came down with a long cranking bar that he jumped up and down on and finally they got the tire off. The garage had no tires to fit the Volvo so Der Bingle is sitting out at Wal-Mart waiting for two new tires to be put on. Then he may go to Jiffy Lube . . . that is if the alternator is charging the battery.

While I was in the street for the WD-40 hand-off, the neighbor called over to ask if we wanted to sell it. You know, considering we have now put more money into it than I paid for it, I am thinking about it. I figure my grandson will have to run into a big, big tree and have the car save his life – because it is a tank – to justify this turmoil.

Probably to be continued.

I walked outside this morning in the dark and there it was – snow. Not much, but snow. Again. Yesterday I lost and retrieved my iphone – in Fort Wayne – and did hand-to-hand combat with an overgrown grape vine. It was not real warm, but good weather for tugging on vines.

Last night the forecast said it would be 57 today – and it still may be. However, right now, there is snow. Normally, snow in March doesn’t faze me; a bit of snow in April is annoying but not a surprise. This morning, though, I walked out and I believe my jaw actually dropped down. This winter has cliched me.