Arctic Chills

The arctic chill is upon us. It is 15 degrees with a wind chill just below zero. It is brutal. I have ventured out only to collect my mother's newspaper from the box out by the road, and to grab a few pieces of firewood.

Yesterday my little friend "Vinegar" came to visit us. My "Little Guy" was happy to have another small person in the house while the girls were at school. By the time the little "flowers" went home and "the garden" was quiet, I was feeling rather poorly, like someone was squeezing my middle and sending chills, aches, and pains down my legs and across my shoulders. James, not wanting to cancel the nursing home due to weather two weeks in a row, ventured out into the snow. I stayed home, filled the tub with hot water for a long soak, and crawled into my bed at 7:17 pm. I was awakened at midnight by James climbing out of bed. The power was out and he was off to check on my mother and her oxygen supply. Good thing she has an ample supply of large tanks. Having removed her hearing aides, she was rather loud with her instructions in the middle of the night. I went back to bed and left her to James.

The power was out until about 6:am. One of the days I am truly thankful for a wood stove and the layer of dust it generates. There was no school here today, but both my mommas had to go in to work, one in a neighboring school district.

All is quiet as everyone is napping. I have given up on the one I needed so desperately. Between barking dogs and my mother, who decided to load the wood stove, I have been wakened more time that I care to count. With little carpet and mostly wood floors, this house is not conducive to quiet naps anyway. One must be thoroughly drugged to sleep here during the daylight hours... or totally alone. There have been days when I was able to sleep, unfortunately, though I am terribly tired, this is not to be one of them.

I wonder when I will have a moment to sneak off to the grocery store.