The surge of the arctic vortex briefly lifted this week giving us some mild weather.  I have been largely housebound since a layer of snow topped with granite ice from an ice storm had made going out except as far as the truck, impossible.  It was so slippery that when Woody attempted to dig out the old Volvo that has been frozen in place in a deep snowbank, he ended up skidding off the drive almost into the lower garden. AAA had to come and tow the car out.  He still hasn't been able to drive it.  We’re dependent solely on the truck.Anyhow, I was able to go out on Thursday before the rainstorm yesterday-- with thunder and lightning no less – and at least walk around the house and to the greenhouse.  It was delightful, thrilling in fact, so be outside at all and the air felt alive.  Daffodils have thrust up in spite of the snow and ice as have crocuses. in normal years the latter would have bloomed a couple of weeks ago.Most of the seedlings I started Tuesday have sprouted – 2 kinds of red cabbage, 2 kinds of broccoli, bok choi and salad bowl lettuce – not my favorite kind but takes transplanting well and promises early salads.  I plant the other 5 kinds of lettuce in six weeks straight into the soil.  Curly and Italian parsley and cilantro take longer to germinate so they’re still in the storage room.I was drafted into being on a poetry panel at The Revolutionary Moment conference at B.U. March 27-29^th.  Then the person who drafted me had to drop out for lack of funds.  B.U. is an incredibly rich university but of course this being a women’s liberation conference, nobody is being paid a penny.  So I’ve been frantically trying to get another poet or two to share the panel.  Just today I got Kate Rushin to confirm which makes me happy.  I’d still like to recruit one more poet who has been active in the women’s movement for a long time.  I’m trying to get Alta to come.Melenie printed out all the essays I had written or revised for my OUTSPOKEN AUTHOR book.  I thought I was about done.  Surprise!  Only 51 pages.  So back to work.  Bummer.  I have to get to other tasks, but it is not to be, at least not for a few more weeks.  in the meantime my Droid went wonkes and so did my printer.Tonight I’ll go out for my first foray that is not medical or veterinarian [still giving Mingus eye drops].  Over a decade ago, my friend Lisa was about to leave Wellfleet for Georgia to live near/with a boyfriend.  We had a going away party for her, but then they broke up. So the next year in early January when nothing much is going on, we had a Still Here Party for her.  It morphed into a birthday party and then into a regifting party. Now everybody brings stuff they have been given that they don’t want and anybody who wants that object takes it.  A lot of food and drink and we go home with some object we want and have gotten rid of what we didn’t.  The party is over a month late this year because Lisa’s mother seemed to be dying so Lisa went to be with her.  She recovered after a month so Lisa is back and the postponed party happens.  The delay is fine as this  year, it’s still very much winter in late February.