The better parts of winter
We have been preparing for an early arrival of winter, like most of the country. Woody covered the salad greens to protect them, also the herb bed. He has pulled all the dead tender pants and put away the pole bean teepees and the many tomato supports. We took off the screens and put on the stormdoors. Today he is replacing the screens on the sunporch with the glass windows. There’s no heat out there but it remains usable because of heat from the sun for a long time most years. Some years when we have our solstice party, it’s warm enough out there even in the evening for guests to use that room. We have put up the birdfeeders and the birds have found them, at least the chickadees, cardinals and something I haven’t had a close look at yet. Goldfinches have found the thistle feeder as well as the sunflower seeds. This is an exciting time for the cats – it’s kitty TV. I came into the upstairs bathroom to see Xena up on the sink standing upright and bashing the window because the birds were lined up in the yew outside to wait their turns at that feeder. I have the first pass of my new poetry book MADE IN DETROIT that will be out in March. First we’ve been chasing down acknowledgements for where poems were first pubished. That’s taken this week and is still not quite done. I have to add a 2nd poem into the ms. I like it a lot and my editor calls it “major.” It’ll be the last poem in the volume. I finally got the cover I wanted’ I think it will be one of the most striking of all my poetry books. I wrote a poem to go with it that’s in the first section. This week I wrote only one poem as I have been absorbed in preparations for the arctic front and in dealing with first pass problems. I’m still hauling out of the storage closet my warmer clothes and putting away summer dresses and pants. I finally found my peacoat. It’s definitely winter coat weather. Thursday a very busy day the temperature dropped 20 degrees by evening. We went out to a restaurant with friends. I had an appointment in the morning with my regular doctor. She told me to drop physical therapy until the X-rays at Beth Israel and a meeting with the surgeon who did both my new knees. It shouldn’t be so painful and it’s interfering with my normal activities. Then I had a dental appointment in the afternoon. I was sure I had a cavity as when I was on oxycodone and often nauseous, I did not take much care of my teeth. Sure enough, I have a cavity and had to make an appointment for early December. Then at six we went off to the Chamber of Commerce dinner with friends, two of whom had just returned form a vacation in Barcelona and Paris. We are jockeying around with friends about who is to bring what for Thanksgiving, that will be half the size as usual this holiday. I’ll make cranberry either sauce or relish, a rum pumpkin pie and Woody will make a big green salad. I might make an hors d’oeuvre if I can decide on something over the next couple of days.In a way, I dread the very cold weather that has just arrived and in a way, I look forward to winter. It’s always a great time to get work done and also a cozy time to be at home together, maybe with a wood fire in the fireplace. A switch to heavier heartier food. Time when friends are more available to socialize and everybody is more into it. But I miss being able to walk most days down at the pier.