The Coldest Day of the Year

It barely made it above freezing yesterday, which is unusual for our part of the country. They count it by hours. Some fifty odd hours of below freezing temps. Folks just east, where the snow still sits upon the ground have seen seventy some hours of below freezing.

I am thankful it is dry. The streets are dry. So, I was able to venture out and drop off bills needing to be mailed yesterday. And purchase some birdseed.

My cough is almost gone. But, when a friend called yesterday, she asked to speak to Joyce Williamson, because my croaky voice was not one she recognized.

Gotta be careful how I word things around here. When I asked from the deep recess of the covers this morning, "how about some coffee"? Bob assumed I'd be getting up and making some. ha. How I should have worded it: "Will you be making some super strong coffee for your old woman this morning??"

or: "Would you be so kind as to start the coffee??"
or: "Hebrews! Hebrews!"

Quilts are effective lap robes in front of a fan! Our computer gets hot, and shuts down, so we set a fan going on it. Feels good most months of the year. Not so much now. I have tried wearing a couple of layers. But, this lap quilt my sister found in china somewhere actually works almost tooo good. Amazing how quilts hold that pocket of warmth. Gotta get me some more quilts.

Our middle son is winging his way home for R&R. A helo ride to an airport somewhere in A-stan, to a flight to Germany or Kuwait...then DFW. Can't wait. He may catch a flight directly to his waiting wife and home. Or, if we can get him there quicker, we will. We are ready, willing, and able.

Bob has Monday off for MLK. For years, it was a floating holiday, and even some colleges celebrate it, some don't. If James is "home" then we could drive up for a quick lunch and hug or something. We will see. Or Bob may be busy on the kitchen tile project. All set to go there. Found these tiny glass tiles with copper swirls in them. At first, just tiling the back of the stovetop was the goal. But, why not the whole space under the cupboards? And above the trashcan as a backboard for the ones who see a trashcan as a basketball goal?? Or, I could just repaint the stain, and put a poster up there. I suggested putting the glass tiles on the wooden window sill as that is where I place my candle holder collection, but I was laughed at. And I was told that I would not like it. It is no fun being told what one will and will not like.

I have set the packages of tile (still in their plastic wrap) around the edges to get a feel for what it will look like. It is gonna be one dark dungeon kitchen. With bright canary yellow cupboards. We painted the cupboards thirty years ago when we moved in. I kid you not. I love yellow, and it was a reaction to the parade of neutral apartments we had lived in until that point in time when that firstborn needed a yard. It is time to paint them again, as some cracks have appeared above the stove. (needs a vent hood to the roof and outside) Ben suggested taking the doors off, which I would love, but things would get dusty. Maybe we could just be slow to put the doors back...

Home remodelling consists of jobs regetting jobs. Paint this room, and that room now looks dingy. Paint the kitchen, now the cupboards look wanting.

And to find that balance of upkeep and safety versus insular rearranging chairs on the Titanic. $200 on tiles better spent sent to missionaries?