Tidying Up

I’ve been tidying up on a Slattern Day! Egad! I undecorated the tree and my husband and I carried it to the curb in a tarp. It was raining needles. I even reorganized the ornaments in labeled boxes. I did all my year-end tax accounting. I caught up on belated Christmas cards. I cleaned out two closets and did laundry. What is happening?! Well, the going up and down stairs part has certainly kept me nice and warm. 

We had a lovely holiday woliday with family wamily and friends. I hope you did, too. 

On New Year’s Eve, we took our annual short trip to Michigan to a house in the woods where we park our car at the foot of the drive because it won’t make it up without slipping back or tipping into the ravine. It acquired about a foot of snow on top, as did the deck furniture out the window! We celebrated with old friends and young dogs. 

We used every single white card and every single black card in the Cards Against Humanity deck and laughed till we cried. We’d been drinking a champagne toast once per hour from 8:00 p.m. on but still almost forgot to turn on the tv and see the ball drop at midnight. Almost, but fortunately the kitchen clock was five minutes fast!

While it was snowing, the new issue of Arsenic Lobster came out with 2 of my Camille Claudel poems in it, “Collage” (which means glue*) and “Working Small.” It’s a wonderful issue with a wonderful introduction. Many thanks to Arsenic Lobster editor, Susan Yount, and to Jonathan Koch for Scissors, Thread, Tailor’s Tape, the painting above.

Thanks to Kristi and Alex for the New Year's pix, including pix of their dogs, Lucy and Archie.**

Happy New Year!

*I did not glue my fingers together on Christmas gifts this year.

**And the lion shall lie down with the dog.

Hmm, what's that I smell? Ah, my husband has resumed painting with paint thinner..., so the new year may resemble the old year. 

But we might lose our awareness of that.