Snowy Day

Tonight I am tired. The snow and bone-chilling cold are taking their toll, and I want nothing more than to curl up with a mug of hot chocolate and a book. Actually I don't know if I even have the energy for that.  A snooze under mounds of quilts might be just the thing for me.

The photo above shows the best part of my day. I spent the morning reading in the library, alternating between stuff for class and Farm City by Novella Carpenter. I've been on the waiting list at the public library for Farm City for months, but yesterday I saw it sitting on a shelf in the university library. I scooped it up and, oh my, it's such an enthralling memoir about urban farming. I'll be the first to admit that I'm a sucker for this kind of book--for some reason I just love reading about food and farming. But, Novella Carpenter writes about her experiences squat-gardening in Oakland in such a captivating way that I'd recommend this book even to people who aren't enamored with food writing. I have a feeling I'll be sneak-reading this book lots in the next few days.

I'm also working on another crocheted hat--one with bobbles! It looks so strange and pretty. I've accidentally gone slightly off pattern, but instead of starting over, I keep thinking I can just fudge my way through. Crochet is a fairly forgiving craft, so we'll see if I can fake my way.

  

This was the view from my crafting/reading perch today. Doesn't everything look so lovely? White, crisp, and cold...

Here's the same statue up close, taken in the blue of twilight.* It's a beautiful piece of art, but I seriously wanted to give this lady a sweater today. I did see a man, a real live person, walking around campus in a t-shirt and shorts. Brr...it makes me cold just thinking about it.

I hope you are staying warm and keeping your spirits up during this cold snap.**

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*For some reason, thinking of the blue twilight tonight reminded me of a short story I once read. In it, Angela Carter described this dark light as the "crepuscular gloaming." It's a beautiful, rich description that has stuck with me ever since.

**More word nerdiness--I like saying cold snap because it brings back a rush of winter memories from childhood--the cold snap of icicles as my mittened hands broke them from low eaves and the crunch of snow beneath my boots. Very satisfying sounds.