Ah, the burn

Still feeling the love - for Spring weather, good friends and family - after a great, impromptu day out at the Nature Center yesterday.  What began with many adults and kids trekking through snowy paths with coats, hats, mittens and backpacks (full of popcorn, kumquats, homemade cookies and yummy stinky cheese) ended hours later with half of the group still hanging out in the parking lot, soaking up the sun like cats and watching the now coatless, shoeless, sockless small ones running around, reveling in the freedom and a stream of melted snow.  I think they "were" meerkats and there was much yelling of "bananas!"  In short, it was heaven.

Today, there are lightly burned cheeks, pancakes, more outside time and, hopefully, a sincere attempt at cleaning one hella-messy closet (mine).  

Here Comes the Sun

The sun has shown and the temps have risen past 30 degrees the last three days and I'm pretty sure I'm drunk on it. Even the snow - that I am proud to say I've had my longest love affair with to date but am now done with - now seems sweet and harmless. I was thinking today that it's kind of like when the house guest who has stayed too long and is beginning to smell announces they'll be leaving soon; suddenly you begin to feel fond of them again. Just knowing the snow's days are numbered has made it pretty again.

I haven't been posting very regularly so am perhaps trying to make up for it by drowning you in pictures of my (largely) domestic life. The last two months have seen us making treks to the park, cold weather be damned (or at least ignored); celebrating Valentine's Day sans Herself...a weekend that involved two trips to the ER after my husband smashed his foot at work...also a weekend in which my mom reminded me who is really the Ass Kicker in the crafting dept. as Kate - recently infatuated with Chinese New Year celebrating - arrived home with homemade banners, "fireworks", headdresses and ginger cookies in the shape of lanterns, fans and (see pic.) dragon heads; doing lots of snow-day creating and generally getting good and dirty; trying my hand making Kimchee (and still too chicken to try it myself); trying to rev up a logo design business while She Who Does Not Get Cold Inside Ever plays in the sink; baking bread and baking more bread and eating my weight in it; thrifting and occasionally finding cool things like a vintage French coloring book; changing our clothes 27 times a day and making magazine flowers for friends. We've also been sick and cranky and broke but, in all, I'd say we've done well. That could just be the sun talking, though.