Yesterday, when I woke up, it was snowing. About an inch or two was on the ground. With so little snow, I could still see the underbrush in the backyard. I got my paper and settled with it and my coffee. Shortly after, I could hear sleet banging against the windows and doors. The sleet fell sideways. After a while, nothing fell, but it was bitterly cold. I stayed inside until I noticed Nala had a bag of pasta in her mouth. I went to get it, but she ran outside. I ran after her and got the pasta. She followed me back into the toasty, warm house. She went to sleep, and I got more coffee. The rain came next then the snow started again. The weather had gone full circle.

The walkway is hidden. My car is encased by icy snow. I have decided to hibernate until spring or until all that snow melts on its own. I don’t have a shovel. I do have a scraper, but I’m not in a scraping mood. It is too cold.

The day is deceptively pretty with a blue sky, white fluffy clouds and lots of sun but it is only 28˚. The high will be 31˚, but in whose world is that a high?

I am watching a black and white science fiction movie from 1953, The Magnetic Monster. I am ten again, and I’m sitting on the living room rug watching Creature Double Feature. Being young, I still have a natural suspension of disbelief.

I saw paw prints going into and out of the front yard. I didn’t recognize the pattern, and I couldn’t find the specific prints on line. Whatever made those prints was free range as I didn’t see boot or shoe prints along side the paw prints. The creature was alone.

When I was a kid, I preferred mittens. They kept my fingers warmer than gloves, and when I was really young, they were easy to put on. Gloves, on the other hand (sorry!), meant trying to get the right fingers in the right spots, and I wasn’t aways successful. I did buttons but had trouble with zippers. I couldn’t always get the two sides of my coat together. Boots were easy. The shoes were the key. I discovered that putting my shoes into my boots without my feet in them made it easy to put my boots back on at school. To my mother’s consternation, I didn’t always wear my hat.

I have nothing planned for the weekend. I can loll. I can have a sloth day.

“The weather outside is frightful.” We had maybe two inches of snow before the sleet started. I got pelted when I went to get the paper. The dogs, though, don’t seem to mind. They have been in and out a few times already. Nala ran the yard and came in with her tongue hanging. Both dogs are having their morning naps. Henry has his side of the couch while Nala is beside me curled in a ball and resting her head on my back. She is snoring. She does that.

My house is cozy and warm. I’m in my usual winter garb, my cozies: slippers, a sweatshirt and flannel pants. I did wear my boots outside, but I could have worn my slippers as the snow isn’t so high.

Today is a day to stay inside, to stay off the roads yet to be plowed. It is cold, 34˚, but the wind, a slight wind, makes it feel colder. Even when I was a kid, I would have stayed inside today. Sleet is uninviting.

I read all the classics when I was young. The saddest was Black Beauty. I only read it once. I got Little Women as a Christmas gift when I was in the fourth grade. I read Heidi and can still see the book cover in my mind’s eye. A little girl is wearing what I thought was an apron but I found out later it was a dirndl. She is standing in a green field framed by snow capped mountains, the Alps. I read all the Doctor Dolittle books. I hated Long John Silver for his duplicity. My favorite was The Wind in the Willows.

As I got older, I started reading mysteries and science fiction. The girl detectives were my favorites. The science fiction books back then had no aliens. They were mostly space ships and journeys to the stars. My imagination ran wild. I dreamed of being in space and seeing millions of bright stars.

I have no lists today, no events and no chores. My larder is filled. I have almost everything I need to survive winter’s onslaught, but a few chocolate chip cookies wouldn’t hurt.

When I woke up this morning, it was sunny but cold. Now, the sun has disappeared and it is only 29°. We are under a winter storm watch. The snow prediction for Cape Cod is 3 to 6 inches, but the snow is expected to change to rain and sleet.

I have no plans for today. Yesterday I was all over the place, five different stops. I even went to the dump with an almost empty trunk, so unlike me, but not to fear, the laundry is still in the hall so all is well with my world.

I didn’t have my first plane ride until I was in college. It was a flight from Hyannis to Boston in a prop, an Easter gift from the Easter Bunny. That single ride started it all.

I have ridden in a hot air balloon, an untethered balloon. It was a magnificent ride. We were one among several balloons taking advantage of the last of the good fall days. The ride had been postponed a couple of times because of the wind. It was a glorious morning. People still in their pajamas and robes rushed out to see us. My favorite view was of the pig farm and the scurrying pigs. We landed perfectly, basket upright. We had breakfast and toasted our perfect ride with glasses of champagne. In each glass was a pin, a replica of the balloon.

My helicopter ride was from LaGuardia to J.F.K. The copter took off straight up then whirred across the city. There was even a stewardess whose only responsibility was to make sure we were buckled. It was an amazing ride with the city close below us, but what was even more amazing was my luggage made it from Boston to LaGuardia to JFK to Ghana despite being out of my sight for an entire day.

My glider ride was out of Plymouth. The day was perfect with the brightest sun and the bluest sky. We were towed into the air by a powered plane connected to us by a rope. When we were high enough, the pilot of my glider had me release the tow rope. We soared over the ocean catching thermals. The view seemed endless. I could even see the skyline of Boston. The only sound was of the wind.

When I woke up this morning, the sun was shining and the sky was blue. I asked Google about the weather and was told it would be cloudy and rainy. Within the next ten minutes the sun disappeared, and darkening clouds covered the sky. Google was right for the meanwhile. Twenty minutes later the blue was back, and the sun was shining, but some clouds are still hanging around just to remind us of the weather prediction.

It is a warm day and already 50˚. We are on a weather seesaw. Tomorrow will be similar to today, but Thursday the temperature will drop to 33˚, and on Friday we’ll have rain and snow.

Nala watches YouTube but only boxer videos. At first I wasn’t sure, but this morning it was obvious. She was right beside me and watched boxers running and gamboling. When the scene switched, she stopped watching until the boxers came back. She doesn’t seem to enjoy Space Force so she’s napping.

Both dogs are on the couch with me. They are sleeping, one on each side of me. When I was a kid, Duke wasn’t allowed on beds or on the furniture. He was a rug dog when we were looking, but he sneaked on the couch late at night while we were all abed. Duke was a tricky dog. As for my animals, they always sleep on couches or beds. They scoff at rugs. They feel entitled.

When I was a kid, my parents told us Chinese was not for kids. We believed them. The only exotic food we ate was spaghetti, I-talian food, with the I long and emphasized. It wasn’t until we were bit older, but still kids, that we tasted Chinese. Nothing happened. I don’t know what I expected, but I didn’t expect to realize my parents told us lies so they didn’t have to share.

We ate steamers. We ate sardines. Both just seemed to be ordinary foods for us. I still like steamers, but the idea of eating sardines gives my taste buds pause, even makes me gag a bit.

The morning is lovely. It is winter warm with a bright sun and a clear blue sky. A slight breeze moves only the thinest branches of the pine trees. Earlier, the dogs were out in the yard chasing each other. Tongues were hanging out when they came back inside the house. Henry is having his morning nap. He is exhausted from running in the backyard and barking from the front door at anything moving on our street. He doesn’t discriminate.

When I was a kid, we celebrated Washington’s birthday, his actual birthday. Later, Lincoln’s birthday got in on the action. Now it is Presidents’ Day honoring all of them. My flag is waving.

This week was February vacation when I was a kid. We never went anywhere. Family vacations were summer affairs so I had to find ways to fill the week and amuse myself. If it was cold enough, I’d go ice skating. If it was warm enough, I’d ride my bike. If I was bored, I’d watch television or read in the quiet of my bedroom. This week always seemed to move quickly. School weeks never did.

Most things are out of Nala’s reach now so she is getting desperate and extending her territory. Last night, TP was all over the hall. Nala had trashed picked from the bathroom basket. This morning she chewed a pencil into tiny pieces on the door mat. She stole that from the table here in the den. Now I have to hide my pens and pencils.

My school in Ghana had a night watchman. He used to sleep with his dog beside him under a tree. He had a lit lantern and sometimes lit a small fire to keep himself warm during the harmattan. He closed the front gate when it got dark. I sometimes was in town with friends so the gate was closed when I got back to school. From outside the gate I could see the watchman sleeping, and I could hear his dog barking at me. I yelled, “Watchman, Watchman,” over and over. He never moved. Most times I ended up climbing the gate into the school. My students told me I was being ignored on purpose because he didn’t want get up. I never solved that problem. I did wonder if he let thieves in as easily especially after my house was robbed.

My dance card has a few entries this week. I have a doctor’s appointment on Wednesday. On Tuesday night is uke practice, and Wednesday morning is my lesson. We’re practicing Irish as we have a concert and a parade celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in March. The rest of my week is wide open. I’m thinking I’ll do a few odd house chores like cleaning my bedroom closet floor and polishing the silver. Notice I haven’t mentioned the laundry.

Last night was so cold I gasped for breath when I went outside. The relentless wind made it feel even colder. My car couldn’t warm up fast enough. My fingers were so cold I held them against the heater vent.

On the ride to my friend’s for dinner, I saw even more houses lit up against the darkness. In one front yard a huge fir tree was ablaze with colored Christmas bulbs. It was the brightest spot on the road. I decided I’d light my colored bulbs tonight.

Every morning my newspaper is either on the walkway or on the front step. I didn’t know who to thank for tossing my paper into the yard until this morning. I was up early and went to get my paper. I jumped when I looked up and saw an unexpected person by my car with my paper in hand. She was dressed in the brightest lime jacket with black lines. I went to chat and to thank her. In the course of our conversation she told me her age, 91. She wears a Fitbit and counts her steps. She figures she walks about two miles every day. The woman is extraordinary.

My house got TP’ed yesterday afternoon, inside. I was at my computer and was totally oblivious as to what was happening. When I got up, I saw my hall floor was covered in shredded toilet paper. My living room too had shredded toilet paper but mostly on the rug. I went upstairs to check, and my bedroom had TP on the bed and floor. As for the culprit, I knew right away Miss Nala had been enjoying herself. She had stolen a roll of paper from the bathroom counter, far back on the counter, or at least I thought so. Miss Nala made hay, so to speak, while I was otherwise occupied.

Our dog Duke was a roamer in the days before leash laws. He was the dog who followed kids to the East School and then followed us to St. Pat’s. My father would call for him, and Duke would ignore him. My father, in his fury at being ignored, would jump into his car and chase Duke. Sometimes he caught him.

Duke and his son Sam wandered all over town. Sam was a silly boxer who smiled. The two of them were marauders known around the neighborhood. One time my father had to get the two of them after a neighbor called and claimed she was being held hostage by the two dogs outside her house. They would not leave when she yelled. In her house was a dog in heat, and both Sam and Duke were hopeful for a future relationship. My father got Sam easily, but Duke was evasive. My father got apoplectic. Once Sam was captured, Duke decided to listen and got into the car. Sam was delivered to his home first. My father dropped Duke off then left immediately for work. He was running late. Duke was a wily opponent who usually won every stand-off. I have boxers with all their peculiarities because of Duke. He was the best dog.

Today is bright and beautiful. It is also cold, only 34˚. The wind is blowing but only slightly in comparison to the winds of the last few days. The dogs are out and back inside quickly. Their ears are always cold.

My dance card has one item, dinner with friends tonight and maybe a game or two. My chore list has a few more items which I have been ignoring. My laundry is still in the hall. My kitchen floor is filled with paw prints from the door, down the hall to the den. My bed is unmade. I did water my plants yesterday, my biggest achievement of the day. It was exhausting.

My den is cluttered, and that’s being kind. My collections are here: my hats, my snow globes, baskets from Ghana, my vinyl, some wind-up toys, many cookbooks in wooden boxes and some bobble heads. The couch is where the three of us spend our time. I get the middle. Each dog has a side.

When I was a kid, Saturday was sacrosanct. The morning was for eating cereal in front of the TV. The rest of the day depended on the season and the weather. A winter Saturday was often a movie matinee at the theater uptown. I loved that theater. It was special, unique. It was built in 1917 and was called The Stoneham. The ticket window was on the left wall. There was an incline to the rest of the theater. The stairs to the balcony, usually closed off with a red rope unless there were too many kids, were also on the left wall. The concession stand was at the top of the incline in the middle of the wall between the doors to the seats. In the very back seats were always kissing couples. They were the only teenagers at the matinee. The front of the theater had a stage. When my mother was young, there were giveaways like dishes. One Saturday I saw The Wizard of Oz for the first time. I clapped when it turned to color. Al and his wife owned and ran the theater. She was at the concession stand, and he went up and down the aisles shining his flashlight at us and trying to maintain order. He always wore a jacket and a tie.

I still go to that theater, but now it is a live theater where the Greater Boston Stage Company performs six shows a year. My sister and I usually go to the Christmas play every year. The balcony is always open. Nobody throws candy anymore.

Yesterday was damp and chilly. Nala and I went to the dump then on to Agway. She thoroughly enjoyed the store, greeted everyone then tried to steal the biscuits on the counter. Nala has no shame.

Last night the wind howled, and the rain started, but it was warm. At 1 am, it was in the low 50’s. This morning the rain is still falling and the wind is still fierce. It is warm at 55˚.

When I was a kid, I loved the wind. I remember walking across the field at the foot of my street, opening my jacket, spreading out my arms and letting the wind take me, even push me so I almost had to run a bit to stay on my feet. It was exhilarating. I remember laughing the whole time.

Pine trees have shallow roots which grow straight down. My yard is filled with pine trees. After every wind storm, branches are strewn about the backyard. I made a pile after the last storm. I’m going to have add to that pile from this storm which has had gusts as high as 60 MPH. I can also see some limbs hanging, ready to fall. None are near the deck. In my front yard, three pine trees have been cut down over the years. One more is dead. It has ivy growing up its truck so I want the bottom half of the trunk saved.

In Ghana, when I saw my first baobab tree, my jaw dropped. It was the biggest, widest tree I’d ever seen. Where I lived was savannah grassland so a tree was precious. My favorite road was between Bolga where I lived and Navrongo, 22 miles north. One part of the road was tree-lined. It was utterly beautiful. I found out later they are mahogany trees and had been planted.

Many roads on the cape are dark, no streetlights. Many houses have white lights lit all year long, mine usually being one of them, but I need new lights as one or two sets no longer work. The other night I saw houses with tree trunks circled in white lights and other houses with Christmas lights glowing through the darkness.

Many roads on the Cape are dark, no streetlights. Many houses have white lights lit all year long, mine usually being one of them, but I need new lights as one or two sets no longer work. The other night I saw houses with tree trunks circled in white lights and other houses with Christmas lights glowing through the darkness. I drive slowly pass them.

The wind last night was so strong it blew down branches in the backyard. I could feel the cold from the dog door all the way down the hall to the den. When I checked, I could see the cover flapping. I shut the back door. Noises came with the wind. A branch scraped against the house. A metallic sound came from the back wall in the kitchen, the one looking on to the deck. I didn’t go out. It was far too windy. The dogs were quickly out and back.

This morning I surveyed the deck and yard. It is still quite windy, and the branches are swaying. Nala was doing her zoomies with paper in her mouth, paper stolen from my recycle bin. When I looked over the deck rail, I could see trash in my yard, empty lot in the city trash, all papers. A tall light was the sound against the house, no damage.

We have a sky full of grey clouds, a high wind warning and 51˚. Heinous chores are on my to do list. The laundry is already down here in a basket leaning against the cellar door. My bed has been stripped. A couple of trash bags are in the trunk. I guess I’ll go to the dump. Nala will come with me. She really enjoys the car ride to the dump. I don’t. Maybe if I stuck my head out the window like Nala I might enjoy the ride and the dump more.

My life has been a bit boring of late. The only interesting tidbits of activity have to do with my uke. Sunday it was a concert, Tuesday was practice and Wednesday was my lesson. The highlight of the week will be Saturday and dinner with friends, but first I have to get through Friday and the dentist who’s filling a tooth.

When I was a kid, I was seldom bored. My neighborhood was filled with kids. Our backyards were grassy with a hill in the middle separating the houses on the top from the houses on the bottom where I lived. We used to play games on the grass, games like Red Rover, Hide and Seek, Red Light, Green Light, Tag and Simon Says. We also played a freeze game whose name I don’t remember. The it person would touch us, and we’d have to freeze until another player touched us, and we could unfreeze. I don’t remember how that game ended. I’m thinking maybe when all of us were frozen. We all had roller skates, ice skates, sleds and bikes. Our sleds were wooden, our bikes had no gears and back pedal brakes, but our ice skates were classics, still the same today.

I’m still aghast and horrified. I saw an article in a magazine about the granny cart, the same cart I bought a while back. I keep it in the trunk. Granny cart? Please!!!

When I went to get the paper and yesterday’s mail earlier this morning, I gasped from the cold. I would have quick walked to the mailbox, but the street is icy. I walked gingerly. I had put deicer on my front steps, but they are slippery anyway. Right now it is 17˚. The high for the day will be 25˚.

From my den window, the day is deceivingly inviting. The sun is bright and sharp. The sky is the deepest blue and cloudless. Everything is still, even the smallest branches. The dogs come in with the coldest feeling ears and fur. Right now Nala is still out, but Henry is having his morning nap. I haven’t told him yet, but I am going to cut his nails today. Usually he doesn’t mind. I hope it is the same today.

On my hall wall is the reflection from the prism hanging on the back door window. It is beautiful. Purple and green top yellow and orange. Usually I don’t see the reflection, but I’m keeping the back door closed as I can feel the cold coming down the hall from the dog door.

In my mind’s eye, I can see myself bundled against the cold to walk to school. My winter ensemble included a hat, a winter coat with a sweater underneath, mittens, long underwear which came to my knees, socks and a scarf around my neck. When I got to school, it took a while to take off all my outside clothes while jostling for space in the crowded cloakroom.

The classroom was warm. Tall radiators were below the windows. They hissed and steamed. My classroom was crowded with kids usually numbering in the 40’s. I remember walking sideways between the desk rows as there was little room to maneuver. I remember the fourth grade when I had a back desk right in front of the windows. I’d sneak a look.

I don’t bundle much now. I usually just go from the house to the car or to the store and back again. Sometimes I just wear a sweatshirt over my flannel shirt or a light fleece on the coldest day. I don’t often wear socks or a hat or mittens, but today is so cold I’m going to bundle. My mother would be pleased.