“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.