It’s cold, mighty cold. I let the dog out, made coffee then stood looking out the window as I waited for one or the other to finish. The sun is wan, barely giving any light. The breeze is slight but even slight adds to the cold. I don’t see any squirrels. I figure they are comfy in their nests. There are no birds as I need to fill the feeders again. I’ll bundle up, wear my ear muffs and my mittens then brave the cold, all for the birds. When I finally got the newspapers, the cold almost took my breath away.

I have a list of places and errands. Gracie and I need to go to the dump, one of her favorite places, but on a day like today, the dump has an arctic wind blowing across all its emptiness. I’m rethinking that chore.

The weather has me in a reading mode. Staying inside wrapped in a quilt and reading a book is about the coziest way I know to spend a winter’s day. I finished Tick Tock and The Inner Circle this week. Both were quick reads, deep thought not required. My mother always said that buying books for me was a waste as I finished them too quickly. I couldn’t help it was always my answer. Once I get hooked on a book, I read and do little else. If I have a necessary chore, I’m on it and it’s finished in a heartbeat so I can back to my book. I hate it when I’m close to the end of a book I’ve really liked.

When I was a kid, I used construction paper for all sorts of projects. Around this time, I’d be behind a closed door in my room with paper, scissors and crayons so I could make my parents their valentines. It never really took all that long to cut, fold, paste and compose, but my parents always acted as if I had given them a valuable piece of art. One year, a long while back, I made valentines for my mother and sister. I cross-stitched a heart and a Happy Valentine’s Day then used red construction paper to make my card. I cut a space then glued the cross-stitch so the message was in the space. Inside the card was just love and my name. The card didn’t really take long to make, but my mother was thrilled with a home-made card. I was proud in the same way I had been as a kid. I still keep construction paper in the house.