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I slept in this morning..all the way to 7:15 am and took my liesurely time getting down to the coffee pot to turn it on and to the wood stove to stir the embers and fill it with fresh wood. Tabitha went out immediately and has been going in and out for the past hour. She is in and out, in and out..not being able to make peace with the fact it is snowing and cold out there is my guess. I could certainly use a cat flap for her, but since I don't have a dog, critters I would not invite into the house would surely also use it. So I get my exercise hopping up and down to the glass sliding door to let her in and out, each time of course, being an emergency in Tabitha's mind. We won't get much snow this morning, but it is on its way eventually in a few weeks, if past years are any indication.

The grass is still green, but thatched and patched with brown and tan grasses from the fall's freezes. Last night was well below freezing and tonight is calling for a low of 19, and tomorrow night a low of 16. The pastures are empty of Holsteins but full of deer. Flocks of wild turkeys occasionally pass through. The pond seems quiet for the most part. The stillness is almost a foreboding forecast of the blankets of white to come, as if nature is already prepared for the long siege of winter. I'm grateful for the merry and comforting creaking of the wood stove, broadcasting its heat out into the room. The little convection fan on the top of the stove, hums away too.

I worked in the studio yesterday for only a short time. The gas heater needed to be turned up to get up to the studio area and it takes a while. My thumbs are already complaining about loading wood, so I'm probably going to rely more on oil and gas this winter than I had hoped. I am waiting on the way to open up before me, to show me what wisdom I need to employ to solve this problem. Heat is an issue in Vermont that is commonly on everybody's mind that lives here. Sometimes I think I over think things..but that is the way I am. I'm usually pro-active and sometimes that becomes a waste of energy and time. It may be better just to let things be and see what happens instead....Turn the heat up, and just live with it. My hands available in the studio are more important.

Tabitha is laying across my arms while I type. Sometimes she glances around and appears to be gazing at the computer screen. This comfy position will not last long. When she gets sufficiently warmed up after her forays to the great outdoors, she will probably move on. She usually is very interested in my lap when her paws are quite chilled. Her next post is often the big fluffy down quilt on my bed, in which she plops herself and is enveloped. She sometimes gets there before I have a chance to make my bed, on those days I don't make it as soon as I get up...which is most days. So as I predicted, she has just moved on. This signals a second cup of coffee for me and perhaps getting dressed and making that bed. I will go immediately to the studio today and work, as this afternoon I have a dentist appointment. I hate going. To keep my parts working at this point in my life is very important, as I am interested in living a long time. I love life and all it has to offer in every nuanced way it comes at me. I even appreciate the aging part, as it has shown me so much I hadn't thought of before. And it is so common that I feel this way! How many of us, realize so much more as time goes by? And HOW we wish we had had an inkling so much sooner! I realize that the time grows ever shorter for me, but isn't that the way of life? From the moment we are conceived we are on our way to dying! And yet, like snowflakes and crystals, each one of us is a work of art, never to be repeated, our identity fully intact, no matter how many milleniums there be in infinity.

The value of each of us makes the whole (like a blanket of snow!). Appreciating each other and supporting each other is key. Every man for himself is not a principle that works for the success of the species lol! Fear of lack of one thing or another, drives this sad scenario. Working together, is the way we make the whole work AND for our individual success. We are a human family. Yet, we have individual responsibilities. And living up to them is what makes our society work for everyone. Everyone is not capable of this..and it is why often one half takes care of the other half so that all of us are ok. To do this, should not incite resentment in us..it has always been this way. Those unable are not undeserving. Each has their purpose. I'm not exactly clear about why I'm prattling on about this. Perhaps it's the notion of compassion so many are missing right now, and the purpose of compassion and empathy in keeping the human race upright. We need to hold fast to these at this time..or at anytime..if we are to feed the children instead of dropping bombs. If we are to have peace on earth, it is a must. The season is upon us, as the snow blankets the earth again. Perhaps it is the little bit of snow this morning that has brought this on!