At some seasons, a heating pad or hot water bottle to keep feet warm under a desk suffices.

We have rented a little country house and garage/pottery studio-to-be! About 10 minutes from both our fav cafe and the raccoon rehabber whom we visited on Sunday. We have a number of friends in the area and look forward to spending some time in the woods. So I am spending some time sorting out things to take this Friday - towels, bedding, an air mattress, a couple chairs. Rain predicted for tomorrow so it will be what fits in my car, which I will load tomorrow morning.

This will, gradually, help clear out the backyard shed so I can take it down, hopefully by May. There is still about a foot of snow in the backyard and we cannot open the gate to the street so only moving things which can easily come through the house.

Also made a gallon of chili yesterday, froze three qts. It has become a staple.

Today I talked on phone with a good friend at a distance for over 30 minutes and then, a long conversation, with my son who will by 48 tomorrow. (He says 28! Is this a stage some people go through!) He is in process of cataloging, on computer, "about 7000 photos". If I bring him the albums, he will scan and catalogue them also!!!!!

Also had long talks with a couple other distant friends this week.

I understand that the reason 1 April is April Fool's Day is because it used to be the first day of the year under the old calendar. Those who insisted on continuing to view it as such were "fools". To me, it makes more sense as the New Year's Day; the world is finally reviving from the long winter! We have mostly above freezing weather this week. Maybe the backyard will melt and I will start to see signs of all the planting I did last year. The tiny, very sunny, front is starting to look alive.

See you next month!