Last night I cleared out several containers in the fridge and freezer by making a batch of my "nacho mix" - can be used for tacos, burritos, nachos, etc. and it absorbed the several containers of aging but still edible cherry tomatoes, a partial can of tomato paste, the last 1/4 of a jar of chipotle salsa, finished the frozen Hatch chilis from 2021, and used up two pounds of beef chuck (the oldest vacuum sealed in 2021).

The house is dark because the insulating curtains are pulled across the back, over the sliding glass door and windows in the dining area. A few flakes are falling but no buildup. It's 14 so the faucets in the bathroom and kitchen are set to drip water all day—I put a container under each drip so if I need water I scoop it out with a cup instead of turning the faucet on and forgetting to set it back to dripping. It's a day spent in fleece pants and layers. The point is to not strain the power grid by turning up the heat. We're all a bit trepidatious after this same week in February 2021.

The dogs are back in the cave of bedding built in the kennel and the bed in my office closet. If I feel ambitious later I'll isolate Cookie in the bathroom and see if I can put her dog jacket on; once in place she likes it, but you'd think I'm trying to torture her for the reaction when I approach (and if Pepper is in the room all hell breaks loose for some reason).

How's your back doing today, Charmion? And have you used any of those blueberries? Have you found a way to use them that isn't high carb? I sometimes put them in a bowl of yogurt. I put my homemade granola on top (it's mostly nuts now, only a little bit of oatmeal in it, and I measure it out so I don't get too many carbs in a day.)