The Ciel Show

By Ciel - About Me - E-mail this page - Add to My Favorites - Add to Blog List - See other blogs in Journal

Thursday, December 22, 2022

Winter comes calling

The most local weather station reports -10F at 7am, with windchill of -27. A couple of inches of snow have accumulated, and the wind has died down to ~8mph. By the front door, inside, there is a cute little drift of snow. I looked through the window downstairs, but can't see if anyone found shelter in our little critter haven last night. Inside, it's warm and bright, and will be unless the power goes out. Predicted high today is 4. I am not sure what yet, but something is going into the oven... Sign in to see full entry.

Wednesday, December 21, 2022

And here it comes...

The wind is kicking up outside, and there has been the occasional rumble of trash bins dancing down the street. The weather station says it's only 8mph but I don't believe them. And it is going to get stronger towards midnight as the temps drop and the windchill takes them to below-zeros. While I was in post-big-lunch stupor, Charlie walled in the area under my back porch with tarps on two sides, and made three of the kitty shelters and tucked them in there. There's some kibble also placed there... Sign in to see full entry.

Hunkering down...

Alexa tells me the temperature will get up to 50F today, -11 tonight, without considering wind-chill. And there will be wind. I hear the wind already. Today we will be making the community critter shelters. It took quite a lot more time and mileage to find a bale of straw for that purpose than I'd expected. We finally got one of the last two bales at a farm store about 20 miles south of here. After other errands it was too dark to make them, so they'll be put together later today. They will be... Sign in to see full entry.

Monday, December 19, 2022

Countdown, relaxed version...

There's nothing like cutting down stress anxiety for the holidays! With this in mind, some years ago we stopped stressing over hitting the date straight on, and began to aim for New Year's because that's a great day for giving gifts, and the week between the 25th and 1st is still ringing with celebration and the magic of the season. So today I am not breaking anything--records or bones or promises--to get the last several packages in the mail. Once they're boxed up, we'll take those packages to... Sign in to see full entry.

Sunday, December 18, 2022

Suddenly a week before Christmas

We've made it to Sunday and it's of temps over 40F! That's balmy weather after the negative feels-like temps we have been having over the past week or so. It was another wake-early, take pre-breakfast meds, wait at least 30 minutes have breakfast... go back to bed. I am up again now after adding a couple more hours to my 5-hour night sleep, and feeling almost lively. Awake, anyway! Getting to sleep even when I'm sleepy can be a problem. Staying asleep, likewise. I don't fight it anymore, when... Sign in to see full entry.

Thursday, December 15, 2022

Thursday: Snow and Funnies

Here it is 4pm and I'm back from shopping at the crafts store and the grocery store. I got frames for some new art for the China Wall at Michael's, and eggs and stuff at the grocery store. Sometime in there, little flakes appeared in the air--and by the time we got home, it was positively snowing! It looks like we will have an almost noticeable amount this time, and there's no chance of a thaw for several day. Now I am sitting with lunch or afternoon snack or something, and watching The Thin Man... Sign in to see full entry.

Tuesday, December 13, 2022

Not as predicted...

It's cold for real out there, but the great winter storm has not landed here in the Springs. There's some white around, but most of it seems to have blown away. The sky is light and friendly, even benign, and though the winter storm warning is on for another several hours, I am... skeptical. Pixiechops weighed in today: She is now a 10lb cat! That's maybe a pound or two more than ideal, but she does like her food! She tells me about it stridently any time I go to the kitchen, especially when I... Sign in to see full entry.

Monday, December 12, 2022

Just in time...

After sleeping through the night and not getting up until nearly 7am, when I came out of my room to turn up the heat, there on the horizon was a low hanging layer of cloud lit at the bottom like a brilliant bonfire! Above, the cloud was bright pink and above that, a layer of grey, and then the sky in its soft morning blue. So pretty! And a moment later, there was only grey. If I'd dawdled just a couple of minutes longer in bed, I'd have missed it altogether. To the west, the pale blue sky... Sign in to see full entry.

Sunday, December 11, 2022

Things are making cry this morning.

It started with a video of an elderly, wheelchair-bound ballerina who suffered from Alzheimer's. Listening to the music of Swan Lake, her arms began to dance... so lovely and graceful and heart-breaking, as she danced with such grace in her hands, arm, and face! ballerina alzheimer's swan lake at DuckDuckGo Then--and I have seen this one before: a flashmob performing Beethoven's Ode to Joy! It always brings tears for its beauty and for the wonderful experience of the audience receiving this... Sign in to see full entry.

Friday, December 9, 2022

December Friday

This is the month when I both worry over and fail to notice how fast the days are passing, how many birthdays need attention and mailings, how far, then near the 25th is... And suddenly, it's going to be New Year's...! This year I refuse to be intimidated by it all. The main thing is to really not stress over the timings. I am responsible for no one's entire birthday, Christmas, or any special day. And when presents arrive, they are always as welcome as they'd be on The Day. So, no stressing... Sign in to see full entry.

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