Eleven Things that are Pulling Me out of the Winter Doldrums

Jan 27

Written By

1. If I didn't already love Kevin Gordon, I would now because his music, and his lovely company, kicked me out of the January doldrums.

2. I got the teensiest bit of snow yesterday---just enough to make me happy.

3. Owen has gotten rid of his dreadlocked head and I can enjoy his beautiful hair.

4. Leo vacillates between sullen teen that doesn't want to brush his hair and the sweet, sweet boy he really is, and the sweet boy usually wins out.

5. Owen and Ernie are working on cleaning out the basement. There are billions of boxes of things and they have brought up some wonderful things. The business card carrier my Dad used, with his initials on it, a Ford key with the South Portland dealer's name on the key chain that must have been my grandfather's and a Christmas list of mine from when I was a kid. What I will do with these things I don't know, but I'm doing relatively good on most things. My sister Judi's junior high diploma? In the trash. Woo-hooo Cynthia! Uh, but yeah, I kept the other things....

6. They also bought up a box of books on antiques that had been my parents. Many are duplicates of mine so I think I'm going to put together an eBay store and list them. Nothing will go for much money but I'd just as soon that they go to someone who actually wants them. Maybe we'll list a few other things too. $20 here and there would certainly help.

7. When I got home from work last night I could smell the yeast from the pizza dough throughout the house. Mind you I was pissed as hell at the boys at that moment, but it still smelled good.

8. With said pizza dough we made a ridiculously good pizza. Our regular pizza dough but I rolled it out thinner than usual. I put a base of the leftover basil-tarragon-pecan pesto on it, then a bit of tomato sauce, a bit of shredded mozzarella--but not too much, and then some slices of good pepperoni. My new oven crisps things much better too so I guess it was a combination of all of the above but it was absolutely wonderful. Inspired me!

9. Tonight I'm making risotto with homemade chicken broth. I had been going to top it with a dollop of the leftover pesto. That's gone so I'll have to come up with something else. Suggestions?

10. Radney freaking Foster is coming to our house in less than a month.

11. Last night when I went up to bed I stuck my head in Leo's room and got a sweet smile and good night from him. I crossed the hall and tapped on Owen's door. I stuck my head in and found him lying in the dark listening to the Beach Boys. I told him good night and he nodded. A few moments later he popped up in our bedroom and said he knew it was late but was it o.k. if he listened to Sinatra for a while. What's a mother to say? I tried to read for a bit but couldn't focus so I curled up next to Ernie and drifted off to the sounds of My Way.

And there you have it. Eleven things that are pulling me out of the winter doldrums. Thank you Kevin Gordon for the kickstart!

Here is my list. The page numbers refer to the Sears catalogue. This was the year I got Dancerina!