RAMBLINGS...sorry

It was official, on January 21st I became UN-enamored with the cold weather. I realized that like the summer sun there is no escape from the cold. There comes a point in the heat of the summer -- and in this case the cold of the winter -- where you have finally had your fill. To my delight, however, the temperature jumped closer to zero and we have had a rash of sunny days. It is fascinating how warm 5 degrees feels. I didn't have to lug my enormous winter boots around. I ditched the snow pants and the neck gator. The lock on our outside door stopped sticking. It was quite amazing really. I was talking with Denise (Paul's awesome office lady), she told me that February and March are the coldest and stormiest months. These last few warms days must be the calm before the storm.
There have been a few notable events here over the last week or two. Paul has been traveling every week. I am getting used to taking twice as much room in the bed. He was in Anchorage for a conference for 1st and 2nd year principals last week. In addition to attending two and half days of conference-y stuff he was able to power-grocery shop and get some teeth filled. After the 2nd day Paul lost the grocery list (not Paul, heavens no). Luckily I am one step ahead of that man. I think that is why we are married. I had a draft of the list that got left behind. We like to organize our lists according to what store the items are going to be at. There is a Costco list, a Walmart list, a Fred Meyer List, and a "get anywhere" list. I had the pre-itemized list. I don't think we missed anything. If we did, it was of minor importance and we'll eventually get over it. This week Paul left for Kotzebue on Wednesday. He will be back on Friday afternoon. Next week he will be back in Kotz at the beginning of the week for another round of meetings.
Some village highlights:
The kids who participated in Battle of the Books came in 2nd in the District. I am still learning about this program. I believe it is state wide. It has to do with reading -- volume and comprehension.
The middle school basketball team is playing in Buckland this weekend. Hannah and Autumn came over after getting their uniforms. They were so excited. They tried them on and made me take pictures. They put a jersey on Eloise. We had to cinch their drawstrings for their shorts nice and tight. Both girls are skinny-minnie. Even the small shorts were huge on Hannah.
One of Paul's students asked me an interesting question the other day for which I had no great answer. She asked me, "What do you do all day?" My answer was neither concise or compelling. I stay at home with Eloise. That statement does not describe the full magnitude of what I do. My days are far from dull and boring. I think that was what Bobby Sue was trying to find out when she asked me that question. I thought about what I do all day. So much of my time is wrapped up in the indefinable task of raising a toddler. I don't often have time for things that I love to do. I thought I would have fabulous amounts of time for sketching, painting, quilting, knitting, and reading. I find that those projects are still on hold and I spend the vast majority of my time doing the small things (like picking up crayons and flashcards over and over and over and over). Interestingly I have found creativity within domesticity, an unexpected by-product. I made baguettes yesterday. It was a long process, but the end result was 3 delicious loaves of crispy-on-the-outside, spongy-on-the-inside bread. In the quiet moments when Eloise naps I have taught myself how to knit various things. I even learned to cable knit. I have been reading The Picture of Dorian Gray and working through the book of John.In all of its simplicity life is not boring, it is rather fulfilling, creative, and enjoyable. Maybe it is my optimistic personality speaking, but this experiment is rare and delightful as it unfolds.