White!

What a different season this winter is trying to be from the one we entered last year March 1.

We have had, now, several snowfalls, but none have stayed yet. Instead they get washed away by the rain, or at least they have in the past. Today, the rain is freezing and falling as sleet on top of the snow... there have been some cancellations, I hear and much talk about being careful on the roads. I am thankful that my work is only 3 miles away, knowing that we will be open no matter what. I was told that even when the power goes out after dark, we stay open as the grill runs on propane and the staff is expected to cook by flashlight. The other employees found that strange, but it makes sense to me, as we can supply those for whom electricity is their cooking fuel.

I have been hard at work getting cards made and ready to go; the first batch is almost complete and ready to send and hopefully this morning I will get the second batch ready to complete. This is a pretty drawn out process, as I am first using a carved potato to stamp an abstract snow-covered tree and while the paint is still fresh, adding clear glitter. Once I get the trees stamped on them all, I go back with a brush and add add a glittery white "swoosh" (no resemblance to the logo mark of the sneaker company) under the tree. The final touch on the front of the card is to drag out my stiff brush to add a little Elmers glue loosely around the top of the tree to affix glitter with a golden tone as a glow or aurora behind the tree.

Since all this is being done on a dark blue card, the insides are printed on white paper (at least here I get to use the computer!) just a bit smaller than the card, and once the two parts are properly folded, I use a darning needle and glittery cord sewn through and tied along the spine to hold them together.

They are numbered, signed and dated on the back in a metallic ink and stuffed into envelopes. I was originally not able to get as many envelopes as cards when I bought my first stock at Staples some months ago, and my card list has grown as well, so I am making additional cards -- and envelopes as needed -- from dark blue construction paper.

On another note, it is strange sitting here being able to look out the top part of the window at the sky but not see through the bottom to look at the ground and the horses next door. The entire world seems to be covered with ice -- the sleet and freezing rain that was predicted -- and it seems to have blown from all directions. When I went to take a photo out the back door (north facing) the door was covered in a layer of ice and I now have a damp spot on my nightclothes where the door knob rested as I held the door open with my rear while taking the shot. The office windows face to the east and the screens are totally encrusted as well.

We have had several power hits this morning; the UPS beep now and then, keeping the computers running, and the lights have dimmed. I have laid up a bit of water in pots in case the power goes out and we loose the pump for a spell.