I hesitate to post this for fear of bringing on more snow, but I think… I think… it’s over. Now, I’m not forgetting the year that we got hit with a massive, incapacitating blizzard in March, but that melted off (and flooded everything) quickly because… it was March. These blizzards we’ve had over the past two months are still hanging around to the tune of a little bit less than two feet of snow and a driveway that we still can’t use for anything other than walking, but I am hopeful. Ice is sliding off of the roof in avalanche-like quantities. Our friend Big Damn Snow Bank On The Ramp has died an ugly death. Water is pouring through the gutters. The road is totally clear. There are 54-degree days in the forecast.

That big one is the size of my leg.

Darla and Trevor were home for a few days this week and said they’ve never seen this much snow up here in 20 years, which was a huge comfort and made us feel less INSANE. They asked how we weathered the cabin fever, and all I could think to reply was “well, we’re still married.” I really have felt like that… that if we were still friends by the time winter ended I would be satisfied.

While they were here we spent a few days with Mikey’s mom so they could have the run of their own house, so Mikey could still get some school work done (Kelly and the kids were here too – full, noisy house), and so Jan could spend some time with Hazel, who has barely seen her grandmas and grandpas any more than when we lived in Canada since we’ve been stuck up on this hill so much since we moved here. It felt strange to be in civilization again. Hazel needs new sneakers for running around outside (!)… so I just went out shopping (didn’t find anything). I went to the craft store and forgot something so I just… went back the next day. Amazing.

I feel like I can breathe again. I have motivation again. I finally started five Christmas presents that I had given IOUs for… I just didn’t have the time with the move and holidays immediately after so I let myself off the hook instead of spontaneously combusting from the stress, and then when I did have the time after Christmas I was stuck in the house all the time and there was no sunshine and the thought of making five of the same, very time consuming thing made me panic a little. So… they will be March presents.

I also finally finished those pajama pants before we left for the ‘burg. Some bib-to-be-fabric that never made it, a goodwill-ed pillowcase, and an old brown tshirt of Mikey’s:

Hazel is napping. The sun is out. The house is clean. Mikey is gone. I don’t even know what to do with myself. Edit all those Etsy photos I took last week, I suppose.

Oh yeah, I ripped out this scarf. I got about a third of the way in and realized I can make the cables look way better now that I know how to do it. Plus… it has served its purpose – knitting scarves makes snow go away. Now that I see the yarn made into something I rather think it would make a very nice tiny sweater. Anyone have faith that I could actually learn how to knit a sweater? I’m not so sure.

Listening: drip, drip, drip
(I am) Reading: The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (yep, I’ve now swaptree-ed almost everything she’s written)
(Hazel is) Reading: Welcome Spring (thanks Grandma & Gabe’s!)
Working on: Christmas presents for 2009 AND 2010 – only in my crafting universe does this happen; not giving up on the blue & gold blanket being done this winter; some custom necklaces

This afternoon Mikey and I listened to his Christmas album twice while I made seven new necklaces and he read. I am now in the mood for Christmas. I’m mentally willing my pumpkin spice candle to burn faster so that I can replace it with pine, cinnamon, peppermint vanilla…

(Etsy is down for the weekend to update to version 2, but hopefully these will all be listed later this evening or tomorrow.)

Getting better. My spine hurts from bending over my table for three hours. Part of that three hours involved sorting through my childhood stamp collection that I brought from home… I have tons of stamps and 1920s / 1930s postmarks set aside to use as soon as I get more glass. The little ones are double sided, made from fabric scraps. And another baby playing card. I have two decks of those, if anyone has a lucky card that they want to wear around their neck. I need to hunt through photo frames at the dollarama to find some with thin glass that I can cut up, and I need a big spool of solder SOON. The little coil that came with my kit is rapidly dwindling.

Last night Mikey and I were supposed to play games with Colin & Cheryl, who I work with, but plans fell through midafternoon. We ended up drinking a bottle of wine by ourselves and playing with voice recognition software… where you dictate into a microphone and the computer transcribes it to text. It was the most hysterical thing ever, and my abs still hurt from laughing.

The results of reciting the nicene creed, with my favorite parts emphasized:

We believe in one god the father of the almighty maker of the governor
of all that is seen and unseen
they believe in one lord Jesus Christ the only son of god
eternally got no father
got from the light from late true got from true god

they got not made one and being with the father
through them all things are made

for us and for hours outpatient he came down from heaven
he was born on the right
he was conceived by the power of the holy spirit
and one of the virgin Mary and became a man
for our sake and was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
he suffered item was buried.
On the third day heroes again in fulfillment of the scriptures.

He ascended to heaven and it’s even at the right into the father.
He will come again in Florida judge living in the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the holy spirit the lord the giver of life
for the proceeds from the father and son that of other in Sunday’s worshiping glorified
He is booked into the profits
We believe in one wholly catholic and apps dollar charge
We not shown that isn’t for the forgiveness of sense.
We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world’s common.

A man and.

I might not make it through mass this evening with a straight face.

Listening: Gillian Welch

New stuff. Earrings made from buttons & other things, wallets, and a couple of bracelets.

Lots of new stuff… bags and earrings galore!

Dishtowels reborn.

Salvaged father-in-law junk.

Former ugly vintage necklace.

The largest meat-eating dinosaur.

More @ Etsy.

Mikey and I are leaving for Toronto on Sunday morning to take care of some business, see our apartment, eat some Ethiopian food, drink beer with John, and then return with brand new visas in our wallets and photos in our camera. It’s too late to request mix cds for the drive, but if you’d like to make us some for the actual move – and I know you do! – inquire within for our mailing address.

Listening: The Shins : Chutes Too Narrow
Reading: Heal Your Headache