Marking the Day

As I grew up race seemed to be often in the background lurking just close enough to have an effect and make commentary. My very first memory of noticing color and difference was playing in a bubble bath with two neighbor girls and egg beaters. They were brown and I was not. That was it. I didn't pay too much attention. Later I got smashed on the head with it( sometimes quite literally) and I did pay attention. We moved to a neighborhood in transition and I attended middle school as one of a very small minority of white children. It was difficult and I haven't forgotten the hate and division I experienced. Unfortunately it is always the difficulty and the hate that sticks the most. In spite of the difficulties I remember that time (1970's) as a time when people believed in change and believed things were going to get better. People were going to get along they just had to work harder. Yep. I stopped thinking like that. Most people stopped thinking like that. Until recently it seemed to be that we were set to lock up a nation of young black boys and race relations were in the pits. Forever. Black people were set to riot and white people just didn't want to know. They were not paying attention. Barack Obama's swearing in today is so momentous and such a milestone. I am amazed.

Done With That Christmas Stuff!

This is a picture of the very last Christmas object left to pack away into the basement. Large basements are of course a blessing and enabling. If we didn't have a basement would I have a 13 foot artificial tree? That took me two days to dismember? Nope. But of course we used to have real trees and they were just as much of pain in the butt. The very first year we lived in this house I overloaded a brand new Shop Vac vacuuming up needles to the point where it burst into flames. I took it back. Ran too hot. The year I had my first hip surgery I only used the very tip top of the tree. I bought tiny weeny ornaments and set it on table in the window. That was nice.

I also have to put the cookies away. Far away into the deep dark depths of the freezer.

And every time I look outside and it is dark, windy, and snowy I must not run for my electric blanket. Well unless I have a really good book to read...

Yesterday I read a pretty good book about a girl from the Mosuo people of China who live near Tibet. They have a matrilineal culture and don't celebrate monogamy. They practice something called "walking marriage" but yet they have strong family structures. Wikipedia seems to offer a skeptical veiw of this but it made for interesting reading on a cold, windy, dark day in NY.

Leaving Mother Lake: A Girlhood at the Edge of the World

Another Snow Day %#@*!

It started sleeting last night at 9pm. This morning when we woke the roads were skating rink like and the kids had a two hour delay. At 7AM we had freezing rain and they called off school for good. I love my kids but really folks I do need my alone time!! How can I do Wee Fit naked when everyone is home! My scores just aren't as good fully clothed. Oh well, yesterday I Hula Hooped myself into being pretty sore so maybe a day of laundry is necessary anyway... Good thing I'm not at Bill's house because all those mirrors would also preclude anything naked.