we have no snow left here now, and when i lamented that fact this morning, tim remarked that it's too early, anyway. we don't really get snow until january. i suppose he's right, and i felt momentarily child-like for even longing for snow, like a kid who runs out to the back yard in her slippers with her tongue hanging out, trying to catch the first tentative flakes that fall, before they turn to rain.

there's still some leftover color out there, though. it's a beautiful time of year, i think.

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last night after dinner, tim and i swept through the house and cleaned. it didn't take long, working together. tim vacuumed and i mopped. we started the base for a beef barley soup for tonight's dinner. i put new flannel sheets on our bed-the first we've ever had. the girls fell asleep a little early, exhausted. i did some knitting, while tim finished up some gallery work. the whole house was dark and quiet by a little before ten. it felt so good to turn out the lights, knowing that things were ready for a fresh start on monday morning.

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i'm pretty sure you all know what's going on over at habit this month, but i just want to say that i think what emily and molly have done there is brilliant. the first post in december, with all of those voices in one place, actually gave me chills. i don't think i've missed a day all year, but the chorus of women now sharing pieces of their lives is truly more than the sum of its parts.

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wishing the week ahead is a gentle one. thanks for reading.
tt