Friday? Friday. Already.

Time flies when one is hibernating. I haven't left the house since I cannot remember when.  That does not mean that I haven't been busy.  I've just been busy at home.  Lots of lively people pass through my doorway,

Kado built this house with the new blocks I got for Christmas.  Now whenever he builds a house, this is EXACTLY what it has to look like.  He is funny that way.  To him, THIS is a house.  We have also been building long roads for the cars to travel on.  And barns for all of the little animals.  Even beds for dolls.  Soon maybe Feintsje and Hertsje won't be bent on destroying everything we make, but when they do we applaud them loudly.  This doesn't help, but we do it anyway.  A common phrase heard around here is "You are lucky you're so cute".

One of the advantages of a snow-free January has been that my sister and her grandson have been able to come visit us.
In the winters of yore, this would never have happened.
Anyway, this week when they visited the three boys discovered the octave of bells I have.  The three-year-olds are taller and stronger than when I put the bells away.  They could easily reach the drawer and pull it open without aid.
If Blogger would let me download videos, I would show you.  The three boys walked in in a line, handed two bells to Hertsje stood in front of my sister and I and played their little hearts out.  Great-nephew even managed to blow on a recorder while playing two bells.
It was very noisy, but they were having fun.
Most of my videos now end up on Facebook, as I have no trouble downloading videos there.

Everyday I've put away more of the Christmas decor. What you can see on top of the piano I'm planning to keep up for awhile.  At least until tomorrow, when I reserve the right to change my mind.
Usually we play the piano every morning.  I've sort of got the Linus and Lucy tune down.  This impressed Kado, as he could recognize it.  That says a lot to me. Now I'm moving on to an easy rendition of "Memories" from Cats.  On my list of dreams is to have my piano tuned and have that one key that doesn't play fixed.

At night I've been reading a little paperback Laura Ingles Wilder's biography that fell out of my "donate" box.  It's been interesting.  Since it is supposed to be extremely cold here next week, I plan to haul out my copy of "The Long Winter" and read that.  It certainly does make one thankful for things like food and heat.
After that I might pick up my Civil War books again.

Maybe, that is.  Like so many other people that I know I tend to get depressed in January/February.  Although I like the part about hibernating, I do not like the early darkness, and with no snow, it seems so much darker than snowy winters ever seemed.

And has there ever been a winter filled with such bad news?  Ugh.

Did you catch that story about women who suffer from migraines with auras?  Well so did I.  And it did not make me happy.  Apparently for women, 'migraine with aura' is more of an indication of heart disease and stroke than are high blood pressure and diabetes.  I have all three of these.  Besides, I am fat, so there is that too.  Although if my scale is correct, I have lost weight, but you can't tell that from looking at me.

Anyway, I'm choosing to look at all of the GOOD around me, and that is considerable!  So, on that thought I'm going to turn on my reading light, tuck the blankets under my chin(s) and find out what is happening in Walnut Grove.