Snow day!

Dear friends and Family,

What a blessing a snow day is if you are snug in your home, not having to go anywhere. The snow didn't start in earnest till the afternoon, and we could watch it building in beautiful piles on the branches of all the trees. It was a day of filing things away, writing, working on small chores, such as the 2-page abstract of my talk in March, tidying up an essay for Rouen, getting Merwin to scan some documents I want to share with others. The meals were simple. Veggie burgers with cheddar cheese and soy vegetarian bacon on chiabatta bread for lunch. Soup for supper for me, made with a base of pureed vegetables, a little cheese, some rice-shaped noodles. None for Merwin; he doesn't like soup two days in a row, even different kinds. He settled for an ice-cream bar, proving once again that I eat much more than he does.

At bedtime, I watched the HBO movie TEMPLE GRANDIN, which I liked very much. Though the story of the autistic woman who became an expert in handling cattle humanely is well known, the acting by Claire Danes, the settings, the use of color and black and white to suggest Grandin's thought processes, her true grit, the obstacles in the man's world she chose to enter—all these elements made for a believable and moving story. Catch it if you can.

As usual, not much sleep. The deck benches outside my study have at least a foot of snow on them. I won't venture out today but enjoy it all from inside. Merwin will try his recently repaired snow blower and maybe go out to the store for necessities.

A friend from Spain wrote this morning to arrange a visit to Glen Head. It is a joy to see old friends, and immediately my mind turns to thoughts of making something delicious--maybe Michèle's fish in a pocket with leeks?

Love to all,
Bernice