It has been a quiet, uneventful week here, just my daughter and I home. Sometimes that is nice and restful. After 9/11, I became a nervous traveler. Nothing will change that for all who survived the horrific acts against Americans. Now, it continues in Iraq, more horrific acts, more Americans down. It is time to give our soldiers a rest, home for good. Allow the governing body in Iraq to take charge. Iraqis' need a rest from all this bloodshed, their war torn country was left in shreds and needs time to heal and rebuild, from the inside out. Our presence there is exhausting all hope. 2008 should bring some interesting change to America, let's hope for the Iraqi people, as well.

n.

If you slip away
As you always do,
I'll always be here
As I always am.

Like darkness to dawn
I will shed some light,
Just enough
To keep you in sight.

n.

Do you read between the lines? I like to live in those mysterious spaces or voids those between the lines. The places where creative play spaces make anything possible. It is always sunny and always storming. It is the place where real genius is possible and all nonsense erased. It is where there is no norm. It is the place of enriching the soul. You can dance freely and sing as loud as you want. It is the space we all yearn for after living life on the line.
n.

After a day of being in the barn all day, the horses literally charged out of their stalls. Manny, our huge 17 hand Thoroughbred charged directly into a massive snow drift and fell. Puff, went the snow, all around him, like a powder puff. He couldn't believe what befell him, he shook his head, snorted and struggled to his feet. He shook several more times and joined his heard. In his wake, he left a beautiful snow angel where he fell in the drift!

Today, having ventured in to town, the roads are still just passable. I was not confident in my car's ability to stop at a lot of lights and stop signs. The local salons reported in the newspaper that they have had record appointment bookings, seems people need pampering. My dear friend just called and asked for help digging her SUV out of her driveway. No one is answering her calls for help and she has four children, who need pick up and delivery. She got a call from maybe a snow plower...he will be there in a half hour.

We kept all the horses in today because the wind on this hill property is a killer. They were fed and watered in a.m. and this afternoon I went down and piled down the hay and gave them warm water.It was really wicked walking back to the house, I feel like I have a sunburn.

My daughter turned 17 yesterday and we decided that she was a "sweet sixteen" and a "sexy seventeen". She was more than pleased with this assessment. They grow up so quickly. I just had to pick a baby picture out for my 18-year-old son for the graduation day book they are publishing. I don't know if I want to even go there.

I don't want to sound all melancholy (don't you just love that word, to me it evokes melon and choly, whatever that is, but it sounds like it will go great with the melon; like melon and prosciuto) I am trying to defrost my toes and am enjoying a warm cup of flavored green tea, though I am sure brandy or port would do better, oh well.

Well, the snow continues to blow, the horses remain in, the people of this fine town continue to dig out and the lake effect snow keeps coming down (I don't know why they have to keep elaborating that this snow is any different then any other snow). I think they should report the blowing snow storms, this is why all the horses are not out.

n.