WINTER

This morning Time Warner cable was down which means I had no TV, no phone, and no internet.  It came back on about 11:00 a.m.

By then Susan had been by to check on me when she couldn’t get me on the phone. 

My cell phone doesn’t get a very good connection here at home.  It needs charging anyway.  I have lost the charger that works in the house.  The only one I have is the one that works in the car.

The car doors are frozen shut.  Tried a hair dryer for a few minutes but it seems to be all around the door, not just the latch.  Too cold for staying out that long.

Last night I sprinkled “ice melt” on the back deck and the front steps.  The first step off the front porch looked just like the concrete porch which was not covered in ice.  So I stepped onto that first step to reach farther with the ice melt. 

One step, my foot slipped out from under me and I landed on my back and slid down four steps. 

Stupid!!!

After a moment I resettled my glasses on my face and assessed the situation. 

Everything moved okay so I held to the icy iron rail beside the steps and scooted my self up to the first step, then the next higher one and so forth until I was back on the porch. 

By then the seat of my clothes was wet from melting ice.  Maybe that would have been a better way to melt the ice on the steps.

This morning I checked myself a bit in the mirror.  There is a red spot on the right side of my back and the back of my right arm is a bit sore. 

As usual it may take another day before I know just how sore I will be.  Coughing is pretty painful.

Thousands of people are without power and shelters have been opened.  Tree branches are falling on houses and cars.  Some counties have forbidden anyone to drive on the roads except emergency vehicles. 

I am grateful I have a warm home and everything I need right here.

That groundhog had better be right about spring coming soon.

later….