January 31, 2010

This was the January that was.

January 30, 2010

I do use e-mail a lot, but snail mail is always welcome. Keep those cards and letters coming in.

January 29, 2010

Happy memories of sending kids here for odd items, having them come home with "fishes." Thanks Gus, Rita, Dora and Harry.

January 28, 2010

The local rag. It is published every Thursday, but these days I tend to go here.

January 27, 2010

Red twig dogwood in the back yard.

January 26, 2010

Starfruit, quinces, plantains, mangoes etc. at grocery store, all designed to arouse thoughts of summer—and confuse the checkout personnel.

January 25, 2010

The leaves are still on our oak—they'll be there until spring.

January 24, 2010

The grandchildren loved this window in the John Deere dealer. They called it "The Bride of Chuckie."

January 23, 2010

Plymouth Ice Festival—remembering the year we met Marcie in Arctic conditions, the year everything melted and one absolutely perfect year.

January 22, 2010

I made it until January 22 before losing my gloves and having to buy some more.

January 21, 2010

Grosse Pointe Public Library, Ewald Branch. This building is half a mile from my house and I can sit at my computer and order any book, from any library in Michigan, and pick it up free from here (or for $2 from a library in any other state.) Great use of tax payer money.

January 20, 2010

A lunch inspired by David Kynaston—baked beans on toast and a nice cup of tea.

January 19, 2010

Just another Tuesday morning on Barrington. The garbage guys came early, recyclables have yet to go.

January 18, 2010

Just started this book and am plunging nostalgically into all 776 pages. And it only covers 6 years. I already read the equally weighty first volume. I was, of course, part of all this.

January 17, 2010

Mist over Lake St. Clair (see January 11).

January 16, 2010

All tucked away in the basement for another year. I must walk the walk if I talk the talk

January 15, 2010

Mail box at City Hall. We usually drop something in every day.

January 14, 2010

The holly in front of our house rests on a ground cover of ivy, but the ivy is covered in snow, so no singing required.

January 13, 2010

Tutorial today from Roger.

I have met the enemy . . . and this is it.

January 12, 2010

Got my hair cut today. 4:00 pm. Yvonne.

January 11, 2010

Lake Sinclair? And this is only the first page of the prologue.

January 10, 2010

I thought "Christmas" ended on January 6. In any event, I am sure this is the last weekend this lovely tree will grace the sanctuary at St. Ambrose.

January 9, 2010

No words needed—except to say it was the Taurus that needed help.

That's our neighbor Dave, who brought out the cavalry, or rather the industrial strength cables. Even they didn't work.

January 8, 2010

First serious snow of the winter. Looking out from the front door at 7:30 a.m.

January 7, 2010

Are you the parent of a child who won't eat crusts on sandwiches? Perhaps you have wanted to make a crustless sandwich, but weren't quite sure how to do it? Look what I saw in the supermarket this afternoon. Just $2.99 to make your child happy.

January 6, 2010

Poor Pico! My kitchen window overlooks my neighbor's back door. It's freezing out there and even a fur coat is not of much help today.

January 5, 2010

I rather like the dreary days from now until April. I tuck myself away in the basement to read, sew or work on nebulous "projects" in front of this lovely fire. No computer, though. The days go by so fast, the weeks go by so slowly.

I was just sitting in front of the fire when I got a phone call from my friend Janet in Nebraska. She reports the snow is piled 10 feet high and there is a severe weather alert. So far Michigan has been lucky, at least as far as weather is concerned.

January 4, 2010

Last day of vacation for these guys and they spent the day with us.

Patrick is reading on the couch, while Eleanor, Charlie and Daniel work on a puzzle.

January 3, 2010

Happy 6th Birthday to my granddaughter Caroline. I took this photo when we were apple picking this Fall.

January 2, 2010

Off to the movies. Kate, Ron, Lucy and I went to see "Nine." I really didn't expect to like it, but I did. The best part was the discussion it provoked from my family of literary and movie critics. It brought back memories for me of my teenage years when I went up to London and the Paris Pullman cinema to see the latest "foreign" movies, which I tried so hard to understand. I have vague memories of black and white Russian, Swedish, French and Italian movies with not very helpful sub-titles.

January 1, 2010

I was scrolling through my favorite forum, The Usual Suspects, when I saw a reference to Photo-a-day blogs. That’s an exercise in thought, organization and photography that seemed a worthy undertaking. I had time to scan through a completed blog here and then realized that if I want to give it a try, I must start now. I don’t know if the idea is to take a photo every day or post one. I’ll see how it works out.