Snapshot

Cubby is outside with A., using a stick to dig around in the half-frozen dirt in a planter near the door. A. has been splitting wood--stopping occasionally to cough because he's still dealing with the dregs of the interminable cold--and will be splitting wood forever and ever because this is the winter that never ends.

Charlie is wandering around with an apple and an old baby bottle filled with water. The bottle amuses me, because he never used one when he was a baby, so he doesn't really get the whole concept of the nipple part.

The MiL is in the kitchen simmering cranberries for some kind of chicken with cranberries and mushrooms recipe she found and wanted to try. Should be interesting.

As for me . . . I picked up the incredible accumulation of detritus downstairs and dusted today, and then managed to get the stairs and the upstairs vacuumed, so things are looking up. I'm also very much looking forward to the bottle of wine in the refrigerator that I plan to deplete later this evening.

Looking up, indeed. Way up.