Sunday afternoon was unusually warm for early February, so my husband turned on the self-cleaning cycle on the oven because we could open the windows enough to air out the house. While he was opening windows, I noticed that the wood blinds in the great room were dusty. This time of year, I like seeing the brighter morning sun through the blinds as the days grow longer. So I cleaned them while my husband went to the Y to work out on a rowing machine.

Although it would’ve been nice to get in some real rowing, last week was so cold that even though Sunday afternoon felt like spring, the river still had some ice and was not at all rowable. That was okay, though, because we spent some family time together anyway, when the cleaning got done, and we’re not far from spring now. On Saturday there was so much snow and fog, it’s no wonder the groundhog didn’t see his shadow; just getting out of his burrow must have taken some effort!