On a Snowy Afternoon

The other day I found myself at home alone again. Malcolm had taken a second trip out to the ranch. And so as I sipped my tea at the table that morning, checking emails, I pondered what to do with my day. 

Within minutes of my debate beginning, a very whiny Paris asked to be picked up, and proceeded to whine and gripe about the cold to me for almost an hour, pitching a fit every time I sat her down. She was my inspiration. I was not going to sit in the house holding her all day or listening to her whine and whimper. I had a couple errands I'd been putting off, so I tucked the girls into their kennels in their over-heated room, and off to town I went.

On a snowy afternoon in Billings, here's what I like to do. First I run some mundane errands I've been putting off. I go take a check to our prorate service, pick up some printer ink at the office supply store, and make a return at the mall. But after those trips, things get a little more entertaining.

Lunch with a friend downtown. I picked up some yummy enchiladas and took them to her work place where she is the only clerk on duty and I, the only visitor. A snowy afternoon in Billings sometimes equals slow business. So we sat behind the counter and munched on yummy warm food and took up the better part of an hour chatting, until my parking meter was about to run out and I had to leave, or put in another quarter.


After lunch, I'm off to the hallowed ground...

Nothing in the world like spending an afternoon sprawled in the floor of a bookstore pilfering through the crafting and agricultural books. And of course there were several passes made down the fiction isles, the magazine collection, and the cookbooks, though they had significantly decreased their cookbook selection by two whole shelving units. How unfortunate!


I spent the most time here, parked in front of these delightful titles, plotting which ones I'd get once I had the animals that needed the care. I wrote down several interesting titles, including one called "Holy Shit," a book singing  the various praises and delights of manure! It was just too intriguing of a title to not jot it down, if only for an occasional sheepish chuckle upon reading it.

After I've spent as long as I possibly dare, neglecting my pups for several hours, I narrow down the choices in the basket, proceed through the checkout line, and head for home,
where I unload the car, snatch my new treasures up in arms, and head upstairs to bury my nose in one of them, dogs trailing behind me, no more whining because they are just glad to be out of the kennel and close to me. Besides we're heading to their favorite room in the house also!

I have to make room on the table between the library chairs, so I sort through some catalogs that have been gathering there. Lately, these delights have been coming the the mail to torture me. I prowl through them, planning future flower and vegetable garden plots.

This one in particular caught my attention, and will be kept laying around just because its neat.

It looks authentically antique on the outside...

...and the inside. My very own old time seed catalog!

This one too has caused small rounds of self-torture.

Having cleared space for the new books on the table, I have to clear space for myself in my favorite chair, because its the favorite chair of three others as well.

And being their favorite, look what the heathens have done to my beloved chair!

They love to sit in and lay on it, but even more, a particular someone, or two, love to wallow in it, and their claws are not treating our favorite chair with loving care. We've had several lengthy discussions on proper favorite chair etiquette but they just don't seem to get it.

But upholstery damaged and three dogs piled on top of me, its still a comfy place to snuggle into a good book on a snowy evening at home.

This morning, its a frigid -20. This cold is causing even the heated bird bath to frost up and cause problems watering my birds.

The girls took care of business in record time and are now upstairs snuggled into our favorite chair, no wallowing heard as of yet. I think they are thawing out first.

The only rooster on the place is frozen to the ground and even if he could, I don't think he'd be doing much crowing this morning!

I have two more days at home before we return to work on Monday. I plan to make the most of them, spending quite a bit of time in my chair upstairs with a book.

I want to thank everyone who ordered from my Pampered Chef party, and all those who thought about it as well. We gave my sister a great start in her new endeavor. I hope we've set the pattern for her future success. I promised a $25 PC gift certificate to one lucky person. We did a drawing from orders and the lucky individual who gets to do more Pampered Chef shopping is Judy in North Dakota! Congratulations Judy! Hope you enjoy shopping!