An important part in the winter landscape is played by the dead grasses and other herbaceous plants, especially by various members of the composite family, such as the asters, golden rods, and sunflowers. Wreathed in snow or encased in ice, they present a singularly graceful and fantastic appearance. Or perhaps, the slender stalks and branches armed with naked seed pods trace intricate and delicate shadows on the smooth snow.
- Mrs. William Starr Dana (Frances Theodora Parsons, American naturalist)

Quite, quite cold, but, when I opened the front door and saw how deliciously blue the wide sky was, cloudless, I decided this fresh, sharp air in sunshine was what I was craving. It’s a frozen river, frozen wetlands, frozen world here. I wanted to take a good hike and did. Decided against a swim. I walked until I needed to go inside for poetry workshop. And brought my newest poem from Monday to discuss, and had a chance to get feedback, helpful feedback, before I was interrupted by the workmen in the house. I had to break away from the workshop to pack up my china. They offered to do it, and were just about to start when I stopped them and said I would do it myself. All the furniture from upstairs that we put in the dining room while the upstairs was gutted had to be moved, along with the dining room furniture, including the hutch full of my china and linen. Was I afraid they wouldn’t handle it properly, pack it well? Perhaps. But, also, a sense that it’s mine, it’s very personal and meaningful––fragile. Must be handled with care, of course. Which is what I did. Because it’s not the same as packing up a kitchen and the everyday glasses and plates. Here are the place settings gifted me and Frank on our wedding, and then added to for Christmas gifts by my mother each year until the set was complete. And the crystal bowls, gifts for our wedding, and the Waterford crystal punch cups my mother gave me, and the Japanese tea set my father bought for his mother when he was serving there after the war in the army that came down to me. . . perhaps I just wanted to touch them, to remember, and to wrap and pack them and feel all this and not have them treated indifferently by strangers. So, I did it. And now much of the furniture crowds the front hall and the dining room and living room are sealed off and zippered up. Sigh. A high point: baking the gingerbread men and women while I also made dinner for the family and this was quite a lot of busy, cheerful activity in the kitchen! A messy project with white glaze frosting splattered over the counter, and so much chasing and running around and eating and enjoying. So much panting and satisfaction.