Baby, it's cold outside.

Cold, cold, cold. I try to close my thoughts to the animals (and humans) who are shivering outside in that freezing hell out there. Otherwise it drives you insane. The wind is snarling, two inches of powder fell today, and the thermometer is rapidly falling toward zero... The downstairs cats have the kerosene heater cranking. The upstairs cats are perfectly toasty, as usual. It's warmer up there than it is in our house.

We gave up on our kitchen for the rest of the winter. I tipped the kitchen table onto its side and rolled it into the Great Room (after I removed the Christmas tree. Yes, I know it's February). It looks quite nice in there even though there is already a dining room table in the room. The second table sits by the glass door in the sun--when there is sun. The dining room table belongs to friends, so I'll be giving them a call to reclaim it.

I dragged (literally...thump, thump, thump...) one wingchair down from my landing office. I had envisioned a cat curled up in the chair next to me as I worked, when I dragged it up there three years ago, but they never used it. Then I dragged the other in from the Great Room. Mark had mentioned it might be nice to have two chairs next to a heater with a table in the kitchen, so we can sit there in the morning with coffee. The kitchen is the only room in the heated portion of the house with a window large enough to really see out when you are sitting.

So here it is...the new improved kitchen. I guess if we decide that we want a sit-down dinner or we have guests, we'll just have to open up the Great Room and turn on the heat. Mark and I mostly just eat out of bowls in chairs and only use a table if we are eating something that requires finesse or a knife.



As you can see, the shades are closed to keep out the cold. So much for our seats near the window!

The cats are psyched to have two new sleeping options. And Mark and I are wondering where we'll toss our stuff when we walk in the house, now that there is no kitchen table to capture it. Maybe we'll (gasp) have to put it away?

We also figure when friends come, they can hang out in comfy chairs while we cook (the stove etc. is to the right out of the frame)

And look, I haven't killed the spider plant yet!