Fidget

This weekend we had the most snow we’ve ever experienced living here in Eugene. We’re talking a lot of snow, even more than last January. Then we had 3 or 4 inches, I think this time it’s more like 6 or 8.

First, a little background information: It’s been really, really cold here for a few weeks - temps in the low 20’s at night and dry, clear, bitingly cold days. I’m always watching our pool, we have a direct view of it out front, hoping it will first of all freeze completely over and then it will snow right on top, making a smooth, pretty white pool instead of the ugly green swamp full of dead leaves that we get to look at 8 months out of the year. This is the closest we’ve gotten so far:

I think this was a slight dusting of very dry snow overnight, on Thursday. Sadly, it didn’t last. Then, on Sunday morning we woke up to this:

It had already been snowing for quite awhile and it just kept snowing until mid-afternoon. Not only were we planning to go to church, but it was the all-church potluck that we’ve been having every month or so, and I had spent some time on Saturday getting ingredients prepped to make a big batch of curry. I cooked it up while we debated whether to try to take the bus to church… but we decided we were pretty well snowed in and decided to go out and play. (We had neighbor K over for lunch later, so that was a nice result of having a surplus of curry keeping warm on the stove.) Out on the clearing next to our apartment complex, we constructed a Snow Arch:

It took a little bit of doing. First we built up two posts, leaning toward the center, and then we built two “lintels” and each lifted one up to stand on a post and meet in the middle. I held up both while BN secured them with snow in the seams. Cool! We were so happy with our snow arch.

Later in the afternoon, after it had snowed another several inches, I went out to look at the arch and see if it was still standing under the extra weight. Guess what? Some idiots on snowmobiles had completely mowed it down. Why is it that certain activities tend to attract jerks? Well, that just made me mad. And sad. But we did get a lot of joy out of making it, out of fresh snow that was falling down right outside of our very own home. All my life, snow has been a vacation-only experience. I’m kind of glad it’s only a once-or-twice a year experience here, because if I had to deal with it for months I’d probably hate it (nothing scarier than driving in snow!!) But it’s really, really fun to be “snowed in” once in awhile. And we live up in the hills of South Eugene, so there’s more snow here than in other parts of town. In the late afternoon we took a walk around the hilly parts of the neighborhood. Spencer looks so pretty all dusted with snow:

I wonder what it’s like at the top this week? I guess it’s probably not possible to hike up there when there’s so much snow. Or maybe the trees shelter the trail?

This morning BN had to get up extra early to find his way to school on the bus which doesn’t come up here in the snow… van shuttles and different stops are in effect. He’s teaching pre-calculus at 8am this quarter. I, lady of leisure that I am, went out for a walk in the mid-morning, rather than my usual run since the terrain is all snowy and I wanted to bring my camera.

Half a year ago I was running on this street, crossing the starting line for the Butte to Butte. I’ve forgotten what it feels like to be so hot! It looks like a different place altogether today.

I’m supposed to go to ceramics class with my friend TW later today. Luckily she has 4-wheel drive, because our car still looks like this:

by CS Lewis

Just when I thought I’d had Lewis all figured out.

It’s kind of surprising how a Christian writer can re-tell a classic pagan myth (Cupid and Psyche) and still have it be so… pagan.

In some stories, the “twist” or irony is that you have this really ugly or socially despised character who is the one who is the most selfless and loving… not so here… our heroine Orual seems a little bit like one of the ghosts in the Great Divorce; (except her time and place is not modern England but pre-Christian Europe.) She thinks of her feelings and actions toward her young sister Psyche as virtuous and righteous, but she has a lot to learn about that simple but endlessly complex concept known as Love.

The tone and setting of this book feel really different from typical Lewis; but according to his usual skill he leads the reader into deep, surprising intellectual territory along a deceptively simple story “path.”

I would recommend it - note I’d rate this PG-13 for sensuality and some disturbing “images” !

I have been wanting these shoes for more than a year. 3 of my friends have them. Luckily, they are still selling them… Even more luckily, I found a pair in last season’s colors, so mine are green unlike this blue pair from the Keen website. I mean, blue is cute but I wanted the green ones.

Aren’t they cute!? They are perfect for me. I love shoes that can dress up or down; and I love the way my socks show. Now I need to get working on some more handknit socks!

And, if anyone reading this has given me gift money for the past birthday/Christmas, thank for you financing my new shoes! They are just what I wanted.

I started the new year out with a new client. They are a start-up company, with all the fast-and-loose workday scheduling that implies. I have been learning a lot about how to set boundaries and keep my role as a remote contractor; not trying to pretend I’m right there in the office able to switch gears at any moment. (the to-do priorities seem to change about that often.) And the whole 8-hour workday thing… it just doesn’t happen when one works at home. But! I have managed to keep mostly on top of my workout regimen. I do wait for the sun to be well up, if it’s going to be, and I don’t go running if it’s pouring down rain. But, the coldest times in Eugene are when it’s sunny anyway… Luckily I have my newly hand-knitted hat and gloves to keep the chill off until I get warmed up ‘n sweaty on my way up hill to home. Also notice my lovely 2 layers of performance fabric: a “wicking” poly-thermal layer and a streamlined fleece on top. These are courtesy of M.I.L C A-P. But I picked them out, and yes, I did make sure they matched my new handknits. Jog On!

Last weekend we took a hike up to the top of Spencer Butte, a short-but-steep hike that starts just a short drive from our apartment.

It had been cold, cloudy, and even snowy since our return from California, but this day was mostly clear and sunny so we decided to take advantage! We hadn’t been up the Butte for quite some time, I think more than a year.

Here you can see the view from the top, looking north-ish toward town. Autzen stadium, aka the Duck Pond, is prominently featured just below-right of center: