Midwinter

Dear Mrs. Rothwood,

     This February makes no exception to its age-old rule of gray.  Everything has a gray cast to it.  As a matter of fact, I am wearing gray today.  

     Gray isn't abhorrent as a color.  Kitten gray is marvelously becoming especially when knitted into a scarf with fuzzy alpaca wool. I ignore it for the most part.  It is what it is and invites the hibernation needed during these winter months to prepare for the busy seasons ahead. Soon, I will be outside during all hours of the day raking, digging, scraping, cleaning, turning, planting, plucking, sweeping.

     In other news, Little A and I baked chocolate chip cookies today.  I had such a craving for them and found bittersweet morsels in the pantry.  Don't you prefer bittersweet chocolate over the others?  Little A did such a good job stirring the batter, though when I went to find the baking sheet, I returned to see him shoveling wooden spoonfuls of dough into his little mouth! Thankfully, we use our own eggs.

     Speaking of eggs, how are your birds doing?  This being a mild winter, my hens have hardly slowed down their laying at all!  The ducks have, though, only surprising me on occasion.  I am trying to come up with ways to use them up as eggs are so easy to come by and every country road seems to have at least one household selling them that I can hardly give them away!  I hate to see them wasted and have even considered vegetarianism to increase consumption out of necessity for a protein source!  Really, though, simply being more disciplined and creative ought to solve the issue.

     I shall conclude my letter now and hope to hear from you soon.  I enjoy our correspondence since, in the words of Anne Shirley, "kindred spirit" community here is sorely lacking.  I am bitterly lonely at times, but that is to be expected when one is so out of the ordinary and the world speeds by in face-paced expectation of entertainment and luxury.  I find myself sucked in and left wanting. Oh, for quietude and simple fancies!  But, I ramble, so I bid you

Good day,

Mrs. D. Scott