Plugging Along

Andrew and I are in the middle of mid-winter doldrums.

Even though it is the third week of February, the weather here is as cold as early January. The temperature is below zero right this very minute.

Both Andrew and I are tired of the bitter cold. It was at this very time last year that we had our worst snowfall of the winter. This year, at least, the snow has not been bad at all thus far. Of course, winter here is far from over, and it is not advisable to make declarations about such things too early.

Although I like my job very much, I look forward all day to our evenings at home together.

The evenings are the best part of the day. We get to make dinner, and listen to music, and talk, and read.

We always make a “decent” dinner, the word Andrew always uses to describe a good dinner. We always have some kind of meat or fish, and some kind of potato or rice or pasta dish, and several vegetables. We generally have some kind of salad, whether fruit or vegetable. We generally have some kind of dessert.

Tonight we had baked steak, escalloped potatoes, corn, lima beans and fried red tomatoes, preceded by a garden salad with lots of vegetables as well as pasta pieces and even tuna. For dessert, we had slices of fresh pineapple.

A quiet evening is how I like to end the day. Our evenings are very mellow and filled with grace.

I like not having a television. I decided long ago that not having a television is one of the keys to our happiness.

Television stifles conversation, and companionship. It also stifles serious reading.

Today’s television is also coarse. Every time I look at television, I see something offensive, if not vile. Television disturbs me more and more.

Television used not to bother me at all, but it does now. Other than sports, I can no longer stand to watch anything on television, not even news programs.

Andrew and I do not have anything on the schedule for the rest of the week, or for the weekend. This is good, because we saw three things in New York, and we are sort of satiated now.

I think we just want to stay home and relax for the next several days.

I told Andrew tonight that I want to go back to Oklahoma soon. Even though we were in Oklahoma only two months ago, for Christmas, I want to go back again, even if only for a regular two-day weekend. Andrew and I are trying to figure out right now when we can manage to go.