White Sky, No Sun
Weather Report
Ugh. Pardon me deserting my typical good nature, but the sky is white, colorless, and almost lightless at 3pm today. Here you go… a picture of Lansing in true winter style. Snow has melted so you can see that the ground is green anyway, but the houses are white, the sky is white, the bark on the trees appears almost colorful in this foggy grayness.
Twice in my life I have planned to leave this friendly, comforting, affordable city. I’m sure the idea of moving began both times on days like this. We don’t get the piles of snow that they get in northern Michigan or Minnesota, and it melts several times during winter as a rule. But those melting times create a foggy sky that repels any light the sun might toss our way.
Thank goodness for the memory of yesterday! I noticed when I was driving to Ann Arbor at twilight, that even twilight with a sun is brighter than midday with a foggy gray sky. I ate up every bit of light yesterday, it was wonderful!
Besides the weather/sky, Monday has been wonderful thus far. I was awake far too late last night but slept in easily (I can’t always do that) today. I had a treat for breakfast, Ryvita “crackers” with a wonderful organic raspberry jam and Twinings English Breakfast tea. I haven’t knit anything yet today but I returned my requisite emails and even read a few blogs.
Sometimes people show sky pictures on their blogs which prompted my photo. The photo is taken out of the window about 4 feet from where I sit most of the time I’m home, at my desk. This is my view most of the time, except that when I’m sitting down I can only see the sky (we have those short half-length curtains covering the bottom half of the windows so people can’t peek in while I work).
I’m planning more work in the dye studio today… dyed a bunch a few days ago and that batch is dry. I also handpainted two sweaters and several hats, which will be fun to offer you. I need one more good push in the studio and then I’ll be able to skein and photograph and put up web pages. It’s going much more slowly than I’d anticipated, I don’t know exactly why… but I’m plugging when I have big blocks of time. At least I can have color in the basement studio (we have many wonderful light fixtures down there in spite of lack of sun outside).
I think I’ll be playing Mahotella Queens (South African vocal harmonies with a dance beat) at full blast today. Their album Izibani Zomgqashiyo may be my all-time favorite album of any type. I can play it over and over again and never tire of it. (The album Marriage is a Problem is also fabulous. I’m glad the title doesn’t pertain to my own life anymore, though…)
These extraordinary women always inspire me to work well, work hard, work faster! They can SING!!! (…and dance.) If you don’t know them, collect their CDs when you can find them (typically on the used market, though some of their newer ones are easier to find). Worth every penny and more.
Off to the studio.
Photos: 1) Today, 3pm, Lansing in January, typical winter view. 2) Photo of maybe 1-2 blocks from my house. Taken October 16, 2005, early fall with a few leaves barely turning yellow. I need to remember the blue sky and sunshine that are in my world when it is not snow season.