Watching the snow fall and the tide surge- water halfway to the cherry tree, surely salting my squash garden. Last night in my dream I drove my car into the water somewhere near the State Fish Pier. My brother’s house was on the water near Rocky Neck. He had his own ramp and I was trying to push the car out of the water and up the ramp but they were having a barbecue and didn’t want me to push my car into their yard, never mind help me. I was sure if I could just get my car out of the water it would be fine—I would then submerge it in rubbing alcohol, which would displace the water and then evaporate.

I also saw a friend in the dream, a friend who is due to have a baby any day now. I have only seen her once in the past year or two. In the dream she was in overall, denim overalls, as she often is.

More overalls in my dream. Racks of corduroy and moleskin overalls that would make good gifts for Amanda Babson. Last night I walked in the snow down to her parents’ house to help her mother put the three layers of a quilt together. Lights flickering on and off and us on the floor of the living room, having moved all of Aunt Jill’s furniture to the side, smoothing the wrinkles out of the cotton batting. It is a beautiful quilt- square of bright batiks for Dave and Annalei’s wooden house.

When the electricity went out for a few hours last night I tried to make cookies and coffee over candle flames. Mostly for fun. The coffee never was finished, but it could have been if I were willing to wait another hour or two. Cookies bake unevenly over an open flame.

It’s hard not to fall for Mike County when he writes like this.

James is concerned with the amount of football I have been watching. Today I hope to finish a sock for my brother before the first game is over so I can knit something fun during the Pats game. I even watched college football yesterday. Of course, I was making pot holders at the time.