Terrible weather this morning: the outside stairs are so slick with freezing rain that the cat slid down them into a heap at the bottom. Already I'm trying to talk Tom into going to work late. These streets do not look drivable.

Yesterday was so beautiful, and now this! My neighbor and I went for a walk into the cemetery, under bright blue skies and mild temperatures, with the snow crunching underfoot, and at the ponds we were thrilled to catch sight of one of the river otters swimming and wriggling almost at our feet. Even my dumb cell phone photos were great--

Today's weather might be great for an otter, but it is terrible for humans: shattered hips and ankles just a-waitin' to happen, not to mention car crashes. If Tom decides to hurry off to work at the regular time, I shall make a scene.

I had my first meeting with my poetry apprentice yesterday afternoon, and that was extremely fun. She is a junior in high school, poised and excited. With some embarrassment she told me how much she loved Tennyson and the old stuff, and I said, "Oho, you have come to the right place!" and this morning I am going to send her a writing prompt and a passage from Dante.

Other exciting news: I diffidently asked a poet to write a blurb for my next collection, and he not only said yes but he also told me he liked it so much that he's nominating the collection as a whole for a Pushcart. Apparently he's one of the contributing editors on the Pushcart committee, and has that option. I am all of a tizzy about this.