It's getting really bad now...

First, I wanted to show you a detail (a small section of one bottom corner) of a painting I just finished. I have no reason to show this off except the colors make me happy on a cold, overcast day when snow is predicted. It makes me smile. Don't you want to walk down those stepping stones, sit under the flowers and visit with whoever lives in those little crooked houses? I do.

I digressed. Back to my desperate problem of how I somehow continually keep forgetting to go to the grocery store. I think it has been well over a week now and the last time I went I only bought soda.
I had to eat old, hard cookies for supper last night and I'm down to the last of the bag of dog food. For Emma, silly, not me. I REALLY have to go to the store.
I can't even make coffee (no milk) or tea (no bags) and I used dish detergent for shampoo this morning. That right there gives you an idea of how desperate this really is.
I was forced to buy my breakfast at the local gas station this morning. Really.

Anyway, let me tell you where I went at the butt crack of the dawn today with my gas station coffee when even the nasty cawing crows were still asleep: I went logging with horses.

This is going to be a great story and so much fun to write...handsome rugged men, staggeringly large gorgeous horses - two pairs: black beauties Bill and Ben, golden Belgians Kate and Nell - with creaking harnesses and bells ringing from their collars, long sleds full of firewood - beech, maple, ash - snow still clinging to the bark. It was 22 degrees - a sort of heat wave up here - so beautiful and peaceful in the woods - until the chain saws started. But the men ended their cutting quickly and then quietly loaded the wood on the sleds. They grabbed each log with a pulp hook (It looks just like Captain Hook's hook with a handle on one end to grip it with) and it makes a hollow THUNK THUNK sound when it bites into the wood. And then they heave the four foot logs on the sleds. It's hard work and the men - the GORGEOUS men, I might have mentioned already - took off their coats...oooooo....whoops, you lost me for a minute.
I got to ride on the sled, which is about 12 feet long: standing up going into the woods and sitting on the logs coming out. Those amazing animals pulled 1500 pounds of wood back to the farm. And me. That alone caused them to sweat and blow out their breath in huge giant clouds of steam.

Now I am frozen. I have peeled off two hats, a 34 foot scarf, a turtleneck, a wool sweater, flannel lined paints and wool boots, and I'm still dressed. I think I left my feet in the woods because I sure can't feel them. And I'm really, really hungry.

oh dear lord - I just took stock: I am now forced to make something with eggs, a soft avocado, a head of lettuce, hot mustard, a jar of red grapefruit sections, a frozen pie crust and a half bottle of merlot... I think I can make it work. And then, I REALLY need to go to the store.