I often squawk and bitch about getting gifts, I tell people not to do it. Today a friend sent us in flowers, in part because of Frieda’s death and also, I think, because the winter here has been so long and grim. Two more storms coming in the next few days (I will get my reading and talk  in at the Williamstown, Mass., library at 1 p.m. tomorrow,  Saturday, the first storm isn’t coming until early evening). When the florist came up the driveway with flowers, I thought, oh, how beautiful, color and light in this Siberian winter.

I used to get so many presents from people I could not handle and process them, and many had to be returned or given away. Some were not welcome or appropriate. But this gift was, I have to say, welcome, I took it out into one of the snow mountains behind the house – they are getting higher every day – and took a photo before Maria got worried the flowers would die in the bitter cold. They are doing all right.

I wouldn’t be surprised if a  helicopter flew over the farm and dropped food supplies for us and the animals. The snow is getting that high, the cold so wearing.

Light and color is powerful medicine right now, it is wonderful to have colorful and living things in the house. It was the perfect gift.

The forecast is unrelenting, more snow, cold and ice. Another good friend invited us to come out to California for a few days to soak up some sun and rest in her beautiful guest home. Just say yes, she said, we have plenty of room and lots of frequent flyer miles to offer.

We would both love to go, for sure, but I can’t abide her giving us her frequent flyer miles to get us there, it just doesn’t seem right. We already had a trip to Disney World in January that other people paid for.

But it is wonderfully generous, and the very idea of it made me warm and happy,  it touched me. it is nice to have friends who would think of that.  Sometimes you have to look at a gift and just say thank you.