Good news: warmer weather is coming next week after one final burst of hysteria from the Weather Channel. Watch out when they name a storm; it’s usually a stinker in a different way than the forecast. One more is coming next week, and then it will warm up noticeably. I’m ready for that, and so is every animal on the farm. Stay warm and dry; Maria and I will play chess again after dinner.

We love it; it’s excellent brain food for hungry brains. Having the board painted on the dining room table is a hoot.

These flowers have kept me warm and peaceful. They are better than cannabis.

Maria and I have perked up the dark days by painting a chessboard on the dining room table. We both love the game and are evenly matched. We both like to win but don’t overdo it. We go back and forth, have the same strengths, and make the same mistakes. We’ll sort it, as the Brits say. Sometimes, our games take a day on and off to end.

We take breaks for work, phone calls, writing, quilting, and shopping. Also, I like reading and going to the movies. In the winter, we work harder to get out and have fun at home. The darkness and cold can get to you if you let it. It feels like we have one chess game going, and it hardly matters who wins.