Monday, February 26, 2007

Return of The Thinking Deb

Okay, you've probably been wondering what happened to her. Deb's brain seems to have been on autopilot as of late, producing a post here and there, but nothing too substantial. It's still there, far as I can tell, but it seems to be on hiatus lately. I mean, it was a mental struggle to write about the last snowfall. I was tempted to just post a picture, write "we got snow", and leave it at that. Pretty lame.

February in Minnesota does that to a person. As Dar Williams puts it in her song "February", :

first we forgot where we planted those bulbs last year
and then we forgot that we planted at all
then we forgot what plants are altogether
and I blamed you for my freezing and forgetting..


But the first smell of partially thawed ground last week stirred something in me, that is, before the foot of snow covered it up. So did the sound of Canada geese, which I'm wondering wasn't just a dream. We haven't heard them since. In a month, they will definitely be a presence, as well as red winged blackbirds and robins. And I will celebrate a milestone birthday on the equinox.

A lot to think about there. I think my mind will awaken from hibernation. I hope.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Quit getting down on yourself, girl! I wish my posts had one tenth the knowledge and substance yours do. As for milestones, notice how close that word is to "millstones." You're a flower that continues to bloom. That's all. (This Minnesota must be a fearsome place to drag people down the way it does.)

Pablo
www.roundrockjournal.com

Anonymous said...

That's *exactly* how I feel! I didn't post for 10 whole days, and when I did it was extraordinarily lame. You would think our first 10-12" snowfall in about 7 years would inspire something, but no.

Maybe, as Pablo says in in comment, this Minnesota really *is* a fearsome place to live.

gtr said...

I know what you mean...I'm not even reading much in the way of intellectual books these days (and isn't winter supposed to be for reading and reflecting?!)

I'm struggling with motivation for in-town work projects, and find that blogs are an addicting distraction that I need to avoid some days... I'd love to spend more time writing and posting, but where's the time, gah.

Tracy and Pablo, I think maybe MN isn't such a fearsome place to LIVE, but it's a fearsome place to live WHILE needing to motivate and get oneself to town for full-time work plus everything else in the DARK. Phooey.

But spring will come again, right??

gtr said...

Oh, and forgot to say: March 17th is the Ceili dance in town (good local celtic music! You'd be welcome!), so we'll be there (YWCA) from about 7-10. Maybe we'd make it out sometime after that?

Lynne at Hasty Brook said...

We've all heard the expression "It's not the heat, it's the humidity" but I think with Minnesota winters "It's not the cold, it's the dark" aplies well.

R.Powers said...

I echo Pablo's wish about his posts...

Hey! What birthday could this be?

Hmmmm....

Deb said...

pablo- thanks, as always, for your insights. Millstones, yes, I think that's why we look to them with such dread. And, as you can see from the subsequent comments, Minnesota's winters do have that effect on people. Although I remember a winter spent in your fair state capitol city, thinking "this state is spelled Misery". :) It's all one's state of mind I guess.

tracy, gtr and lynne- we now have a quorum of Minnesotans weighing in on the topic, and I think we all agree: We're brain dead!

And gtr- good local Celtic music? Sounds tempting! If The Hobo Nephews don't start until 9 or later, that might be a plan! We're going kidless for the night, one way or another.

FC- I always look to your blog for an endless supply of wit and insight. Must be that Florida sunshine.

It's 40. LIfe begins then, right?