Spring Cleaning!

Well, the weather is absolutely perfect in Bloomington and it's spring break so Dane and I have nothing to do. Actually, that's not really true. I have lots of long term projects, but none of them have to get done today so we've spent the day on very important things such as:

1. Watching the house finches, chickadees, morning doves, and cardinals eat out of the bird feeder. It's especially great because the feeder sticks to the apartment window with suction cups and the eating birds are literally 3 feet from our office chairs. We have decided that the lady house finch is kind of a bully to her doting male companion.

2. I'm reading this fabulous book called "Little Heathens: Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm During the Great Depression." A family friend sent it to me for some spring break reading. I absolutely love this book. I'm usually not much of a pleasure reader, but the author's voice is so clear and her stories so compelling that I cannot put the little treasure down. It's so inspiring to learn how, not so long ago, people knew how to live without modern conveniences like refrigerators, central heating, and free time. I certainly don't want to go back to living that way, but it reminded me that the skills we have lost in a few generations are profound. 

3. Reading the book's chapter on food made me hungary so I made potato pancakes for lunch. So easy and delicious with apple butter and jam!

4. Dane and I took down the plastic window film that has been our only protection against the harsh Indiana winter (note the sarcasm). For a girl who grew up in Minnesota, I thought winter here would be a breeze, but it turns out that they haven't heard of insulation in Indiana so it was sort of miserable. Now that it's up to 60 or 70 most days, I feel like a real person again.

5. Dane and I both did some spring cleaning today. I don't know what in the world possessed me, but suddenly I was tossing out old clothes, dusting, wiping down the kitchen, mopping the floors, cleaning the bathroom, even vacuuming off the deck. I know vacuuming the deck sounds a little odd, but believe me, it's the only way to get the thing clean.

6. We have our very first pet. They are called Triops. Think Sea Monkey's 2.0. They come all dried out in this little package. You add water, wait a few days and "tada," you have yourself a pet. They are very tiny at this point, about the size of a pin head, but they should get a few inches long. 

Well, that's all the exciting news from here. I think I should start doing something productive. I think my midterm is calling out to me!

Go Hoosiers!