Home.
It’s certainly good to be back at my familiar cluttered writing desk after a couple of weeks away from the regular routine of working on my books and blog posts. Our trip to Michigan and Ohio was good, and we managed to travel on days when the weather was cooperative. And the drive back across northern Ohio and Indiana was without problems, unlike it would be had we waited one more day to head for home.
The Polar Vortex has descended upon us, and, at this writing, it’s a mere −17°, and if it’s any consolation, this is as cold as it’s going to get. We had significant snow during the last two days, but it has moved out, leaving clear skies and bright sunshine—and these sub-frigid temperatures—in its wake. Fortunately, it won’t stay this way for long as it’s going to gradually warm up throughout this week. Tomorrow, for example, it’s supposed to be 7° and even reach above freezing by the weekend.
On mornings such as this, I realize just how fortunate I am to have this wonderfully warm and comfortable house, plenty of food and drink, and this cluttered writing desk with my trusty old MacBook doing what it does best. I also think of those who have nothing, or very little, and are struggling to survive this dangerous condition. Makes one wish there was something that could be done immediately to ease their plight. Even two tiny birds struggled past my window a few minutes ago, no doubt seeking some kind of shelter from this arctic day, and I can’t be sure if they will succeed in doing so since, for them, there’s just no place to go!
So I will spend much of today getting caught up here and continue the revisions and edits for The Bet. I will check the blogs I follow to gain some further inspiration. And I will be thankful for being inside, warm and safe. I hope the same for all who read this. Be careful…CortlandWriter
Down Many Roads... 
As we braced for the onset of the bitter cold yesterday, I, too, thought of how lucky I am to have a warm home in which to take shelter. Too many people don’t. It’s so easy to complain, but if we take some time to be grateful, we can usually take it down a notch or two. 🙂
Your weather is heading our way, not the snow but below average temperatures. Here in Charlotte, NC we’re going to shatter our record low tomorrow morning. It’s predicted to be 8 degree with wind chills at -11. That’s cold for the south. My heart goes out to those living on the streets. I can only pray they find shelter. Boy, you’re cranking out the stories. I’ll have to check out your short story…nice job!