"Can we run around?"

We had that wonderful week of no heat on, open windows, warm temps, but that's gone now. We've had several days of cold weather and snow is threatened tonight. And for the weekend, a cold, hard rain.

But that's OK, it is a last gasp. The warm weather will be here within a week or two, to stay for good.

The kids at recess ran around like pinballs on the playground, crashing into each other, red cheeks, and cold hands. They would stop occasionally to scream, "I'm cold!" only to run off again before I could answer, them laughing hysterically just with the joy of being alive and breathing air.

I remember how it felt when I was that age. It felt like my legs were pistons and could pump up and down forever, whether running or on the bike.

I bring a kindergarten class of kids to the gym every day to sit and wait to be picked up by car. A few weeks ago we were the first class in there. So there's this huge empty gym and 8 kids...of course the first thing they did was ask me if they could run around. I said yes.

Today was a time when we were the first class again, and not missing a beat, the first thing they asked was "Can we run around??" Of course I said yes. Seeing 8 little kids running around in circles, laughing hysterically, made my day. We give them playstations, barbie dollhouses, iPads, and all they need is a big empty room...and maybe a box.

If you enjoy quiet, character-driven movies, I watched Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont, starring the wonderful Joan Plowright. It was a great little gem out of the UK, and I recommend it. The Rockford Files still has enormous appeal after 40 years and is available on Netflix, and also Youtube I think. My observations: The desert around Malibu is empty and undeveloped, there are phone booths everywhere, and Mr Garner was very handsome at that stage of his life.

This weekend will hold no mystery for me. I am still making my way through Willa Cather's "O Pioneers!" and will make soup to combat the cold rain. Naps, church, and maybe doing a load of dishes and there you have my very important, fancy weekend.