Well, mark this on your calendar (well my calendar at least). In the mailbox this morning was what Canadians refer to as a "cheque." (This word, in fact, means precisely what Americans mean when they say "check" but they still have some, but not all, British spellings here. Other examples: "colour" and "labour.")

Anyhow, this cheque, with my name on it, comes from the company which publishes the magazine I have been writing for, and it is in payment for my first article (to appear in May). Woo woo! In books on writing, by writers, some talk about how that first cheque was such a big deal. There was even one guy who didn't cash it, but stuck a pin through it and put in on his bulletin board! This, to me, is carrying things too far. (I am planning, if you must know, in copying the cheque(ck) in full color(our) and having it somewhere I can take a gander when needs be. I'll take all the help I can get.)

In weather news, things are warming up. The snow on the garage is starting to look like icing sugar, with tiny icicles forming. My neatly scooped sidewalks are dry as a bone and the snow on the grass is shrinking. The sun is bright, the air is clear, and life in Cowtown is the best.