The month of the rodent is upon us. Run out and get yourselves some buckteeth and a shadow. Tomorrow people all over will be worshiping a cute little rodent known as a groundhog. If you are dressed as one, you will be able to win the heart of that special someone. However, the Hedgehog family from Big, Bad Bob down to darling, little Baby Bob does not wish to participate in this activity. No rodent is as cool as a hedgehog and few are as prickly.

So I spent part of the day scrubbing down my lovely abode. That is what I normally do on Saturdays. I also watched too much television. That is a big shocker coming from me. Luckily, the Waldorf to my Statler came over to break up the monotony of my life. She brought me episodes of The Muppet Show to watch. We have to watch ourselves in action every now and again to remember what heckling is all about. Anyway, off to heckling fun. Sweet dreams and happy heckling.

I don't have it kids. I just don't have it. That little spark of humor that makes this shell worth hacking is burning down someone else's house. I am trying to find it by watching Joe Millionaire. All I have found is the deep desire to blesser the idiots who visit France and don't even know that one key word: Bonjour. Bleh, as if my opinions of people weren't already being drowned. Oh well, smile a little for me because I don't have one to give right now. Sweet dreams.

It has been a long time since I posted here, and no one complained? Are you slipping? Are you sleeping better and no longer in need of my insomnia cure? Are you so busy following my love advice columns? Or have you just stopped loving the glorious words of Bella? Naw, you have just decided to respect my right not to post.

I haven't been posting due to a general unpleasantness that crept over me and tried to smother me. I seem to be much better today, so I have decided to bust out some lines for my homies. I have also decided to make this an intriguingly worded entry.

It was a good day--a day filled with happy, shiny people. All my little girls are slowly getting engaged. Soon, I will be all alone with my kitties and my love letter. It has still not escaped its mere 38 pages, but I have five days and perhaps, I shall find the time to beef it up before then. So much to do and so little time, keep smiling and remember that Bella wuvs you.

Ah, the month of love comes to us with a downpour of snow. I can make myself the man of my dreams out snow, and he can fade just as fast as all my dreams of love. Ironically enough, no man has tried to fill my Valentine's Day with plans and dreams. I am not too surprised. They are all afraid that they would fail to win the competition. Miss Kewl, on the other hand, has offered to let me crash her party, so this could be the coolest Valentine's Day ever. She is, after all, the Marianne to my Cybil and the Patsy to my Eddie. If you don't get it, rest assured that it makes me giggle.

Last night I went to hang out with my Monday Mormon family. We almost got snowed in, but the Dani-mobile made it out and up the street above mine with no trouble. I got to walk through the snow to my house with leftover brownies. You can imagine how happy my kitties were to see me and sniff my feet. For some reason they have to check and make sure I am not cheating on them with other babies--so paranoid.

For those of you who wonder about my deep love, adoration, and respect for my cats, I defy you to find one man with loyalty and strength enough to stand by me through anything. BTW, if you find him, send him on over with a box of roses, some chocolate, and some really big sweatpants for me (I'll need them if he brings chocolate of acceptable quality and quantity).

Work wasn't too exciting--just stickers and fiche as per usual, so I have to rant about something. What can I rant about? Hmmmm, I ranted about love and catching hobbit hearts last month. It has been a while since...why yes...I think I have it.

TOP TEN T-SHIRTS BELLA WANTS FOR VALENTINE'S DAY

10. Stuffed animals--unfailing dance partners since 1980
9.
B=Beautiful
E=Extraordinary
L=Lovable
L=Librarian
A=Angel
8. More Mormon than the Moon since 1998
7. Born to Be Bodacious
6. Bella's Harem's Happenin' Hobbit Hafla 2003
5. Bodacious and Kewl--We Got Your Dreams Right Here
4. Living It Up When You Look Down to See Me
3. Cookie Queen--I Am the Best After All
2. I Know I'm Cute, Obviously You Do Too
1. Lawn Gnome Dancers Union

I spent last evening in the company of dear friends. Mezon and I went to the Beanery to acquire some delectable food and hang out. Then he went home to his computer (She is sexier than me to most geeks.) Then I rushed home to meet up with Shelby and her lovely daughter. We went to find some Hallmark Day Cards for her daughter's class. Ah, the vague memories of decorated shoe boxes and heart-shaped candies--not to mention little kids reluctantly forking over cards to other kids that they don't feel much love for.

Then we got some dessert at Eat-n-Park. MMMMMMMM, sugar. I realized that I have a high gravitational pull for little kids. After all, little Faith insisted that I sit next to her while we ate. I know I'm cute and funny, but somehow it loses its affect when I have my nose buried in a Sundae cup. Then I went home to listen to harassing messages on my phone. Such is life.

This morning, I found myself wandering through the stacks in search of revelation, a bathroom, and a water fountain that doesn't distribute paint or paint thinner. In the midst of my travels, a book caught my attention. It wasn't shiny or bedecked with jewels, nor did it have my name on it, so I have no idea why it got my attention. I picked it up and perused it. It seems to be about women and writing and the changing of women's roles and people's willingness to accept their writings, particularly where it applies to anthropological works.

So this got me thinking about the love letter that I am writing and how disturbed people seem to be by the thought. I guess as Valentine's Day is almost here, I might want to clarify. This is not a long missive about the five million six hundred eighty eight thousand reasons that I love me. It would best be described as a novel. I am writing myself a novel to show that I love me.

See my new years resolutions from last year if this concept confuses you. Someday, I may finish it, and then you can all flock to stores and show your support for the continued writings of Bella by buying a copy. You can also show that support by sending me money. I may be serious--go ahead and send some to find out, or I can set up a PayPal account to make that easier for you, so let me know.

Ah, the day of love. I netted a rose this year. Only the ladies love me, but love is good. Oh, wait, I had a man who wanted to be my Valentine. Rodney is my Valentine. He gave me some fuzz and some scratches. As I was not feeling up to going to work, I called in sick and stayed home with my Valentine. We watched television and slept and I made an appearance at Friday Forum for some delicious taco salad.

So most people's minds are turned to love this evening. Mine is turned to making the phone stop ringing. Some days the phone is just annoying, especially if it is bringing odd news or nothing of interest. Well, perhaps someone will prove me wrong. It is nice when that happens from time to time. Anyway, I have a love letter that wants me. Have a sweet one, darlings. Remember that I love you, so you are not without love.

So I skipped church this morning. The snow outside was almost higher than me. You have no idea how scary that can be to a hobbit. Well, maybe some of you do if my co-hobbit is still reading this lovely masterpiece. Looks like I have a snow day tomorrow. That should give me more time to work on my love letter. I think it was Thomas Mann who said, "A writer is one for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people." He wasn't kidding. Ah, the volumes I could write on that subject alone, but I won't.

I have also spent some time trying to clean up my picture collection. This means that I spent some time cutting my cat out of random pictures. I have other pictures but like the crazy cat chica that I am, I have a million of him. Anyway, it's been a long day and even that five hour nap doesn't seem to have killed my need for sleep. Have a good one and get a few Zs yourself.

Icicles glint so pretty in the sunlight
But they do not give me power to write
Of the crystal dreams that fill my time
And give way to verse and rhyme

Blankets of snow, caressing the earth
To a winter wonderland giving birth
And easing my mind into a gentle sleep
Where heroines come out to weep

And so angels rise and queens are born
And women kneel once more to mourn
In a world where everything seems
Realer than life--these crystal dreams

White blankets of snow have swept once more over my world. The angels have thrown some thick, down comforters across the landscape, making roads and meadows indistinguishable until the first brave car clears a path. These comforters do not bundle us in warmth, however, they emanate cold. This cold sinks into our very bones, sending us fleeing to soup and cocoa and dry electric heat. Yes, the snow kept falling last night after I finished typing and covered our world with even more fluffy whiteness.

I woke up early (for me on a day off), and wandered into the living room to watch television and ponder the continuation of my love letter. 42. Yes, it is the answer to the question. In this case, the question is, "How many single-spaced pages has Bella's love letter reached?" I aspire to overcome this hurdle this evening, but only time will tell. But who wants to read about writing, that isn't fun.

I also spent some time with my cats. For some reason, Rodney felt that he needed to stand outside my door and scream. Perhaps, he was practicing his singing, or else he was lamenting the loss of another ounce of food that he could have had. He also ran laps around the house with Ziggy for my personal gratification. I know they love me by how much time they spend entertaining me.

I also invited my neighbor up to have cabin fever in my house instead of his. Everyone can be bribed with breakfast for dinner. We had pancakes and bacon. Yeah, I am a real wild cook. I seem to be understocking my kitchen these days. I need to live with people who give me a reason to cook. As much as I love my cats, I am not cooking them full course meals. Anyway, I have other joys to write, so keep a smile in your heart for me and let it out the next time you see someone who looks sad.

Oh, hobbitting we will go
Through these fields of snow
Until one of us falls in a drift
And the others his fat body lift
With much toil and trial
Then we'll stop for a while
And eat a lovely lunch
We're such a merry bunch
As we go sliding along once more
Until a hobbit disappears like before
And we pull him out, return to Bag End
And drink cocoa by the fire in the den

As you can imagine, coming to work this morning was great joy for me. I only got buried in the snow a couple of time. Some of those snow drifts really are over my head. Someday, perhaps, they will plow the street (a.k.a. hill) that I live on. I think the sun will come out and melt it away before they get to that. Of course, if the sun doesn't shine long enough, I will have a skating rink for a road.

I have spent another glorious day with the microfiche. Apparently, they missed me during my five day siesta from them. I must address an important issue. I don't speak Spanish (I know about ten words), yet I keep using them. Also, a careful inspection (Pay attention, this is what happens when you are snowed in.) reveals that Annabella Ordena is a name with meaning. Annabella is an Italian name that roughly translates as "Beautiful Grace" and Ordena is Spanish for "to order" (third person singular) and Portuguese for "to command" (third person singular). So I am Beautiful Grace Commands. Sounds rather powerful and regal, doesn't it. At least I am aptly named for an IMPress.

Slogging home through the snow was not befitting of an IMPress, but one does what one must. After all, ruling the fiche is fun but who will spoil my cats if I do not come home? You must weigh these important concepts against each other. I don't have much else to journal about, so I will have to come back later and give more information.

Looks like I was wrong. There seems to be a moron with a snow plow having mucho fun outside my house. Granted it is a little after 10pm and I shall be going to bed soon, but he did make it here. *cheer* Of course, my road will be real ice in the morning, but I bought shoes with real traction. They are black, Sketcher boots and I hope to make them last three or four winters. Why? Because as a rule I don't buy sensible shoes. It interferes with my deeper desires to go hurtling down my stairs on my butt.

In case you have not heard, I got my new Nourith album. I am so excited. I guess there is still a little of the French major in me. Yeah, I already know how people feel about the French right now. Don't spam me with your hate mail. I am too busy with my love letter to read it anyway. Speaking of, for some reason, this music makes me want to write about love and life and endless dreams, so sleep well and I will see you on the snowy morrow, lovies.

I woke up. I put on some clothes. I skidded down the hill, which was not as plowed as it should have been. In fact, I think the guy must have given up when he was halfway through because one of the roads that intersects at my house was not even touched by a plow. Of course, this gives me something exciting to talk about--the fact that my new boots work wonderfully. I know you are all relieved. After all, if I were to fall down and break something, I would be so despondent that I would not be able to provide you with journal love. *hands out journal love*

Work didn't bring any enlightenment or much to mock today. I can only make so many top ten lists about barcodes and microfiche before people get bored and stop reading this fabulous monologue. I picked up a few books from the shelves to occupy my break time and bring me knowledge. It's always fun to learn something new. For instance, did you know that Bella has two degrees? Yes, she has not been a college student for almost two whole years.

Well, wish I could make you laugh, but my brain is retiring. Perhaps, I will find some scrap of humor later. Keep loving me.

Have you felt it falling
Bathing your silken cheeks
Like something calling
That your heart seeks?

Have you wept aloud
And wept so alone
Wrapped in a shroud
Of cloth unknown?

Have you ever dreamed
This winter rain would remind
Of a moment that seemed
The one to heal your mind?

But now you see no rain
No pleasure, no warm caress
Can wipe away your pain
And give back happiness

Open your eyes, open your heart
Let the truth come through
Only then can a new start
Belong entirely to you

I almost got plowed this morning. On my way down the hill, the snow plow was coming up it, and I could not find a sidewalk, just snowbanks higher than my beautiful little head. It's not easy being a hobbit at moments like that, but I managed to find a bare spot between two cars to stand in. I was actually pondering how hard it was going to be for them to plow the snow left in the road since it had started to turn to ice when they appeared. They proved my hypothesis correct and I am now considering my future as a scientist of common sense. Of course, they may have had an easier time of it had they not had the plow turned completely over so it looked like an arc instead of up and down like a "C".

Ah, to be young and innocent. A lot of children came out to Friday Forum today. They enjoyed their cookies almost as much as I enjoyed mine. After all, everyone knows how I feel about cookies. My head, on the other hand, is all woozy, so I think it is time to invest in a better pillow. I am pretty sure my wooziness and my stiff neck are related problems and so I must blame the pillow:)

I wish something interesting would happen, so I could wow you with my antics, but it just isn't happening. I haven't laid an egg. I haven't danced naked with the moon. I haven't been proposed to by a photocopier lately. Even more shattering, I haven't found the hobbit or elf or dwarf or human of my dreams to whisk me away and reinstate my belief in love. Why do I care? I think I am getting to the point where I don't and that scares me.

The real excitement in my life is the fact that Ziggy is growing hair. Ziggy is Rodney's companion animal. She has had hairless patches on her neck for over a year now that I can't quite explain. All sorts of weird things seem to have been happening to her while I was at work in those days. *shakes her head sadly* I can't be everywhere at once. She is getting better though and that is the important thing. Maybe I will have a grand unveiling of her hairy neck when she finally heals completely. Now that would be exciting. I could even post pictures. *hmms loudly* You know, Ziggy needs a web page and Rodney still wants a comic--more projects for my free time.

I spent the night at a friend's house last night. I spent lots of time tying bows. First I made bows to put on some invitations and then I tied bows to candy for a friend who is running for a position in student government. I am not at liberty to advertise for her here (it's one of the campaign rules), but if you ask, I can give you that info by word of mouth.

I spent most of today sleeping and going to church. I know that comes as a huge surprise to those of you who have been reading this for a while. Then I came home and got the sleep that the acres of ribbon stole from me last night. Now, I am off to get tonight's sleep. Have pleasant dreams and a great day.

I just read my last journal entry. It reminds me of my first grade reading book. That is not good--not good at all. I think that must have been a slow day for me, not that today is any better. I haven't been updating you on the ups and downs of my life because it has just kept me too busy. I haven't even spent much time with my cats which means that when I am around they jump on me and try to hold me down so that I can not get away. So what have I been up to?

Let's see. I have been sanding and painting hearts and circles. I have been performing my civic duty of spreading lamb love to the earth. In other words I got to make lots of lamb stencils for a project I am working on. I got to play with more ribbon and magnets and all sorts of fun stuff like that. I got to hang out with my lovely Monday Mormon family and some great friends. I spent lots of time typing a long letter to my brother. If you want to send him a letter, too, e-mail it to me and I will print it out and send it. His name is Joe and he loves mail:) He's being deployed, so he needs some entertainment.

I also gave blood yesterday. Woowho. Someone somewhere is going to be pumped full of Bodacious Bella blood and feel a little tipsy on the happy shininess of it all. You all want to know my blood type so you know not to be involved in any major accidents, don't you? Well, I am not telling, so you will just have to be uber careful. They all but promised me a bruise and a rainbow of colors, but I see neither of these things. I guess that is a special reward for the people who jerk their arm away and scream when the needle is going in. I don't get it--it didn't hurt, it just felt funny having a cold needle poked into my vein.

I also have been meaning to post something in response to an e-mail that I got from my listserve for Bodacious, Darling Belly Dancers. 'I've seen a bumper sticker that says "Caution! Belly Dancer on Board: Car may shimmy without warning"...' Well, it occurs to me that we need more awesome bumper stickers for all the hip shakers and eight makers of the world, so I have come up with some more cool belly bumper stickers.

BELLA'S BODACIOUS BELLY BUMPER STICKERS

10. Alice the Camel Ain't Got Nothing on These Hips
9. Honk if You Love Bellies
8. Wiggling on the Way to Work
7. Don't Worry, I'm Trained to Shimmy if You Can't Drive
6. Please Donate: I Make Figure Eights, not Eight Figures
5. My Camel is Better Than Your Car
4. Sharki Raqs the Casbah
3. Driver not Crazy: She is Dancing in the Car
2. I'd Rather be Dancing
1. I Love my Belly's Dance, Don't You?