I'm Ba-a-a-c-k: Random Tuesday Notes

   The new Swan and Iris went out last Friday. My mind has settled back into its usual contemplative ways rather than shrieking "GET ON WITH IT," so I can write about life in general.
    Somehow, it's hard to follow an earthquake. We've had snow, enough to send out the plows. I'm staying home as a public service to keep one less goofy driver off the road.
     Been watching the Olympics, or having them on as background noise. Nice opening ceremony with the FIrst Nations history. I just haven't been able to get excited about any of it. Likely the absence of Gordon Lightfoot  at the opening ceremonies impacted it. The events that I get geeked over have been relegated to the cable ghetto. The ice dancing was less than thrilling this year. The Russian couple with the sensitivity of a black face show to the Maori need to be stopped.
     Looking at seed sites. I want to plant an heirloom garden. Yeah, been hanging with Ms. Austen a lot this winter.
     Why did I write that as if it were a bad thing?
    

Notes from a Snowy Tuesday

    It's been snowing since last night. So far, maybe three inches covers the ground, enough to touch things up and make driving a growth experience. The open fields surrounding the house are the wind's sand tray, allowing it to push and pat the snow into swirls and against the back door. The wind also blows the snow over the road, laughing in the face of the road crew's hard work.
    I made sweet potato muffins for breakfast. I had mine with a smear of marmalade, some good stuff imported from the UK. Thick cut, a little bittersweet. Perfect.
   Orion's been out three times to tend to personal business and eat some snow.
  The Spouse is working from home, praise be to modern technology. He's in his space. I'm in mine. We have a movie to watch, enough tea and coffee and chocolate to see us through until the roads are rendered passible.
   Hopefully, we won't lose power. It gets flukey out here. It goes out for no discernible reason more often than not. It's gone out on days when no wind, no rain, no air conditioning drains it. As if it merely wants to grab coffee.
    That sounds good about now.

A Holiday I Can Live With

   

       This morning, Orion walked me in the fresh snow. It clings to the long-leaf pines at the forest preserve where we walk on days after storms due to less than optimal roads to our usual park. A silence gently embraced the silvered woods.   

    Solstice doesn't carry the emotional baggage that Christmas does. It's not been exploited commercially, and the weight of being expected to play nice with people who believe that DNA connection is an excuse to behave badly. It's a time in the quiet to think about winter aspirations, and to get busy working on them.

The extra seconds of light at the end of today remind us that it gets better from here. We certainly have storms to weather, but we are compensated by day digging in its toes just a little longer.

    Blessed Solstice, everyone.