Just One More Week

On  Monday, December 21 the Winter Solstice will occur at 5:02 a.m.

This is my favorite time of the year. Not because I like winter - which I don't. It's my favorite time because the days will start to get longer.

I will likely be awake for this event. I tend to wake up around 5 a.m. and then doze until I get up at 7. I usually get to see the sunrise between dozes as there is a sliding glass door that faces south east directly across the room from my bed.

I like being able to see what's happening outside first thing in the morning. I know if it's raining (though I can usually hear it before I see it) or cloudy.

So far, the "winter" (it's not officially winter yet) has not been too difficult, though our first storm is predicted for tomorrow. 

I know there will be many challenges during the next few months. COVID-19 cases are increasing and there are fewer places to stay safe since it's too cold to spend much time outdoors. At the Council on Aging, we had hoped to begin offering indoor, in-person exercise classes to those seniors who do not own computers and therefore can't join the Zoom classes. That's not going to happen for a while.

This is the time of year that I send Christmas/Holiday cards to the people I do not see on any regular basis. For the last couple of weeks, I've been sending a card to just about everyone I know. I feel a real need to have some contact with people. I've always been sort of a loner and don't mind spending a lot of time by myself or only with my significant other. But I've reached my limit even though we haven't been totally isolated.

The positive side is that I've done lots of reading, lots of cooking, seen lots of DVDs and the U.S. Post Office is getting a little boost from all the stamps I've bought.

Winter 2015

This winter has really taken a toll on me. The snow, the cold, the extent of both. I'm functioning okay, but I'm certainly not at peak performance. My lack of postings is one of the results.

M. and I had an early January vacation in southern California. It was great. One entire week where the most we had to wear to keep warm was a sweater or light jacket. We heard others complaining about the cold, but it was like heaven to us. I thought that when we came back home, the worst of winter would be over and we could begin anticipating spring, which, despite the mud, makes me happy because the days are getting longer and the weather is getting warmer.

Ha! That week in January when we were away was just practice for the artic conditions in New England. That week in California is such a distant sensory memory even though it was just 6 weeks ago. At least the days are getting longer.

I have a lot of work to do. I agreed to give some cataloging workshops. Since I'm not teaching at Simmons SLIS-west this semester, I have more time and less money. I like giving CE classes. In, out, and no papers to grade. Of course, there are no relationships that build over the course of 12-14 weeks, but some of these people in CE programs I see 2 or 3 times.

I'm headed off for a chair Yoga class in a few minutes. After that, I have errands to run. When I get back home, I'll hunker down and get some serious planning done on those workshops. Now that I've put my intentions into print, I have to follow through.