We had a very quiet Christmas; my mother was visiting and the Love Monkey & I didn't travel anywhere, which was WONDERFUL. I like visiting people but airports at Christmas are not my favorite. It's bad enough with just car traffic; I saw probably about 3 near misses in December. After the first one of those, I drove slowly and cautiously and got there eventually and without drama. yay.
I also had a cold for Christmas, and a new one for New Year's. HO HO HO! Jolly! We did get a tree this year. Usually we don't, since we're always away. I feel a special kind of environmental guilt getting a real Christmas tree; it feels like getting expensive cut flowers except it takes years longer to grow and moves out other, more useful crops. But I very much enjoy the fragrance and presence of a real tree, and at least it was a local one. The grower's probably getting 10x the amount for this tree than if he were to raise, oh, cabbage. Frances the cat fortunately has never been a climber, although she seems to prefer the tree water to her own. Yes, I just went and cleaned out her dish. Maybe she savors the piquant flavor of pine.
Did I mention I got a new job? I got a new job, in November. I am no longer an official slacker, although it severely cuts into my dyeing and sleeping-in time. I got lucky -- there was a space opening up where a lot of my friends are working, and it looked interesting and they were interested in me. Lucky, especially with things how they are right now. Lucky, so I gave a birthday present (what, don't I get to give presents on my birthday?) to Sisters of the Road, who does a good program of feeding people who need it in a way that keeps their dignity.
It is past the solstice now, and maybe in another month the sun will be up past 4:30 in the afternoon. Just have to make it through black February (the one-two punch of darkness & Valentine's day is not my favorite). I am already daydreaming about long summer afternoons and bright mornings. And peas. Hopefully this year will be a good one for peas. And raspberries. Damn, I better stop right now.
The cat surveys her twinkley-lit domain
