Well, it has been a minute and a half since I last did a blog post. As is said, “Life is just one damn thing after another.”
We adopted a new dog, there was a family health crisis, followed by another possible crisis which turned out to not be a crisis, but suffice to say sleep and schedules have been somewhat lacking for the last few weeks. And, I have found it difficult to stay on top of things. My brain is playing old Calgon commercials on replay.
Another thing that is definitely not aiding my desire to get out of bed and be productive is the change in weather. My fibromyalgia and Reynaud’s are cold activated, and my pain is also triggered by low pressure systems, so this time of year is always a bit of slog because it is just one cold front after another until we properly settle into winter. Oh, and the ragweed….also very much not helping.
So, while this is, weather-wise, not my favourite time of the year, there are things that I do love. This is oatmeal, and soup, and stew, and chili weather. It is baking weather (who am I kidding, all weather is baking weather). It is snuggle up in bed just a little longer weather. It is wassail weather. It is mulled wine weather. It is tea in the evenings weather. It is hot tub weather.
And it is light in the darkness weather.
This is the time of year when culture, at least those in the Northern hemisphere, start with light-centric celebrations. And, I love them. I love bonfires, and jack-o-lanterns, and string of lights, and channukia, and luminaria, and sky-lanterns, and floating candles, and sparklers.
But, what I really love is the underlying shared concepts of being connected to one another and that there is always hope. I call this time Winterdark. It is a term used by myself and many friends to express the collective gatherings that happen toward the end of the Gregorian calendar year that center around the symbolism of light, evergreens, wheels turning, and the general sense that things continue and there is an end to all things and a beginning to new things. And, though I cannot really muster much energy to get out decorations or participate in much at the moment, I am looking forward to it nonetheless.
Maybe I should just start with a bit of stew and a cup a wassail.