You know, I often talk here about how I don’t have the time for…well, anything. This is, however, in direct contrast to what I actually keep saying to Jen. And to myself.

Namely that as the season arcs toward winter, I too need to slow things down. Not just take time away from work, but also ease up on things while I’m working as well.

As the world around us slows and rests, I think it’s good for people to retract and become more still during the winter months. We aren’t as far removed from the cycles of nature as we’d like to think.

Now this was significantly harder when we lived in Texas, where temperatures actually became quasi-tolerable at this time of year. I’d spend the next 4 months scrambling to do things outdoors while I could.

The climate up here, however, suggests a regular diet of indoor blanket & woodstove time from about mid-December to March.

Sometimes it even requires it…

And I am here for it.

This year we’ve even started “growing” a hydroponic herb “AeroGarden” in the kitchen.

I say “growing” because it’s been in there for over 2 weeks now and hasn’t done a damn thing. So I guess really what we’re doing is keeping some dirt that’s encased in conical plastic moist and very well-lit for 16 hours a day.

Daphne, however, is not necessarily thrilled about the prospect of spending half the year unable to go swimming…

Alas, so it goes when living in a place that has actual seasons.

She’ll be happy to play in the snow once we get some, and we’ll have her summer swim videos to get us by.

She’ll be even more excited about the changing of the seasons as we complete our arc away from the sun and lean back in toward its summer warmth.

As for me, I just need to figure out a way to settle down in both body and mind, and hibernate a bit this winter.

j.s.