It is sunny and chilly outside today. Taking Boba out the side door to potty I sense the icy fingers caressing my body through a heavy sweat shirt. The warmth of the house was welcome, but
I need to brace myself and go out once again to get material for writing second semester class schedules. So that is my goal once I post this.

 To be truthful Cabin fever is setting in. I have not been out in the world since Christmas Eve and need to contact with humans  though the fur babies are company. Still ice is not my favorite footing for trips far from home tomorrow. Tomorrow I have some annual tests at the clinic so will go out then if the snow being once again predicted does as it has the past few nights fails to come.

Being home has caused me to get somethings done----freezer and fridge purged, laundry caught up, etc. Oh yes, there are still  chores to get done .  One is writing donation checks and getting them mailed off by Thursday. Not as big this  year due to gutter replacement and less income cutting into them but still feel the need to give what I can.

Not much of import here but I have blogged.

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The sky is slate. no, That is not right. Slate is darker. It is pewter but again the color is not right. Pewter has a slight glow to its surface and there is no glow to this sky. It is simply  grey  dim dull grey . That sky along with cold winds are accurate predictors of coming winter weather. Now it is raining which will be ice and/or snow. No need for the scientific weather forecasts when this type of weather sign is so evident.  All they can say is how long and how much but the sky and the wind they tell us  the major changes.

All day I have been thinking of the song A Cold Winter's Night by Sting. It is mid-evil in its tone, and while I can not find it, my mind repeats its tone and the mood of quiet survival it speaks of. Winter is a season ,at least for me, of reflection of days spent inside doing solitary tasks. It is a time of the year I hate due to ice and snow, but one I love for its beauty and the solitude offers.Fall will always be my favorite, but this time of year( the starving moon of the Lakota) is dear to me also.

The dogs are aware of a coming change. Put outside for potty time, there is little playtime as they run out and soon are at the door to come into the warmth. They find warm spots; an old fleece robe or a heat vent will do for them to flop on and to sleep. It is 3:30 now ,but as dark as it usually is at 4:30 or 5.  They are ready to hunker down for the night. Winston paces to the bedroom door and back. Zoe  goes to her kennel and lays alone. Boba finds a spot and waits for me to kennel him. It is too early, but the darkness of the day has them befuddled.

They are content in the warmth of the house and, I think ,in my presence. I ,too, am content the quiet of a grey day and the simple tasks and the lack of rush it grants me. 

Christmas and His faith

 It is cold windy and it is reminder that it is winter and not the false spring we have been enjoying. It is like forgetting one's age and overdoing an activity and the aches telling the body "hey hold on here." I need go out before the promised  rain comes. Christmas small presents need to be bought. Not much monetary value but reminding people I care is important to me.

Christmas has always been for me a time of family and friends--- a time of good memories and making new memories. It is a time for meditation and reflection on the good things the world we live and of the common humanity of all creeds and races. The word races bothers me if the truth is spoken, Skin color should not classify us. A person's actions define him  not his skin color.

Christmas is a time of faith but not While Christianity has named this period, we need to remember other faiths celebrate holidays of importance at this time of year---Jewish festival of lights, Kwanzaa and others. This year I have been saddened by the  sternest of "Christians"  who forget that Christ was a swarthy middle eastern man who looked like many of a faith now beginning demonized by narrow-minded people. Christ held his arms open to all men and accepted all. This new line of thinking, this idea of  being the chosen  brings images of ovens in prison camps and women made to be slaves to the men in their lives with no rights to property etc. It is a faith of exclusion and judgement: it is not the Fait that Jesus of Nazareth preached. I fear many of our leaders will not pass the eye of the needle test when their time comes.

But enough said this morning before i really get on my soap box as it  is Christmas and  I want it to be Christmas that Christ would be  happy with when he watches us celebrate his holiday.

Peace and live my readers.