I’ve been writing a blog post all week – about the shorter days, the darkness, how it affects me and how I’m trying to accept it and maybe even embrace it – but I just can’t get it right (although I do have a great poem on darkness by Wendell Berry). So here I am instead with some photos and a little update.
Thanksgiving weekend was a quiet affair – Chris made this incredible dish and we watched “tick, tick…BOOM!” twice in a row, it was that good. The music of the late Jonathan Larson just fills my soul with joy. Here is a link to a trailer for the film, and here is a link to my favorite song from the musical. Such beauty. And such an incredibly talented artist who left us way too soon.
I’ve been plowing through the Chief Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny – maybe if I spent a little less time with Armand Gamache and a little more time working on my writing I’d get further with that blog post! I do love the series, though. Seventeen books! What an absolute embarrassment of riches! It’s fun to be reading through the series at the same time as Chris and my dear friend Beth. Beth and I are both about 8 books into the series, while Chris is on book one and gaining.
Chris and I binge-watched the sixth season of Shetland over the last several days – such a great series, initially based on the Shetland series of novels by Ann Cleeves (and now inspired by said novels). Ann Cleeves also wrote the Vera Stanhope novel series that has inspired its own television series, Vera. We love both shows. I never thought I’d be such a fan of murder mysteries. I really don’t like anything too dark – but series like Gamache, Shetland, and Vera are really more character study than murder. The murder investigation seems to be a vehicle for showing us different aspects of the characters.
Work is just the right amount of busy at the moment, and will be too busy soon, but it’s all good. There have been a few Covid near misses (possible exposures) and a couple direct hits (coworkers actually coming down with it) in the last several weeks, but I wear my mask religiously, don’t leave my cubicle unless I have to, and hope for the best. I also got my booster!
Christmas is coming! Last year I did all sorts of baking and drying of fruit and making of homemade ornaments and gifts. This year is going to be considerably more low-key. No tree this year because I just don’t feel like spending most of my energy keeping Pokey from destroying it, but I have decked the halls a bit. Christmas cards were sent out and reached their recipients (at least the US recipients) so quickly it seemed to me like some kind of Christmas magic. I’m collecting some recipes for making yummy goodies for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (I seem to be strongly drawn to puff pastry and bought a couple boxes at the grocery store today in case there’s a run on puff pastry closer to the holiday).
I’ll continue working on that post about winter’s darkness and will have it to you soon (as long as Armand cooperates)!
Love,
Michelle xoxo