#NewThisDay Writing From My Photo Stream
Enough snow to simply enjoy walking. Some bare spots under trees, and so many broken branches on the ground, skiing would have been impossible. But it was so fresh and pleasantly chill and the sun was out so early, eagerly, decidedly. Brightness of day woke me fully up: such a cheerful sky today over the fresh snow. I walked for a long time and listened to the Adrienne Rich biography and took my time. It was such a cheerful day overall: we went carefully and quickly into some stores with my youngest and her boyfriend to look at some furniture as they are moving soon. It was so pleasant to be out and about with them alone for a change. The real errand of the day was the Christmas tree, which this daughter is tasked with picking out each year. It’s her eye. Her choice. We follow her around the lot and let her pick and choose; she picks so well. We load the beauty in the car, we buy some evergreen garlands for indoors. The tree, set up in the living room, fresh and undecorated is intoxicating. I don’t want to leave the room where I have lit the fire. Then, my daughter and her boyfriend do the most wonderful thing: they work on the train setup in the dining room, adding a train, adding some track, adding in some items I picked out for the scene, and magic! It’s perfect. Frank takes out the elves: all of the elves his mother has gifted the family over the years, and there are many, and they are now standing around the house reminding us of her. The decorations have begun; a festive warmth and homey pleasant feeling all day. Tonight, I led the bi-monthly open mic with an exquisite poet, Laurie Lambeth, as the feature. The open mic too, and all the voices. It’s Sunday night. I don’t know if my week is ending or beginning or just blending one to the other. I sent my Aim for Astonishing weekly prompt much later in the day than usual. I wrote about finding, mysteriously, a photo of my father on Christmas Day in 1978 in the middle of my floor yesterday, inexplicably. I felt his presence in such a lovely way all day.