A short walk out into the evening tonight after my Play Lab online. Charlie was already asleep, wouldn’t budge. It was very calmly cold and still. Animal sounds in the distance. A waxing moon in a starlit sky. In my slippers. The chill on my cheeks. The happiness of a very stimulating play lab, with guest actors. I was tired this evening, after a two nap day; and I hoped my energy would rise to the occasion. Without difficulty, it did. Such a sparkful creative evening. I love leading this lab. And earlier, I did not have the energy for poem submission today, and that’s okay. I woke very early with Frank and we went on a ride in the car before sunrise looking at lights. Then I swam, a good hearty swim, longest one this week. And soon, my sister arrived for our annual making of cheese puffs, squeezing in this quick chance before we must bring them to a party next weekend. The ritual of mom’s recipe. It was fun. But I made many trips up and downstairs, going looking for items I’d needed and packed away. It was nice to see my sister. To think of our mother and miss her. To have my youngest shredding cheese and dipping puffs and talking and talking to my sister about life. As always, missing my mother at Christmas. And grateful I get to be a mother here at Christmas for mine.