#NewThisDay Writing From My Photo Stream

Charles River Ice Image

First things first: dipping eggs for the hungry boy who comes into my room seeking breakfast. We play a card game a friend of his gave him: Old Maid. Yes, they still make and sell this game! He wanted to play so I didn’t bother killing the fun by trying to explain what a pejorative is, and instead taught him how to make pairs. It really was fun, this relaxed quiet time eating breakfast and playing. Then I went out into the woods to the river and looked at all the ice and felt the fresh cold on my cheeks and was happy and calm and grateful. So much ice on the brook. Then I swam and tended my plants. And I felt my energy returning from my rest yesterday and cleaned up the kitchen. In the afternoon I had a lovely visit from my dear friend so we could talk and talk and exchange gifts, but mostly talk! And playing pickle tonight with friends, I even had energy for that. It’s almost January. January the long, cold month of early darkness and snowstorms. What I remember liking about January from childhood is sledding and building snow forts for hours and hours and returning wet and cold and pink and hungry into the warm house and a hot bath and maybe some cocoa made with scalded milk to soothe an exhausted body.