minor announcement

Winter, they tell me, is the time to reflect, plan, and generally stay out of trouble. So that's what I'm going to do. I'm generally overloaded, overwhelmed, over-just-about-everythinged and nothing is going particularly well, so I think I'm just going to shut the hell up and take a break from me.

unseasonal

So, yeah, it's 68 degrees here today and I feel totally and completely confused, stupid, nostalgic, lost and in general a complete mess. I think it's because when you more or less grow up and stay in one place, combinations of temperature and light and wind and color all signal a particular season, and, just like smells, these seasonal associations are directly bound into one's limbic system, complete with emotional rather than rational responses. Then when we get an unseasonably nice day (or, at the opposite end of the wheel, an unseasonably cool and breezy day) I start coming off the spool. Like my thinking brain hasn't had time to process clues about changes and so was caught completely off guard.

My family, god bless 'em, is used to this behavior. They don't understand why I walk outside, burst into tears and run back in, and when pressed for reasons, sob something about it being "so ni..ni..nice out!" but they are patient with the poor crazy old cat lady.

John's outside screaming curses to the heavens again. Must have blown a fuse (literally - the air compressor, I'd guess.)

Still haven't taken down the Christmas decorations. First I was still enjoying them, now I'm just too lazy. Spring fever in January? Sure feels like it. Stupid January thaw.

Maybe I'll make some Garlic Soup for dinner - see if I can shake both the sore throat and the doldrums. So many interesting things I want to do this year.

But maybe I'll start tomorrow. Tomorrow's another day...up here on the Hill.

This has got to be some kind of record

Syracuse Hancock International Airport Lat: 43.12 Lon: -76.12 Elev: 404 Last Update on Jan 8, 1:54 pm EST

Mostly Cloudy and Breezy 68°F (20°C) Humidity: 45 % Wind Speed: SW 22 G 30 MPH Barometer: 29.90" (1012.1 mb) Dewpoint: 46°F (8°C) Visibility: 10.00 mi. More Local Wx: 3 Day History: I spent the afternoon planting bulbs. I haven't planted bulbs in January siince we moved up here.

My thoughts exactly.

Black Friday

I think it's terribly interesting that all day yesterday we were told to be thankful for what we had, realize our abundance and count our many blessings.

And all day today we're told that we really don't have any where near enough, certainly not our fair share, especially if we want to please others, so, by god, get out there and get MORE.

sigh

Thanksgiving

Since I've been grown and married, we've always used the Catholic grace:

Bless us, o Lord, and these, thy gifts, which we are about to receive from thy bounty. Through Christ, our Lord, amen.

When I was a kid, though, Thanksgiving and Easter were always at my Grandmother Bach's house, and she spoke, along with English, pretty good German. A good Lutheran, grace was always said before meals, and always this one:

Komm, Herr Jesus, sei Du unser Gast
und segne, was Du uns bescheret hast.

I was in high school before I learned what it meant. I still say it, in German, at Thanksgiving and Easter. Thanks, Nana.

Other holidays were spent with the Kerbaugh grandparents and relatives. Presbyterian and High Episcopal, they got right to the point:

Bless this food to our use and us to thy service, keeping us ever mindful of the needs of others. Amen.

If I feel formal, that's what I say. More often, though, I just say "Thank you, Mother, thank you. For everything. I am so blessed." Because that's pretty much how I feel.

I was going to do some big Thanksgiving post about what I'm thankful for (the hardships from which we learn, and hot water. Especially, hot water.) I found this, though, in Susan Wittig Albert's newsletter, and she says it perfectly:

Give thanks for material and spiritual blessings and for the challenges that teach us who we are and what we're made of. Spend time in the holiday kitchen. Love the kids, your partner, your parents, your neighbors (on this small planet, we're all neighbors). Share.

Aha! Here I thought it was *my* fault!