solsticing

And light returns to the day, to the season. I'm so tired of waking up at 5:30 am in the deep dark before dawn and having to wait for the light. I write, read poetry, sometimes I knit, drink coffee, I even write and answer emails until the sun returns.  This morning we were greeted by a thin coat of snow that feel during the night and all was quiet and peaceful -- even the sunrise was quiet by Taos standards.

odes (to socks, yarn, poetry, winter, & pajamas)

Copies of Adobe Walls: An anthology of New Mexico Poets, arrived a few days ago.  My lightweight poem called Odes is in it. It was fun to write and it feels good to see something published.

The last two pairs of socks in my so-called inventory went out the other day to a friend in Santa Fe. I've started working on another pair using the wonderful aloe/jojoba infused yarn from Austermann. More on that later.

As this dark month begins to come to a close (hooray!) I'm devoting more of my time to unfinished writing projects, unfinished knitting and my unfinished life. Sorting and tossing things out in all categories. Occasionally I find something I'd forgotten about, like the sketch books with all the designs I never got around to knitting. (I recall that I enjoyed the drawing and designing more than the thought of actually making them!).

The morning is full on now and I will soon get back to the work at hand. No one I know has died this week and I'm feeling fine. I will be so glad to see 2013 go as I hope for many wonderful things in 2014. For you, for me, for everyone on the planet. It is nearly a consensus around here, as I talk to friends and acquaintances, that this year has been a difficult one for everyone on many levels.

What was right yesterday
is wrong today.
In what is right today,
how do you know it was not wrong yesterday?
There is no right or wrong,
no predicting gain or loss.
     Zen Master Ryokan (trans. Kazuaki Tanahashi)