As November settles in cold and gray, winter is no longer just a memory.

[Atticus]

The north wind flings razorblades at any naked flesh and the sun plummets away too soon behind leafless trees.
Outside chores are now confined to trudging to and from the wood crib and shovelling now-and-then snow.

"Inside Time" has begun.

Inevitably, sitting inside our houses leads to looking inside ourselves and wondering if we'll again see the grass green and the goldfinches gold.
While holidays will brighten the dying year's remaining days, January and February loom dark and lonely just ahead.

Maybe having enough to eat, clean water, a warm dry bed---and our democracy---are blessings we will then have time to count and appreciate.

[Ninga]

1. So peaceful, lovely and true.

[cachukis]

2. Poignant.

[Stuart G]

3. K & R Thank You...You sure got that one right!!

[2naSalit]

4. Indeed. That's what I'm fixin to do.

I am thankful for the shelter, food, proper clothes and transportation that I have every day. I have been without all those things in the past so not a day goes by that I am not thankful to have what I have which appears to be all I need other than friends.

I have been gathering the components needed to complete a few projects that require indoor time and a bit of isolation that winter brings. We're well into winter here, I'm hoping that I can get it together on the next day above freezing I can deal with some bulbs I got but the 0 degree temps over the next several nights might blow that out of the water.

I have things to do, mostly creative stuff, so I'm ready. It's when I do a lot of reflection too.

[malthaussen]

5. I miss it, myself.

Been five years since I've seen a proper winter. Hurricanes are definitely no substitute.

-- Mal

[Boomerproud]

6. I will try mightily to get in a good, productive frame of mind.

Winter is extremely hard on me physically and emotionally. The holidays don't help.