I've been writing out my Christmas cards, with little to report for the year. Mostly I write about the weather--like, when will winter get here? We have just about no snow and I know it's not too cold because my electric bill was only $250 for the month of November. I have been good about keeping a hot fire going, more conscientious than in past years, so that no doubt helped keep the cost down.
What I mostly write about are my nieces, of whom I am so very proud. Anna is getting her doctorate in botany at the Univ. of British Columbia in Vancouver and Jenica is very successful as a library director, considering earning her doctorate as well. I'd like to say it's in their genes... Anyway, I'm really pleased and excited for them. On top of being such great achievers, they're both really nice people and I enjoy being with them.
I'll have a chance to be with Anna during Christmas week--she flies into Montreal next Saturday, and on Sunday we'll drive to Rhode Island together to spend the week with Liza and Mark. That will be great fun. Liza, Mark and I have really nice Christmases together, and having Anna will be a bonus. I usually see one friend during my Christmas break in RI, and expect to see her this year. She was a neighbor for several years when I lived in RI, and we sort of lost touch but re-discovered each other some years ago. Her sister was murdered and I was totally oblivious to the pain that caused at the time, but realized much later what an awful thing that was (and what a lousy friend I had been during that time). So Linda & I get together for a lunch/afternoon visit. Sometimes we go to Newport, sometimes we're on the other side of the bay.
I had a wonderful birthday. Almost worth turning 60 for. I won $100 on a gifted lottery scratch ticket, which wasn't even the highlight of my day. I had many calls, cards, greetings and feel cared about and loved. How lucky am I? I'm not thrilled at being my age (but then, who really is?) and take some comfort in the constant "You don't look 60" comments I hear. But let's face it, 60 is 60. I'm in good health (mentally and physically) and have a really nice life. I do worry about my future, and how I'll arrange my life when I get older. How many years can I continue to carry wood for? And will I be able to stay on OHR, spending so much time alone? I know Annie Holt will be spending more time there, but basically my nearest neighbor is half a mile away, and that's not even someone I spend much time with. Pat & Jim will be there, though they're in their 70's now. Oh I don't mean to sound dreary, I'm just thinking.
I started weaving baskets for Christmas presents (swell, now I've ruined the surprise)--spent hours last weekend trying to figure out a pattern that used to come easily to me. I've already accepted the fact that I can't shape baskets anymore, but to have so much trouble with a simple pattern was really depressing. I finally mastered it but made too many mistakes in the final product to do anything with it but burn it. Then I made some baskets that I KNEW I could make. Do I enjoy making them as much as I used to? I don't think so, but maybe it will come back to me. I'm not sure why I soured on basketmaking. I was working full time and weaving in every spare moment, which was tiring and less fun than doing it just when I wanted to. I had a good business with lots of wholesale customers. I'm amazed at how many baskets I made and how easy it was for me to weave. Yes, I still enjoy the process of seeing something evolve as I weave--but my level of skill is not what it used to be and that's frustrating.
This weekend I hope to get a Christmas tree & put it up. A tabletop tree again--that seems to work really well and is easy for me to handle alone. I think I'll buy one; I've been scouting on my land and don't see anything that's big enough yet small enough to cut down. So I'll buy a bigger one and cut it in half. Or something. I like having a tree--partly because I love to display my collection of ornaments, and partly because I like the sparkly lights in my house. White lights or colored? I like colored on the indoor tree but have white lights on an outdoor tree. Some years no one but me sees my tree, which doesn't bother me. This year I'll share the tree with Anna.
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