We are coming up on the holidays. It is mid-December. A year ago, I wrote this:
“I am off from work for 9 days. I have housework and cleaning to do, but will also spend some time reading and relaxing. But, not today, as this will most likely be the last holiday season that I spend at this house, I am cleaning out old stuff. It is not a good thing to do. Too many memories catch you by surprise. How do you throw things away that you can’t take with you?”
It was the last holiday there. This year I am in the desert southwest. There is no snow here. No cold temperatures. No ice on the windshield. The heavy coats, hats, and sweaters are packed in the back of the truck, buried under a layer of gear that is currently more useful.
The last few places I camped in October, were fall like. Leaves were changing colors, and early morning temperatures started going below 40, even if the days were still in the low 70s. It felt a little like autumn. But then I arrived here where it was more like late summer. I still wear shorts and short sleeved t-shirts. It is a little confusing, as all the references of the seasons gained over 60 years are gone. My friends and family tell me about the cold and snow. It is like they live in another dimension.
Perhaps this can be rectified. The day after Christmas, I will drive to Phoenix. The next morning I will catch a flight to Minneapolis, where I will join friends for a few days of cross country skiing in Upper Michigan.
They who sing through the summer
must dance in the winter.
Italian Proverb
Starting All Over 