Thoughts on a Wintery Day
It's cold today. I'm all wrapped up in my snuggly coat, but my fingers are icy, and I think I need a cup of tea or hot chocolate to get warm again. Little sparkles of snow are falling lightly outside my window. The ground is dusted white from yesterday's snow fall, and the trees nearby are almost all bare now.
Last night as the snow was falling and the sky was darkening, I watched a little white and black cat run through the park behind our house, looking for shelter. It was such a cold, windy night that I wanted to dash outside and catch the cat, and bring it into the house to get warm, but I think that even if I had been able to catch it, my parents wouldn't have let it stay. I was worried for it all night, but this morning as I sat down at my desk, I saw it again! It must have found somewhere nice and warm to spend the night, and that makes me glad.
I keep thinking of my favorite things about winter. I love the frost on the leaves and the ice lace on the window, the intricate designs of the snow flakes and the whiteness of the sky. Maybe it was too many fantasy movies and fairy tales as a child, or my formative years being spent in Washington, where the air was milder and the snow was rare and brief when it came, but winter has always fascinated me. I think soon I'll try and make a post with all my favorite things about this season, and share the beauties of it with you all.
I've been feeling strange lately. I think my heart is getting as soft as it was when I was a child. Everything seems to move me so deeply; the good things send me over the moon with delight and the bad things are like gut-punches. The recent events in India made me weak with heartsickness. I heard the first announcements when I was at work, when they thought maybe four people were dead, and by the time I sat down for dinner the estimated death toll was over eighty. It made me ache to see the numbers grow so much each day. Lately there always seems to be some new heartbreak, and maybe it's the fact that Christmas is so close now, but each day the news seems to hurt me more.
On a happier note, a I had a lovely thanksgiving. My aunt found out she was pregnant a few months ago, and she just finally got big enough to show. I couldn't help but smile when I notice.
Dinner was a more casual affair than normal, everyone just sort of talked and grazed and hung out. In the evening my little sister got out the dress-up clothes, and my little cousins dressed up and danced around the living room with her, twirling pieces of tulle. (I called it their "dance of the seven veils".) Then I didn't have work for the rest of the week, and have sort of just been laying around the house, idly writing or scrap booking or watching TV. I have work tonight, but it was such a nice little vacation that I don't really mind. ^^
Also, on Saturday Mama finished making my graduation present, my first lolita dress. I love it, love it, love it. I don't have any photos yet, but I will try and get some up here as soon as I can. Until then, I leave you with this sketch!
