Today the ongoing saga continues. We are stuck here. A new big storm is on the way. We still have power, food, and many comforts of home, so we're lucky. But we only leave this small studio for walks with the dogs - have not driven in days. Here's what I'm doing.
Reading: Tales of Love and Darkness by Amos Oz. This is a multi-generational memoir mostly set in Israel in a family of story-tellers, dreamers, scholars and unforgettable characters. It is elegantly written, so that every page is dense, delicious, and chewy like a fabulous fruity cake (not like the fruitcake that everyone hates!).
Watching: A series of DVD's of the complete UCSC course Introduction to Feminisms, taught to wild acclaim by Bettina Aptheker for the last 25 years, and without a doubt the most popular class at UCSC. It has now been made available in its entirety on a large set of DVD's, and is being sold as a set for only $20 at the UCSC Baytree Bookstore. This is a wonderful way to pass many hours and actually learn something!
Also: Making oatmeal with raisins, candied ginger, apricots, and flax seeds, a big batch to last for several days. Eating leftover chile with tortillas, cheese, and avocados. Taking more icy walks down the street and back. Watching the geese waddle across the frozen lake on their bright yellow feet, a solitary display of color in this otherwise black and white world.
Also: Obsessively watching "the weather channel" online to see if we can find a window of opportunity to drive south to California, but so far the prospects don't look good for several days. Sighing. Missing my grandson, Desmond, more every day. Wishing for a little sunshine. Reading some more. How do you deal with cabin fever??
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Big fire in the woodstove. Fill the bird feeders. Read, this time Mosaic: Finding Beauty in a Broken World by Terry Tempest Williams. Also listening to The Accidental by Ali Smith. My partner's down the hill at a puppet show, just to show we're not completely socked in. But I want to write a few notes to a few special people, so want the time alone.
Also baking a great recipe that I found in Sunset magazine: winter squash chai bread. Entirely yummy, and using the oven does heat up the house.
As long as there's a fire, I'm cozy..
We beat cabin fever by doing exactly what you are doing-- reading, baking, watching videos. We also took saunas, long walks, photographed the scenery, and wrote blog posts.
I do recall how dark the shortest day of the year was up there. At least now the sun begins its return. It will be back.
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