[winter and the festive season] here with a vengeance

Today, December 21st, is the first of the three shortest days and I love this time. Our weather has also come to the party. The type of weather we currently have is of the picture postcard variety - massive piles of snow everywhere and yesterday it snowed all day - big flakes filling the air, slowly and silently falling to the gardens, paths, hedgerows and onto the branches of trees. There's a forecast minus 30 on the weekend so that will be the first really low temperature we've had. Unfortunately, the health is not 100% just now and there's a variety of reasons, not least the constant battles throughout the semester. No overt battles but silent brickwalling, which in the end takes its toll. Need to recharge the batteries and avoid any dire New Year "celebrations". One or two commitments to take care of and then touch wood that I can keep people off my back for a week and a half. I like the Orthodox Christmas better, on January 7th. We've had a rest, we're ready to start seeing people again and the weather always seems so much better then. The mood's better and I'm feeling better now just thinking about it. Yesterday I got a little frosty myself over a most unimportant matter, with a client who had even brought a little food gift. That was a clear danger signal to back off and maybe postpone my RL work until after New Year. No point blowing a good relationship over something a tired mind might construe as worth the battle. It's a dangerous time where people try to drag you into their agendas - BP members can see that from the latest mailing list posts but I'm having none on't. Ditto in RL here. My whole current mentality is a siege mentality - to prevent being dragged into things. I've disconnected the phone as an interim measure and the only way anyone can get to me is either via e-mail or with crowbars. There's a nice cask of wine at the ready, the fridge is stocked up and the doors locked. Post-New Year, after a recharging of batteries, should then be a matter of getting round to any friends I still have left, for a bit of festive cheer. It's a lovely time over here.