Spirit
Christmas evening is coming to a close. This morning was spent with Jill and the kids, and then her sister, sister's husband, her mom, my parents, my brother and nephew, then my brother's wife and their youngest son, then my oldest son, all joined us at our house. Oh, and Jill's sister's dog was there, too. Jill was amazing as always, hosting, cooking, keeping conversations fun, keeping coffee cups full. It was controlled chaos. How different it was compared to the covid years of recent past.
Jill gifted me some camping gear and a pizza oven for my Yoder smoker. I plan on practicing my pizza skills this week, each dinner being some variety of a pizza recipe. And after pizza, I'll insist the kids put down their new tablets and read one of the many books they unwrapped and tossed over their shoulders.
I ate way too much this season, beginning pretty much at Halloween. I feel embarrassingly stuffed.
In this new year, I'm hoping Jill and I will find more time together. Our work schedules are changing for the better and there will be more overlap in our off days. We've talked about spending more time outdoors and dabbling in birding. I saw an article in the New York Times about the book, "Slow Birding: The Art and Science of Enjoying the Birds in Your Own Backyard," by Joan E. Strassmann. I found it at Barnes and Noble and Jill unwrapped it this morning. The routine we've found around watching the hummingbirds outside the living room window and listening to the owls at night has kinda become our thing, and I'm excited to see it grow into a real hobby.
In 2022, my attention was on sailing, driving, camping, writing, fishing, photographing and thinking. Most of these activities I did alone. By alone, I mean Jill and the kids were at work or school, and my routine usually allowed a few hours a day to dedicate to at least one of these mediative pursuits. I was alone, but never lonely. It was nearly always impulsive, rarely planned out and with no expectations. I was inward and outward at the same time. The outdoors always found a way to remind me of somebody, or surprise me with some self-realization, or force me to admit my faults. Creatively, professionally, personally, this year was intentional and thoughtful. I'm positive this newsletter was at least partially responsible for that. Oh, 2023... what do you have planned for us? Whatever it is, I'll be accepting it with slow eyes and a patient heart.