The snow is falling again. And I am drinking my tea. And my girl is napping. Some quiet time. Yes, there are many things I need to get to in the house but it is nice to enjoy some stillness. The snow is helping by quieting everything down and, of course, I can't help but watch it fall for a bit. It is a gift to once again live somewhere where we get lots of snowfall. I hope I am singing the same tune in May but, at least, now I can pause and be thankful.
It makes me think about how important it is to be still. To rest. To spend time being quiet with a book, a project, or your thoughts. I always make room for this time for my kids but not very often for myself. My new life at home is creating this time for me...when I can be quiet while my daughter naps each day. And I really like it. It is hard to not think about the dust (Oh, the dust!), the laundry, the bills that need to be paid, the endless picking up. I used to wake up early and read my book before everyone woke and rushed out the door to school and work. But now my daughter is waking early with me and stealing away this quiet book time. Ah, well. But the after school time is also great for this kind of solitude. Everyone can unwind before dinnertime begins. And have some space to themselves. Maybe I will even start a fire. It doesn't always work but when it does it is somethin' great.
Here are some recent quiet moments in our house...
And I finally finished Freedom by Jonathan Franzen. I took this long due to life getting in the way not because the book was slow. I really enjoyed the book. In fact, I went to pull out The Corrections, Franzen's acclaimed earlier book, and couldn't find it so I went to our local bookshop and got myself a new soft cover copy. I am looking forward to starting it tonight, although I am not sure I ready to say goodbye to the Berglunds. They were interesting to have around for awhile. The Berglunds have a lot to say about marriage and freedom and the joys and aches of both.
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