...and another week begins. Blessed Candlemas!




We had a restful(ish) Sunday: it was too darn cold and I was too exhausted to go to church, so I watched it on livestream. Not the same, but something, anyhow. I needed to sleep. I've been pouring out of a bucket for a long time, and I have not felt rested in months. So, sometimes you have to listen to the body. 

I did a few minor things, went shopping downtown with Meg, and pretty much just puttered. I sent out some poem submissions, and got nice news that two poems found a home. 

This week will be busy, but not insanely so, at least I hope so. The last couple of weeks were weird, due to holidays, snow days, and delays, etc. Maybe this will be a solid full week? I hope so. Somehow, those short or shortened weeks are a lot harder to manage. 

We went out to dinner on Saturday to IFB, and it was so dang noisy-- not their fault, but more, over-privileged skier types with rambunctious, feral children. It's hard, living in a "destination" area, because either you don't get a seat in a place you love, or you do, and you have to put up with obnoxious people. It makes me yearn for mud season. 

But I digress. I'm actually looking forward a little to this week's temperatures. They are supposed to be in the 20s all week. That'll be a nice change. I've been cold forever, it seems. I even bought a sweatshirt that says, "I'm cold but I'm being really brave about it." Well, I'm not really all that brave, but I have been cold -- at work, in the car, at home, etc. No relief in sight. I hope that we'll be able to not use the oil heat so much, too-- that's getting expensive. 

A lot of things are getting expensive. I'm sure you've noticed, though. Seriously-- every single little thing is just that much more. Meg told me about one medication that she uses that went from being somewhere in the 25 dollar range co-pay to 200.00. Crazy stuff. Luckily she was able to switch things to find a better cost, but dammnnnnn. The price of health care, meds, all of it will continue to rise, too-- tariffs affect all of that. And no, we can't just snap fingers and make things here. It doesn't work that way. Too bad those who are making the decisions don't have a clue what they are doing, and to whom they are doing it. 

It's depressing.

We'll muddle through as best we can. But seriously-- it's troubling. And unfortunately, those who are deepest affected are like shadows to the decision makers. Or just plain expendable. Tonight, though, we are headed to church for a blessing of candles (Candlemas). We'll celebrate the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, and we'll welcome the returning of the light. Hope in the darkness. 

Hold your loved ones close. Stay warm. We'll get through this.

C

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