Today, is the shortest day of the year. It’s dark, it’s gloomy, it’s a good day to stay home and not work or at least work on something you enjoy. Good news: The days are going to start getting longer again tomorrow.
So what are you doing today (and all this week)?
I am mostly just trying to survive this week. It’s extremely busy in banking this time of year, culminating in a frantic Christmas Eve. Last year I worked an hour past closing because people kept showing up. Ugh. Sprinkle some extra kindness on your front line workers this week if you can. We need all we can get.
I hope people are kind to you. I went to Trader Joe’s this morning, and it was much busier than usual at that early hour. We are expecting snow tonight and tomorrow, so everyone is getting their shopping done early. I wished my checker a Happy Solstice! Yesterday, I gave my hairdresser a Solstice cash gift. I have no idea who my mail carrier is, anymore. We get whoever can do it, evidently, and not every day.
Thanks! Most are, some aren’t. The usual with people, just multiplied.
I overheard a grocery store employee complaining to a coworker yesterday about a customer the day before who came in ten minutes AFTER they’d closed (came in the exit when the entrance was locked), was told they were closed and registers had been shut down, and STILL continued to meander leisurely down the aisles, refusing to leave! I had something similar happen when I worked retail. I always try to be nice to people who have to deal with the public (it’s hard work that doesn’t get enough respect), but I agree it’s extra important to do it this time of year, when everyone’s stressed.
I have actual nightmares about that from when I worked at the library we were not allowed to kick people out, we had to put up with them.
Sprinkling SO MUCH extra kindness.
Bless you. Throw it around like confetti.
Gosh, it sounds like your week is like one of those scenes from “A Wonderful Life.” But not one of the wonderful ones — more like one of the “oh gosh, what NEXT?” scenes.
GOOD LUCK!!!
It reminds me of the run on the savings and loan when the market crashes. We are only allowed to order so much money at a time and it’s going fast. And everyone wants the pretty bills….
There’s a tradition in Canada, that’s really a British tradition, called Boxing Day which is a stat holiday here, day after Christmas. It’s turned into shopping sales day – “Boxing Day Specials!” but it’s actually supposed to be the day you give presents to the people who have been of service in your life – your mail person, dog walker, bank teller…I try to observe although not as faithfully as I should. Will throw like confetti this year in your honour, I promise.
Thank you!
weirdly the US has started to have Boxing Day sales, even though we don’t have Boxing Day, either officially or otherwise.
Okay that’s very weird – what do the people think Boxing Day refers to?
Tammy, I think the advertisers just saw advertising in Canada or the UK and said “Hey, neato!”
So bizarre – if I lived there, I would think “what the hell is that??!”
On a trip to Iceland in late November 2018, my best friend and I were gobsmacked to see signs advertising Black Friday sales. No Thanksgiving holiday, just the Black Friday madness. And here we thought we’d been so clever getting away from it all…
Rejigging our plans to drive to the cottage Friday given the “storm of a generation” warning to leave tomorrow instead.
Safe travels and happy landings!
I finished making my Christmas cards & posted them; got my car MOT’d and serviced; and had a friend to stay – she’s just left. So now I’m vegging. Need to deliver cards to local friends in the next few days, so hoping the weather will cooperate. Feel like being a hermit for a while; but must also do a last food shop before Christmas. The proof-reading job has been delayed until the new year, which is fine by me.
I am getting ready to run errands today as that storm is supposed to hit here sometime tomorrow afternoon into Friday, heavy rain followed by a flash freeze, making road conditions nasty, which makes me grateful I retired last year and don’t have to go out in it to go to work.
Hands down one of the best things about retirement is not having to get behind the wheel and drive in lousy conditions.
I just want to huddle up in the COLD and dark! But I am going to lead meetings, finish projects, do holiday stuff, and this afternoon, play point guard or ride herd or some other be-in-charge-get-things-done metaphor as I make sure that the coffee shop truly gets deep cleaned.
We’re having our office Christmas party today, since many folks are out the next several days. I’ve spent my week making cookies
https://www.instagram.com/p/CmbwB9TOdHN/
Only four kinds in the display – I didn’t bring the meringue cookies to the office. But I did share with my neighbors last night.
I’ll be making rolls for the party, and will probably make some more for our Christmas eve festivities. But I think I’m glad to be done. It will be lovely to just sit and enjoy the rain / wind from the inside of the house the next several days.
Those look delicious! Good work.
The cookies look delicious!
I’m watching my workmen work (they’re building a 4-season porch, racing to finish the framing and roofing so then they can work inside out of the weather). It’s hard to get anything done while construction is going on (seriously, who thought this was a good idea?) but I’m trying.
Happy Yule to all who celebrate, and happy Winter Solstice to everyone.
I’m baking Soda Bread today, and cleaning out the cat fountain and the two humidifiers. I was thinking about going to IKEA to walk, but after my trip to Trader Joe’s this morning, I’m staying home. The place was full of shoppers.
Happy Winter Solstice to you all! I look forward to this day every year. We won’t notice longer days right away, but they’re coming! The word Solstice comes from Sol, for sun, and Stit (from sistere) “to stand still”, because the sun’s path seems to pause and stop on the solstices, before reversing direction. Thank you, Wikipedia.
Happy Yule to you all, as well. It looks like we will get a belated White Yule, since the snow is supposed to start tonight, well after dark. Be safe, and stay warm, and enjoy this forced time for contemplation.
Soda bread. YUM!
I’ve still got a few more days of working on my new-series proposal (through Friday), and then I’m taking Christmas Eve to New Year’s Day off to play.
New series!!??
I’m working on feeling better. I have a cold, a really bad one, but thankfully not COVID, and I have forgotten how miserable they are. I haven’t been sick in almost 3 years.
I’m staying in the house because it’s too damn cold to go outside (in the -40s with the wind chill) and trying to feel better. I’m having a little success but not a lot.
Happy Winter Solstice everyone!
Happy longest day south of the equator to our Ozzie and Enzie Arghers!
Boxing day was never one of my family’s traditions. Now it’s boxing day of a different sort, in that I have dozens of boxes and plastic totes filling up with all my belongings. Taking ka-nik ka-naks from the shelves, wrapping in bubble wrap, Tetrising them into a big plastic box. Throwing out every plant not currently contributing fruits or vegetables to my table and cleaning the garden for stowage. I have four left – a Harvest (Seble), two iDOOs (Phredd and Lucy), and an amber mason jar (Katemcy). If Katemcy doesn’t produce a wild strawberry by Friday, she gets the axe. Oh! I forgot Sheba, standing there disguised as a lamp. So far, one red tomato, but she, like Phredd, is sporting dozens of green tomatoes of a size that promises ripening is imami… iminam… right around the corner. Five gardens means I’m still a Born Again Indoor Farmer, right?
I’d happily live out of a suitcase for the next week or so, but I don’t own one. I’m already using the cloth shopping bags. If it can contain something, it will be in service to the move.
Closing had better move along on rails.
I’m quarantining in the basement working on recovering from what so far is a mild case of COVID and trying to get done the absolute minimum of work —yesterday today seemed really light load but now it’s overwhelming
Yikes! Happy December/Recovery/Overwork Survival…. You’re a brave soul to keep working.
Mostly shivering, it was minus 33 C in Alberta when I awoke. Exchanging wrapped gifts at the office to take home for under our trees. Fun bright wrapping!
Working on keeping the hummingbirds alive here in the very chilly west coast. Bringing the bird feeder in every 45 minutes to warmup the nectar. Poor little birds. Working slowly to get everything done before the day.
So glad we cancelled the cousins trip to Hawaii. The couple who did go may not get back to Vancouver today. Airport is a gong show. People waiting in planes on the tarmac for hours. Hours with babies and formula in very short supply. One mother had planned ahead with for two days. She was told she could get off the plane and go buy some more. What? Flights cancelled for days. They will stay with us until they get a flight home to Edmonton, that’s if they get back today. More bad weather across our nations is coming. Stay warm and cozy.
Bless you for looking after the Hummingbirds. Even in Tucson, when there was a hard freeze for several days and nights, Hummingbirds died without sugar nectar.
Cousins flights cancelled to Canada and Edmonton. Hoping they get here tomorrow or Friday. Very iffy all around. We may have two more at the table on Sunday, which will be just fine.
Three hummingbirds can’t wait for feeder to be hung up.
I’ve been off work on PTO. Not looking forwto my work week starting tomorrow night.
I finally stopped procrastinating & went to the dermatologist. Cream is on the way to stop the rash on my ankles.
Otherwise not much happening in my neck of Florida
New washer and dyer were delivered today. Now I have to figure out how to use them-so many knobs and settings. I’ll probably only use about 3 options.
Pixie has been having seizures. Not too often but the vet said if she had 2 in 1 month it would be time for meds. So that’s next.
My sister was in for a few days. She’s leaving tomorrow morning to beat the bad weather. She has to get through the Poconos before it starts. It’s opposite conditions on either side of the Lehigh Tunnel. Or so they say.
Me, I’m staying home.
I’ve been working on my writing financials (getting a head start on my taxes) and learned I made twice my best year so far. It’s sound impressive when I say it that way, but in reality my revenue is in the low 4 digits and I have yet to make a net profit on my writing. I need to figure out how to market and sell books. 🙁 Any advice?
I have yet to get a monthly royalty payment over $50. 🙂 Self-published and long-lackadaisical because there’s no way writing income could ever replace my day job income, so why put in another whole full-time-job’s worth of work on it to shake loose a few extra dollars? Long story short: I’m the last person to give advice.
That said, I’ve decided to ‘go wide’ next year – put my stuff on platforms other than AMZ – and release some novellas as large-print paperbacks, and look into Audible Exchange to see if I can get some of my stuff out in audio too. The past 18 months I’ve been going after reviews on the sites that handle queer romance, which has definitely pushed some sales activity. Editorial review quotes need to make it onto my listings, but that has to be done through Amazon Author, which is a WRETCHED platform, so I’ve been avoiding it.
It’s such a lot of work, honestly. Congratulations for 2x your best! That’s a great new benchmark!
Best of luck going wide next year. 🙂 I’m wide, too. Just starting to get some traction on Kobo, but that’s because my Christmas story is on sale for $1.99 for December and, for some reason, all the people who clicked through from my BookBub ad were from Australia and Canada. I don’t get many sales on Apple or B&N so I need to figure out how to do that. And maybe upload to Google. I’d like to do audiobooks but I can’t justify the expense just yet. Here’s to a more profitable 2023 for us all. 🙂
Today I did very little, I was feeling maybe like I had a cold. Took a Covid test, negative there. Maybe I was just tired from running around trying to make Christmas happen. Anyway, I slept late, ate leftovers, and sat listening to Pratchett’s Feet of Clay while playing Solitaire. I’ve read that book multiple times over 20 years, but it can still make me laugh out loud.
While on the one hand, I’m packing to move one city over (and I am stunned by how much stuff half a garage holds), the other aspect is that I am not grocery shopping. I’m eating what I have on hand. Sometimes, that’s a good thing. For example, I have a dozen cans of no-salt-added tuna. There are four tuna steaks in the freezer. There are two Cornish Game Hens thawing in the fridge. There are cans of soup. There are two onions and a handful of little red potatoes. There are many cans of no-salt-added tomato products, green beans, kidney beans, corn, peas, and mushroom slices. There is a head of iceberg lettuce. There are chicken breast strips.
I had brown rice in a pouch, so I figured to add a can of Cream o’ Sumpin’ Soup. I went with chicken. Now I remember why that Cream Soup is just an ingredient in something else. It was totally blond, which (unlike the hair color) is both BLAH and BLAND. I ate it anyway. The omelet I had for brunch (egg beaters and onions and diced ham and mozzarella) was WAY better, but I should have used Canadian bacon and saved the diced ham for the next salad. I suppose I could dice the bacon.
Some Things Must Be Endured.
In the past week I have done some organizing-financials tasks (overdue) and some serious yardkeeping (dealing with grapevines) and a tiny bit of housekeeping (also overdue).
Today I took advantage of another slow Day Job day to finish the first draft of my new novelette. Started writing on Dec 7. It’s only 13000 words, but I’ve had trouble focusing. Hoping the past few days of writing a bit every day will get me back in my rhythm so I can get the new novella rolling.
Attended a lovely Solstice party this afternoon. Readings included an ancient Sumerian hymn to a goddess, an excerpt from Little Gidding by TS Eliot, several poems by Robert Frost. A dance and yoga instructor taught us hand gestures which indicated that each of us accepted a light from the woman on our left for an imaginary candle, brought it to our heart, then lit the candle of the woman on our right. It was wonderful and fun.
Crossing my fingers that the weather won’t be a problem for my son and daughter-in-law’s flights into Boston from Europe on Friday, the Christmas Eve party at my brother-in-law’s on Saturday, or the feast here on Christmas Day. This year dogs are invited.
Best Wishes to all Arghers for happy times!
I will be sleeping at work tomorrow night because of the weather. My boss changed my schedule so I would be there on Friday morning because, she infuriated me by saying, the people originally working Friday “stay home when there’s even a dusting of snow.” No. They don’t. Also they live fifty miles away instead of my twenty-six and they have horses. My dog can come with me to the kennel.
I’ve been working on baking up a storm for the second of two Christmas (pre-Christmas) get-togethers. There is cake for vanilla gingerbread layer cake in the oven, and vegan fruitcake already made.
It’s been the coldest spring and summer in Sydney that I can ever recall. Not as much rain this spring as last year but I’m having to wear a dressing gown at night in December. In December! Normally I’m sweltering and desperate for a cool breeze.
I read about an animal chiropractor this afternoon. I didn’t know that was even a thing. He treats all sorts of animals and has helped lame dogs run again. This makes me happy.
My most satisfying achievement was tonight, with a friend’s cat who’s been reluctant to eat. She was curled up in a cosy ball on an armchair and I pushed her food bowl under her nose. She dropped her head into the bowl and scoffed about twice as much as usual. We were very pleased.
I’m going to a small festival after Christmas of about 100 people, and I’ve ended up being the lead organiser. So this week’s been full of details. But I think I got the last bits of cat herding done tonight. Once that sinks in, I’ll be delighted about it. And I’m really looking forward to the festival. It’s a great group of people.
After 59 years we have decided not to put up the Christmas tree. As the Capital One commercial announcer states “it was the easiest decision in the history of decisions”. Our son said he would be happy to bring the tree up from the cellar and set it up, but that would leave me to decorate and then breakdown after a week, so no thank you, love you but nope. But if I could get to the bin that has the little red bows and it is on top, I can certainly decorate the atrium window. That has a framework of fifteen sections that I usually do alternately with the bows and suction cups and small postcard size ornaments. And nose prints from the grandog on the bottom level.
Speaking of the grandog her new bed came in the tiniest of boxes and when I opened it and separated it from the wrapping it exploded to its size. Stuffing it into the cover was like putting on a duvet along with the pad. I found the mattress pads in the upstairs linen closet. I knew they weren’t purged in the great linen closet clean out.