The Winter Solstice 2022

 

The faint afternoon light in the backyard. December 2022. Photo by me.

Today marks the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year and the official beginning of winter in the Northern Hemisphere. The sun set at five-thirty-two.

 

It looked and felt like winter here at Whisper Hall and it has for the past two weeks with days of rain, fog and unseasonably chilly weather. I have enjoyed it. It was not much different today with an east wind and temperatures rising to the upper forties. The rain returns tonight with sleet ahead of the coldest weather we have seen in a few years. Temperatures are forecast to reach the single digits for lows and with highs only in the teens and twenties over the Christmas weekend. It is spectacular weather. 

A snowy, ice rose at Whisper Hall. January 2022. Photo by me.

 

There might be a little snow over the Christmas weekend, but I am not expecting much. We have not had a snowfall since the middle of January when it snowed approximately three inches.

 

Whisper Hall. December 2022. Photo by me.

 

I lit a candle in the den to mark the occasion of the solstice. The fireplace is likely going to get some use over the next few days too.

 

Black Christmas (1974)

Last night, I watched the first Christmas movie that I have seen this year. It was new to me, even though it was released in 1974. I might have seen it as a child, but I do not remember.

 

The movie is considered by some to be a horror movie, but I thought it was more of a suspense/mystery movie compared to what is considered a horror movie by modern standards. It is not a movie with gore, jump scares, quick edits and CGI and that makes it a good movie. I love watching movies from when I was alive and there is an absence of modern technology such as computers and cell phones. It is possible to feel the silence that we enjoyed back then without the constant chiming and buzzing of today. Every year it seems humans invent new ways to make more noise and intrude on our natural environment.

Margot Kidder in Black Christmas 1974.

Black Christmas, filmed in Toronto, is about a series of murders that occur in a sorority house over the Christmas holiday period. The sorority house is one of those older homes built to last with dark wood interiors and a handsome staircase. The snow and the glow of the Christmas tree lights make for an unusual, but nice and cozy change, for a murder mystery. There is good acting in this film, pleasant cinematography, some creepy scenes and Margot Kidder gives an excellent performance. If you are seeking something different from the standard Christmas movies or enjoy 1970s movies, like I do; this might be for you.

The Coffee Stained Road

The Dallas, Texas skyline. Photo by me, June 2007.

Coffee does make the world go around. I would never crawl out of bed on Saturdays or any other day if I could not have coffee. 

 

My 35th birthday arrived. It strangely greeted me with a hand tremor in my right hand as I attempted to reply to emails. It was a little disturbing to see my hand shake involuntarily and to not be able to control a mouse. Perhaps it was too much coffee for my entire life or the alcohol of Friday night? Google had answers that I did not like. I will have to consult all of the Filipino RNs I know and see what they have to say. Given my family's medical history I should be concerned, but often I overlook my health and unfortunately I am no longer at the age to be able to do that. I am a mortal being it seems and that is not the best revelation for a Saturday morning or any morning.

I have the opportunity to take a road trip next month from Atlanta to San Jose, California. A friend is moving out there and is asking for my assistance in driving a UHAUL across the country. This will be the second friend I have had move to San Jose in the past six months. Strange considering I never hear much of San Jose and now two friends that do not know each other both end up suddenly moving from Atlanta to there. It would get me out to the Bay Area and I suppose could meander up to San Francisco for a couple of days before flying back home. It is something to consider and could turn out to either be lots of fun or one hellacious trip. 

 

The longest road trip I have ever done was the 14 hour drive to Toronto last year and that was not in a UHAUL. I have my reservations about going, but I am not one to turn down travel if I can possibly do it. There is something romantic about being in a car or in this case a truck and driving across the country. It is one of those things that I have wanted to do just to say that I have done it. Then again, the romance of the trip would probably wear off by the time I got to Texas. I remember driving out to Dallas last year and I by the time I got to Shreveport, Louisiana I was going only on BP coffee and cigarettes. My right foot was numb for about a day after from pressing the accelerator and I hobbled up and down Cedar Springs Road my entire visit.

I need to tackle my inbox. I have emails sitting there needing a reply from January. One thing I have prided myself since going online in 1996 was in answering emails. Then again, I may just take a shower and go to BJs.