holiday note

Today is the Winter Solstice—hurrah!  The cold and snow may just be starting here in Nova Scotia, but at least I can celebrate the daylight getting longer starting tomorrow. After six years of posting here, I’m trying something different—the last post of the year is a wrap-up.

I’ve been in my new location for a year now—and the apartment and town have proved a good fit for me.  Early on, I joined two local hiking groups which helped me to get back into winter hiking/snowshoeing and to meet new friends.  I felt like things were finally restarting for me when everything got shut down in March as Nova Scotia sheltered-in-place.

The province has had a tragic year. But with the pandemic, the leaders and residents have generally acted responsibly—and that allowed us to have a nearly normal late summer and early autumn before readjusting for the second wave. For the past month, our numbers have been coming down again and, as of today, Nova Scotia has 38 known active cases.

During the reprieve, I took advantage of good weather to be social outside, hike, and visit friends and family.  I didn’t spend much time at the tiny house this year but plan to use it more as a recreational property next summer.

On my list of goals after “moving” was “adopt a cat”—and that item is checked off too!  I adopted Enid, a sweet-natured, young, classic gray tabby who is great company and, since I live alone during a pandemic, puts up with me giving her plenty of hugs.

Last October I had joined a meditation retreat in upstate NY.  Since March, this community has been doing weekly meditation practice together over a video call.  Sounded strange at first but it is a wonderful connection with people all over the US (plus a few other Canadians) that I would not have had otherwise.

I really missed doing another road trip this autumn.  My 2005 Toyota Echo hatchback is still chugging along and I hope to do some trips next summer in the Atlantic provinces (planning them is part of my winter mental-health strategy).

So what’s new?  After at least 15 years, I’m sewing again—I started making masks but I’m warming up to get creative with lap quilts this winter, something I’ve never sewn before.  Looking at my stockpile of fun coloUrful cat prints, I have, apparently, rekindled an old habit of over-buying fabric.

With writing, I am still posting here on the blog about twice/month.  I’ve demonstrated stick-to-it-ness in this area (at least) for over six years.  I’ve also been putzing around with a larger fiction project.  And recently, I’ve started doing some freelance technical editing work and I’m really enjoying it.

I got into feeling festive early this year.  In November, I put up holiday lights around the railing on my balcony, started drinking Holiday Blend coffee in the morning, and sewed holiday print masks, flannel PJ bottoms, and banners.

Festivus (for the rest of us!) is in two days and includes the Airing of Grievances (which social media appears to be doing all year long).  I cannot publicly air my grievances against others, but I will against things.  For the record, here are the objects that annoyed the heck out of me this year: jars of salsa I cannot open, ceiling lighting fixtures I cannot remove to change the light bulb, and tamper-resistant electrical outlets that I cannot plug anything into.  Do NOT suggest that these challenges are aging-related.

Wishing you all Happy Holidays! Thanks for continuing to follow me on my misadventures, musings, and pivots in retirement and down-sizing. And wishing you all a more social, less stressful, more happy, less anxious, more joyful new year, Sheri.

References and related links:

• MAC: mon amie Caroline.
• Festivus: the secular holiday of Festivus (for the rest of us!) is a Seinfeld reference from the 1990’s.
• pivot #1: locale (post #133)
• the cat bed (post #142)
• pan-autumn (post #149)
• arts and crafts (post #147)
• customs (post #151)