I find it interesting that this much snow in England causes so much infrastructural distress, as here it is considered a negligable amount. The year that one snowfall resulted in snow that buried the deck railing seen in the picture in this entry, well, we considered that a lot of snow indeed. Everything is relative.
It is much warmer this morning, -16C, making it easier to keep the house comfortably warm when the night time temperature stays above -20C. It is still cold enough for an enhanced sleeping experience, and that is always a pleasure.
Another cloudy day. The black tree branches are still outlined with a layer of fluffy snow, adding a welcome horizontal aspect to the landscape, as the eye is lead out from the trunk and along many forked pathways.
Our Christmas lights are still up, and I turn them on when I rise each day, hours before morning light. Somehow they mitigate the dead of winter.
I received a call Thursday night asking me to work on Friday, yesterday, to which I agreed. The roads are still icy, but there are patches of bare pavement now, so the drive was not as unpleasant as it has been the last week or so. The work location is as challenging as ever.
I spoke with Imp and Elf and Luna on the telephone the other day, they called to thank me for a little package of chocolate treats I had mailed to them earlier in January. They use the Magic Jack telephone service and their voices kept cutting out, so I had to keep asking them to repeat themselves. I do not think much of Magic Jack, I can tell you. They told me about their day at school, my how they are growing up fast now. Tink was visiting the doctor accompanied by her Dad, so I didn’t get to speak with her. The call ended when their Dad arrived back and they were all getting ready to go out for dinner.
Attila and I do not go out for dinner, with rare exception. It is not that I am a “fussy eater”, I love and enjoy a great variety of tastes and cuisines. It is that anaphylaxis is a game changer. I can eat at Mcdonald’s who take their responsibility, to reveal all the ingredients in the food they sell, very seriously. Occasionally we eat a meal cooked at someone else’s home. Those someone elses are my mother and sister, and daughter Terra. Other than that I only eat what is prepared at my home, or by either Attila or myself. No restaurants, or pot luck dinners, for me, not ever. This restriction has serious social consequences that would surprise those who can eat without fear of death. It is startling just how much people mistrust and judge when they discover that I cannot eat most foods available in social settings; and how many people feel bad that they can eat the available food while I cannot. It usually adds a negative element to social interactions. So I hide the fact that I am not eating, and why; I sit with an empty plate of food scraps in front of me so no one will notice I am not eating, as it looks like I ate quickly and have finished. It is work to “pass” in this way, so I have come to avoid any event that includes the serving of food, or beverages such as wine. Awkward moments can come up very suddenly, as when someone insists I try something they find delicious.
It is such a blessing that Attila loves to cook! The sting of exclusion is attenuated almost completely, as a result of the consideration and efforts of my life partner. It seems also that there is an added health bonus for both of us, because we eat very few pre-processed foods, that are usually high in saturated fats, sodium, sugar and additives of all kinds.
Worldly Distractions
Weather
-16 °C
Condition: Light Snow
Pressure: 102.2 kPa
Visibility: 16 km
Temperature: -15.9°C
Dewpoint: -17.3°C
Humidity: 89 %
Wind: ESE 4 km/h
Wind Chill: -19
Quote
“Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal.”
Albert Camus
1913 – 1960
[Even more give it up at an early age, as a futile pursuit.]
“It is a mistake to regard age as a downhill grade toward dissolution. The reverse is true. As one grows older one climbs with surprising strides. Mental acitivity increases with age, as physical activity develops in a child. Meanwhile, and nevertheless, one approaches the journey’s end. But then is a goal, not a catastrophe.”
George Sand
September 1868
Your quote above: “Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal” – says it all about me. Every movement all thru every day of my life now is a strain and painful and hard, just to get up from my chair is a project now due to physical limitations, and I totally understand that quote. It’s the little things in life that matter and when you can’t do them, it’s a whole different ball game.
Sounds challenging Bex. I remember during my younger years working with people with disabilities; one particular day when we all stood outside during a break. Someone asked everyone what they would wish for if they were given one wish come true. I was taken by surprise and learned a lot from the man who said, “I would ask to live without pain”. You are so right about it being the little things in life that matter!