Deep Freeze

 

This photo is from a few years ago, but reduce the snow level and it could be today.

The desktop weather app says -37 C.  We had -40 overnight and it doesn't .look like this will end for a few days - and then it will snow.  So, definitely white for Xmas.

But the solstice is upon us, the turning of the path of the sun happens and then it will begin the slow, steady return.

After months of working hard to stay on track and focused on weaving down my stash, I looked around at the studio yesterday and realized that once again I am spinning too many 'plates'.  And all of them require the same space and equipment (more or less) so now I have to choose.

Which one of the list will I focus on?  How much energy do I have?  Will it sustain for the day or leak out leaving me sitting in the recliner with my feet up wondering how I managed to do this to myself?  Again.

There are the things I would rather do, then there are the things I've promised to do.  Since I want to do those as well, I can very easily get caught up in decision procrastination and not do anything.

When the temperatures are this cold nothing works particularly well, and I have an appointment this afternoon plus things I have been holding off on doing but really ought to get done.  Bank.  Printer ink.

One of the things on the promised list is winding the warps for the workshop in January, then getting the guild looms dressed, ready for the students.  But that can wait for another day or two.

One of those things is weaving the class project sample/scarf because I wanted to show two different colour ways - one a colour 'gradient', with all the hues the same or very similar value, the other a value scale, so that the students can see how the emphasis changes based on value contrast or hue contrast.  Plus I see more colours in the box that would also make a nice scarf in the same design so I may wind another warp and just do it because I need to use those yarns up, too.

But today it looks like I can finish the current warp on the Megado, *but* I don't have the next threading sorted out yet, so there's an hour or two to do that, plus thread the 2nd class project warp, weave it off, plus wet finish more donation shawls, wet finish the tea towels that will be coming off the loom today, and will need to be pressed tomorrow, and and and...

Someone asked me if I was 'ready' for Christmas.  I made a silly comment but here's the thing.  We don't 'celebrate' Christmas.  We wind up observing it - one can hardly ignore the advertising and marketing and goodness knows, we *relied* on the Christmas sales to get us through the rest of the winter when there was little to no income.  

But big dinner?  Nope.  Decorations?  Nope.  I have a string of lights my brother gave me years ago shaped like dragonflies.  The night he died I turned them on and they remain on (except for power outages and the time we needed to replace that window).  I have a little collection of double woven 'ornaments' by Bobbie Irwin that hang on the little metal 'tree' on the mantel and stay up all year round along with the crocheted 'snowflakes' another friend sent in her Christmas cards for a number of years.

So am I ready for Christmas?  You could say I'm always 'ready' for Christmas.

Am I 'ready' for this deep freeze?  Yes.  I have several coats, rated for how extreme the weather is.  I'm not sure I'll drag the down parka out because I'll be going from vehicle to indoors several times and a parka gets too warm indoors.  I have toques, scarves and again a variety of gloves/mitts depending on how extreme the cold is.  I may drag out my warmest mitts to go over my lighter gloves because the steering wheel gets *really* cold when it's -37.

But here's the thing.  This will end.  It will not last 'forever'.  And when it does, we'll be dealing with snow falling.  But one of the 'gifts' of this time is *usually* clear skies, brilliant sun sparkling on the snow crystals, and no snow falling.   But when the warmer weather arrives, as it will by this weekend, the snow will begin falling.  

This is our reality and we cannot change it, we can just learn to cope with it.  So when it gets this cold, we put on more layers of protection.  We don't ignore it, we plan for it, we prepare for it, we adapt to it and do what we need to do to protect ourselves.

And if you read more into this message that is openly stated, bless you.

Protect yourself from the harms that we cannot change is all I'm saying.  Have a care for the vulnerable amongst us.  Which is why I'm wet finishing more scarves/shawls to deliver to warming centres.  Wearing an N95 mask.