Last Saturday for this year, and oh the decade!

Remembering Philly at Christmas Time Past

 I started today as I do most days with a cup of tea and working the suduko puzzle in the paper.  I get the Bangor Daily News (BDN) delivered on Thursday, Friday and Saturday - there is no Sunday paper.  It is a little action that I can take to support the free press.  I also have digital access to the New York Times (NYT).  The BDN and the NYT are pretty different in what and how they cover the news both local and national.  The local paper is long on obituaries (and I must confess I have started reading them - especially those older than 90) and sports (they do list all the college women basketball games in their daily listings and that makes me very happy!).  The puzzle is in the section that lists "camps for sale" and I like folding up the section and using my favorite pencil to fill in the boxes.   

While still in my robe, I put on my boots and went out and shoveled the ice off the back porch and stairs.  I had put out sand/ice combo last night and it did the trick and I was able to clear off the stairs and porch!  The front was a different story --- so in my robe and boots (I'll save you the picture) I put some more salt/sand on my front step.  There must have been about a half inch of ice!  

Back to my tea!  I put the chicken stock back on the stove.  I did some moving things around on the porches in preparation for my New Year's Day Open House.   The glassed in front porch will be for overflow and the side porch will store coats and boots!  And another get away for people who don't mind the cold!  

The rest of the day I spent cleaning up the kitchen, getting some more preparations done for next week.  Spent more time outside, spread ashes and sand on my path from the house to the garage and from the driveway to the front door!  Used my handy ice cleats and it was still a little dicey out there.  

So why the Philly picture, as I lit my candles tonight I thought back to the holidays that I have spent with Lonnie and Jan in South Philly.  Lonnie was not a big lover of Christmas lights but was always a good sport as Jan and I owwed and ahhhed our way along the streets.  More let there be light.  More of the light increasing as I live in the dark.  

So as I move into this evening I hope that the ice goes away and that tomorrow brings big sunlight.  I am going to be in the kitchen and maybe venture out and about.  Sweet dreams.  Cuddle into the dark.  And may you find and honor your light.