Brightly cold.

There’s something about this December… whether it’s the unusually seasonal cold snap, or whether it’s because I’m busier than usual, so have less time to spend foozling online, or because my daughter’s rising excitement at the imminence of Christmas is becoming infectious… who knows? But somehow, I feel oddly hopeful. I’m not writing – I’m still feeling burned out after last month’s marathon – I’m not reading either, which given the tottering state of my to-read pile, is cause for concern. But the endless list-making appears to be under control, and the present buying gathers apace. The Christmas card list on the other hand… I suspect that I will most probably blitz that during this weekend, with the help of a glass of something suitably blotto inducing. Nothing wrong with starting the merriment early!

Thinking about the reading pile, perhaps I should make a list of the next five that I WILL read? I still have one to finish – Dimitra Fimi’s Tolkien, Race and Cultural History: From Fairies to Hobbits, that I started reading in October. It’s detailed, it’s very interesting, and it does require dedicated concentration. I’ve been highlighting bits of it as I’ve been reading, so I will have to go back over it to make notes relevant to my own exercise in on-going world building, both for the thing that I haven’t finished yet, and for the next project that I haven’t started yet. Even when I take time off from writing, it’s all still there, whirling endlessly in the back of my mind. It looks like January – normally such a drearful month, might be rather fruitful instead.

So if I haven’t been writing, or reading, what have I been doing? Sewing little felt stockings mostly, and cooking, and trying to stay out of my husband’s way as he stares thoughtfully at a bit of the house before firstly pulling it to bits, then putting it back together and painting it. There is much use of expressive language when things don’t go back in quite the right way, or he loses something, or drops something on his toe etc. I just keep the cups of tea coming and refrain from commenting. He’s certainly grateful for the tea…