A day late, but Happy Imbolc!

Perhaps your corner of the world is like mine right now–cold and coated with ice. Spring will arrive eventually, of course, but in the meantime, there’s beauty in the snowy world. There’s also dangers for the unhoused and all who must venture on the roads or who can’t heat their homes or who face whatever challenges greet them in winter.

In Watership Down the narrator mentions something to the effect of the luxury of liking bad weather. As someone who loves a good thunderstorm, it reminded me I liked it because I wasn’t drowning in it.

And last year when this are was hit with a winter storm that left my family and thousands of others without heat was another reminder that a certain type of weather can be beautiful and amazing, but it is not exactly a friend. One thing I love about a great snowy day is the quiet. If I go outside in such weather (which I actually try not to do without good reason), I’m always impressed with how it muffles the world. It also traps the light, turning night into a dreamy day. Fresh snow can make almost anywhere magical. (Snow that’s grappled with car exhaust and other horrors is another matter entirely.)

What is your favorite time of year? I love fall, but perhaps my favorite time of year to the moments of change. At the end of summer, I love that first crisp cold breeze, and at the end of winter, I love that first hint of spring. (Although here in Texas, the lines between the seasons are rather blurred, and winter is next to nothing compared to northern climes.)

It feels to me as if the change of season reminds us to take stock, make plans, and contemplate. The moon is waxing again, and it’s a good time for new things, projects, and plans. The roads are icy here and so I’m staying indoors thinking about life, the universe, and everything.

Hope you are well and warm and safe.

Thank you for reading.

As some of you know, I have a newsletter. I send it out only about six times a year. It includes a story, news, book recs, and art. Maybe in the future I’ll include other things, but in the meantime, please sign up if it sounds promising.

Also, there’s my Patreon! I’m serializing a novel and writing other things as well. Depending on the level, you can get things in your real life mailbox. So far I’ve sent zines, bookmarks, stories, hexafoils, and type-written letters. Join in if you real mail!