It is a strange time of the year. Waiting for the New Years bells to ring in, we are unsure of the space and time. One can keep busy with all the post holiday shopping. But, do we really need all this stuff? I have made a mental commitment to not purchasing plastic tubs of greens, and liquids. It is so wasteful, like the plastic water bottles, the soda liters, and plastic milk jugs. They only will end up polluting our oceans and harming all the poor living things in it. Making small changes in the way I shop will at least be one less person doing it.

Reading is another way to pass the time. Especially next to my wood stove. It provides a cozy retreat away from the outside. I looked up my reading history from our local library. Not counting books that I have bought or borrowed, I read over two hundred books! This doesn’t include my reading of all the great blogs on WordPress and Substack and the like. There are many! There are so many talented writers out there and I love reading what they are doing and thinking about.

Where I live is a resort area. Skiing, snowmobiling, and enjoying oneself is a large part of the community where I live. People come here from multiple states away to get into mountains and snow. With it comes lots of cabins that need cleaning. That’s where I come in. Over the holidays I have cleaned a cabin almost every other day. This brings in some extra income for me. It is also a way I can help out the second home owners who live elsewhere. Cleaning someone else’s cabin is like a meditation for me. I get to make things right again. I provide a warm clean environment for the next guests. It gives me a sense of satisfaction. The best part for me is that I can walk to these cabins.

My dream is to someday live in a community where I don’t need a car. I will be able to walk to the shops. I can visit the pub, if there is one. Having a third space to socialize has really been lost in most communities. Being able to meet up with other people, friends and neighbors in a public space is such a human need. I will also be close to the library, the doctor’s surgery, and my neighbors. Doesn’t that sound devine? I feel like being able to walk places has lost it’s appeal, especially here. I love to walk during the day. It gives me a break. I enjoy getting outside and being in nature. Breathing clean mountain air is refreshing.

Most of all for this year I wish you all peace and a healthful life!

I walk into the woods here almost daily. This is my Aspen church.

Many thanks for reading my blog!

Tschüss!