November nights are long and dark, with bright stars and cold winds. We have the lamps lit before five and the stove burns all day. I make a lot of soups and go to bed early. Today we are at the local cafe, burning off the post election hangover with breves and chocolate. I don’t like elections. I don’t like what they do to people.

 

We’ve had a busy past few days. The stove-pipe is capped for the first time in our life in the yurt. The stove-pipe is all new as well, my hope is that capped and with a special anti-creosote powder, it will last longer and burn more effectively. We have another cord of wood piled next to the house, a freezer (as-yet unhooked up) tarped in beside the kitchen - my husband will have to build it it’s own little home attached to the building - it’s that massive! The pigs are eating more and more, we have a little shelter for them again, to protect them from the storm that is supposed to bring us a “wintery-mix” starting this evening. The garden is partially put to bed, but more needs to be done, if only the ground would soften again! There are always so many tasks, and the never-ending cleaning and cooking that are my daily distraction from the bigger things.

But I’m trying to plan ahead for Christmas this month. I’m hoping to get Yarrow a doll, and make her a soft, infant of Prague little hug-able doll, since she loves hugging and carrying around the statues of him so very much! And I’m determined, this year, to actually send out Christmas cards. We have good intentions every year, and every year we fail. This Christmas will be different!