Lazy Sunday

I've retreated to the sofa and Big Guy's laptop to write today's journal entry. When I am at my desk at this time of day, the sun manages to drive its shiny spikes right through my eyes and into my brain. I am not a day person. I don't approve of rising before noon, I am not fond of spending time in daylight, and this time of year only makes it worse.

It's January and it's raining. There's something seriously wrong with that. Give me great white blizzards where you cannot see three feet in front of you, give me cheerful little snow showers... But don't give me sun that shines of the snow and blinds you, don't give me dismal, grey days that are cheerless, and please, by all that is held dear, do not give me rain in January. It's a muddy, depressing mess outside and it's only made worse by the rapidly changing clouds.

I recognize and accept that both sun and rain have a place in the cycle of things. Both are needed to grow plants and refresh the earth. But not now. Now is a time for the ground to sleep and regain its strength for the growing season. This is a time where we wait with anticipation and excitement for the first buds of spring. Winter has its place in the cycle too and this rain and grey is throwing off the cycle.

As much as people complain about winter and snow, there is a need for it. Without this season, the ground would not have a chance to rest and our attempts to grow things will be thrown off. And, despite my love for winter, I do love the growing seasons. Last year, my garden didn't fare so well. This year, we're going to build a raised bed, fill it with wonderful dirt from my mom's yard, and, hopefully, actually be successful this year.

In the meantime, Big Guy, Little Guy and I will sit in our house and await the spring. Today, I do need to enter grades into the spreadsheet but I'll save that until after dark. Big Guy has started on the Song of Ice and Fire series, but for right now, he's watching a truly terrible movie called "The Time Guardian". It's apparently a 1989 rip-off of The Terminator and, despite starting only a few minutes ago, is already pretty horrible.

It stars Dean Stockwell (Quantum Leap, Battlestar Galactica) and Carrie Fisher (Star Wars: The Original Trilogy) in what, I can only assume, is a part of their lives they'd rather forget. They use laser guns and the killer robots appear to be Space Barbarian Transformers with horned heads. They bear an astonishing resemblance to Optimus Prime. Dean Stockwell apparently plays the stock douchebag that he's known for, while Carrie Fisher is a Princess Leia type character circa "Return of the Jedi". They time travel from the 40th century back to 1988 in Austrailia. Why? Why would anyone want to travel back to 1988?

Even Little Guy couldn't watch it. After devouring about 10 crackers, he ran back to the front room to play with his cars and shoot up the Cantina in Lego Star Wars II. Big Guy did better than any of us and made it through 20 minutes before he decided enough was enough. We'll probably zone out now and read while not really paying attention to something on the television. Gotta love Sundays.

The measured tree overflows.

Waking sleep

Getting back into writing is difficult, particularly when you haven't made it important for a while.  I know it's necessary and I need to at least flex my writing muscles or, like any other muscle, it will atrophy and waste away. 

There are just so many other things I would rather do than work.  Though, the winter is probably the best time to get back into the process of writing.  When Spring and summer come, there will be many things I know I would rather do, like gardening and playing outside. 

But the winter is here right now and that limits the outdoor stuff we can do. Plus, Little Guy and I are more interested in finding ways to stay warm while we have the heat turned down.  Getting out of bed in the mornings is difficult.  No one likes getting out of a nice, warm nest to face the day, but it is necessary. 

Today, I had the roughest time breaking free of that nest.  I kept drifting off and dreaming that I had gotten up.  Then something would happen in the dream to make me realize that it was a dream and I would wake up again.  That happened about three or four times before I was able break that cycle. 

Not that Little Guy even noticed that I was later than usual today.  He was still sleeping at 10 am.  Around 11 am, I heard soft giggling coming from his room.  Not long after that, he came wandering into the family room. 

I'm not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing that Little Guy is a night own like his parents.  It makes it easier on us right now, but how is this going to affect him later on?  If we follow Big Guy's line of reasoning and DON'T homeschool him, we need to get him on a regular, normal schedule.  I'm still holding out for homeschooling though.