Happy Winter Solstice

This season brings a heightened sense of the importance of having a place to call home. The very mention of “winter” carries a chill that seems to challenge you: test it if you dare... play around and see what happens, to put it gently.

Yes, it’s that time of year when my new communal lifestyle truly feels like a blessing, even as an introvert living with nearly a dozen people. Whether or not we share DNA, it’s not really my first choice, but it is what it is. I know I’m certainly not alone in navigating shared living spaces these days.

I’ve volunteered for the grounds maintenance duty, and skipping lawn care for the upcoming months in the Texas terrain is certainly a plus. During my weekly Sunday walk, I kept an eye out for any remaining fall colors to photograph and picked up any litter I encountered along the way.

Next week, I have the entire week off, though it’s unpaid. Yikes! By the way, Happy New Year! It has to improve, right?

I have a painting project in mind for my 78-year-old mother. I envision us creating some watercolors featuring fading vivid reds, soft golden yellows, and deep pine greens. While all the reds are gone, I did manage to capture one solitary yellow dandelion.

I hope she’ll be interested in joining me. I’m currently gathering all the brushes I can find, and I’m certain I have some mixed media pads tucked away somewhere. Perhaps I can also grab a few primary color acrylics to focus on the vibrant dead grass gold, which stands out as the only splash of color against the foggy charcoal-gray sky.

We’ll have to play the waiting game. Who knows, maybe the sun will pop out and give everything a little sparkle!