Solstice Optimism

OK so it may be only 17 degrees outside, and with the whipping wind it feels like 3, but yesterday was the winter solstice. That means each day from now on it gets lighter just a little bit earlier, and although it may indeed be freaking freezing out there, we are on the upswing to summer.

I'm about to head out for a run. This will be the coldest day so far for me, Evelyn, Lynn and Nellie. Ann already left for a two-week holiday trip to Utah and Hawaii, so she'll miss today's fun. We'll be well armed thanks to the nifty face masks Evelyn gave us for presents. We'll all look like outlaws -- or Hannibal Lector -- covered below the eyes in black foam with breathing holes over the nose and mouth area.

This is the third winter solstice since I started this blog. Three times I've noted that the shortest day of the year has passed, and we're on the upswing to lighter, warmer mornings. Lots of changes around here as three solstices have come and gone. Lots of howling at the moon and then just getting on with things.

As one more year winds down, I'm trying not to think about the novel that still sits unfinished, the bills that have to be paid, the hard work required to make my business a success, and other challenges I can't avoid in the new year.

For now I'm gonna put on my running shoes and my Jesse James mask and head out into the frigid pitch dark morning. I'm gonna hit the trail and log my four miles, because I know it always makes me feel better, calmer and ready for anything. Just gotta keep moving, and the rest will take care of itself. At least that's the mantra I use to quell the worried voices in my head.

I usually write these posts after my run, when the endorphins are flowing and my natural optimism is riding high. I should be there in about an hour -- and hopefully by the next solstice I can report that the novel IS finished, the business IS making it and all the other stuff has also taken care of itself. Inshallah.