Domesticated but not tamed.

Today was a lovely day that starts with last night. Last night I went to a friend's birthday party, staying almost the entire time with a small group of people in the kitchen gathered around the veggies and a delicious mango salsa. Leaving there around 11PM, I got home a little more than a half hour later, where I then proceeded to make myself a cup of spiced cider and crawled into bed with Dune: Messiah for a couple of hours. It's a lovely combination - hot beverage and book - that always leaves me feeling warm and content.

This morning was a long one. I awoke several times to the sounds of the snow storm outside, and curling up further under the blankets, let myself drift again into sleeping, finally getting up after noon. Clearly the weather had made sure that I should not leave the apartment, so I settled into the tasks I enjoy and the tasks I needed to get done. I made breakfast and beer bread, did a load of laundry (which I just finished folding and putting away), caught up on some TV watching, crawled back into bed for some more reading and a nap, and went downstairs to make dinner. Not that bad of a dinner either. Steak with onions, garlic, pinenuts and balsamic, mashed potatoes and broccoli, and the beer bread. Not too bad if I do say so myself. And now I am here, blogging about my simple day while I debate whether or not I want to watch a movie before I crawl once more into bed with my book, and what kind of tea I wish to make myself. For the moment, my worries are put away, to be dealt with. For the moment, I find comfort in the things that feel good. My clean room. My empty laundry basket. My full stomach and the knowledge of leftovers for lunch.

Before I go to bed, I will put the chicken for tomorrow's dinner in warm saltwater to soak in overnight. I have some small Christmas shopping to do, after which I will come home and bake and cook. Tuesday I will worry about packing for the trip to warmness, as I am calling the visit to my parent's new house, for then I will be forced to start dealing with reality again. For now I am concentrating on the simple happiness of the day, of the same expectation for tomorrow, and how lovely the snow looks outside. I'll deal with digging out the car later. Right now, the decision is mighty: chamomile or peppermint?