In bed, Dave’s on my left. Just below me on the floor is Evelyn, snuggled in her unicorn sleeping bag with an attached pillow—her head resting on its horn and muzzle. “I wanted a better life for you,” I think as I watch her flip through the pages of a book.
We just returned from an action-packed Christmas Eve with the family compound—our first time sharing it with them—and it felt good. For how remote it is here, having four other homes with family nearby makes for a connected existence.
Tomorrow will hopefully be just as connected, but different. We’ll be tuning in via technology with my family in Washington. I’m crossing my fingers it goes smoothly so we can play bingo, our usual Christmas Eve tradition, even from afar. The bingo cards were supposed to arrive by mail, but they got left out. That’s okay because we have a picture of them—honestly, all I care about is that $50 blackout prize everyone drools over.
With temperatures dipping into the low 30s at night but bouncing back into the 60s and even 70s during the day, I’ve wondered if I’ve already seen all there is of winter in Georgia. Funny enough, just as I wrote that Evelyn asked, “Is it winter?” Locals told me it’s snowed here a few times in March, so there’s hope for a magical flurry. As much as I’m not a cold-weather person, I wouldn’t mind seeing a few enchanting flakes fall.
Yesterday, I took our 6-foot ladder around and closed the ceiling vents in the laundry room, pantry, and kitchen. Dang, do those spaces get toasty! After feeling more excess heat, I’m debating whether to close one of the living room vents, too. Our bedroom and bathroom are way on the other side of the house, and I’ve been tempted to get a small space heater to create a better balance. After just a day with this new arrangement, I’m already noticing warmer air in this part of the house. I did save a cute heater in my Amazon cart—white with three brown legs— that I still might get but decided against the vintage TV-style one because it was too squatty.
On another note, I went 24 hours without eating today. I’ve been reading Fast Like a Girl, and the author’s research has been motivating. I’ve known about the benefits of fasting for years and have fasted before, but this refresher gave me the boost I needed. With nothing major planned for tomorrow, I’m considering one more 24-hour fast to give my body extra repair time before indulging in Christmas Day’s yummy foods.
Alrighty, looks like everyone is closing their books and settling down for a long, winter’s night.
Take care, everyone! Love, Jaclynn
Going On 40 