Here I sit wearing a sweatshirt, flannel pants and socks with my slippers. It’s cold out, 28°. Earlier, Gracie and I braved the elements so I could get coffee at Dunkin’ Donuts. I like my coffee with cream, and I had none so we bundled up, Gracie and I, and made the trek. Newspapers read best with coffee in hand.

The air is clear, the way it is on cold days in winter. The sun is shining and the sky is the bluest of blues. Goldfinches are at my feeders. The wind is blowing, and one of the feeders is swaying. The birds sway with it. Brown leaves at the end of branches do their own winter dance and blow in all directions. Today is a day best enjoyed inside the house with a book and some music.

Some days I’m lazy. I don’t make my bed because I already know I’ll take a nap. The only cleaning I do is with the sleeve of my sweatshirt. Dinner is often crackers and cheese or a melted cheese sandwich. Often I spend most of the day curled on the couch with a good book. Once I start reading a book which grabs my attention, I can’t stop. I resent any intrusion such as a phone call or a knock at the door.

At Border’s, I bought a couple of books, an old scifi movie, a CD, a game and a few stocking stuffers for next Christmas. All of them help define me in some way. Reading has been one of my greatest pleasures since the words finally made sense to me when I was little. The scifi movie is from the 50’s, The Invaders from Mars, one of my all time favorites. I bought the most recent Carolina Chocolate Drop CD, the one which won the Grammy for most traditional folk album. The game is a word game, Pairs in Pears, a game similar to Bananagrams. I love word games and have for as long as I can remember. The stocking stuffers I won’t mention as they are destined for the stockings of some of my family and friends who read Coffee every day. Each year I start my hunt for the best stocking stuffers right after Christmas. I’m behind this year because of the surgery but I’m working on catching up. It was from my mother I got the Christmas shop all year gene, and I always think of her when I buy a stocking stuffer in January or February.

Well, I’m done. I have a book waiting.