This is my latest post ever, but I had a busy morning then I had to do some errands and then I needed to rest up from the morning drudgery. The sun is still among the missing. I saw my doctor today for my annual physical, and she put me on vitamin D pills; instead, I should wear one of those light hats the people in Northern Exposure wore during the winter to stave off SAD. I’m beginning to envy the bears who sleep through the cold, sunless days of winter though I have noticed the days stay lighter longer now. That helps to lift a bit of the pall of winter. I know that better days are coming, but I’m impatient.

The birds were back in full force this morning. I watched them for a while and was glad to see my chickadees. Their usual spots had been usurped by the goldfinches. All four feeders were busy. Only one spawn of Satan dropped by, and he didn’t have any luck. I had left a few seeds on the deck, but the spawn missed them.

Other than school days in winter when it was too dark or cold, we used to play outside all the time. We had this boundless energy from being cooped up all day in a classroom, and my mother was forever shooing us out the door. She wanted peace and quiet, and it didn’t include us. My younger sisters stayed closer to home. Often they played dolls on the back steps. I was on my bike roaming or playing games with kids in the neighborhood. We played red light, hide and seek, kick ball, tag and red rover and so many more I don’t remember. We never needed much equipment, just a ball would do for most games.

My neighborhood was teeming with kids of every age. It was quiet only at night after bedtime. In winter a barking dog might break the silence of the night, but in summer you could hear TV’s from the neighbors’ living rooms and people talking. I still remember lying in bed and falling asleep to the murmur of voices. It was a comforting sound.