Daily Things

I’m staying in a lot more these days. We’ve been keeping to one car, and my days are almost fully on the land and in the yurt, with Petka and Luba and the many things that fill my time. This winter has been mild so far. With little snow and bursts of warm, spring weather in the midst of it all. I’ve been waiting for the other shoe to drop for all of January, but now, at the end, I’m feeling that lovely bubbling hope. Perhaps spring will come on schedule, perhaps this summer will be long and bright.

At home I have the radio on almost constantly. Recently it’s been the classical station replacing the uncharged ipod, which has been stuck on Yarrow’s mix - songs she loves from Bruce Springsteen to Beyonce. Yarrow has eclectic tastes.

Thanks to my enforced stability, we are developing quite a little ritual to our days. One that involves an abundance of coffee, nursing, reading, and cleaning. In the spring I will have to re-evaluate. More coffee, less reading, at least during the day, to fit in all the outdoor work. But with snow all around, I’m forced to pursue ideas and dreams instead of planting and hoeing.

One of the trials of yurting, especially in the winter, is the near constant battle against mess. Often I feel as though I’ve just put the house in order when my husband will bring in a load of wood and leave scatterings of dirt and sticks throughout. Or Luba will knock the rugs into a pile and perch herself on top, looking proud. There is always something, and I am continually at war. With no closets to aid me in putting the “we should keep it out of the snow” chainsaw out of sight. Closets are a blessing I long for often.

   In the evening I am working on poems, with a purpose. I haven’t had this much direction in years, it’s unfortunate it doesn’t happen to come with an equal amount of inspiration, but I’m hoping that will come, if I rest my head in my hands enough, doze beside the fire enough, and stare at the writer’s fork on my right hand for long enough. Otherwise, I may have to do something drastic.