It's freezing cold here, down to around minus 15 degrees Celsius, and the sun casts pale blue shadows on the snow. Up here in northern Europe I think we are all sun worshippers, pagans under a thin layer of secularized christianity. The light is beginning to return now, the days slowly getting longer again; maybe our midwinter sacrifices (in terms of lighting a million candles and eating lots of food) worked this year too. In not too long now we'll light bonfires to scare the winter off for good, and then we start the worshipping by gathering in the parks and taking as much of our clothes off as we dare.
Time flows oddly when you don't do much during the days. I've got some time off now from work, but that doesn't help in getting more things done. All of a sudden it's a major project just going out to get some groceries. The days tend to blend together, interrupted only by the occasional aikido practise or friend visiting. Watching life happen to other people.