Winter Solstice
Today is the day of the least sun here in the northern
hemisphere. Up north it’s easier to be aware of this. In the place where I grew
up it is quiet, covered with snow and plants are dormant. A few hearty animals
are out and about in search of food. People are spending more time indoors near
their heat though there is much to do outside as long as it isn’t too cold,
like below zero. Here the sun sets early but things are still green and there
is the noise of road construction going on in the background. It’s nice enough
that people are out walking about and the swimming pool was busy this morning
with aquasizers. It’s easy to forget that this is the time of year for quiet
contemplation and that tomorrow the time of light will begin to gradually
increase ushering in a new season of growth and beginnings. For now though it
is time to be quiet and listen.
Tomorrow, I will get on an airplane and head up to
Minneapolis. So much for quiet contemplation. I will make snow angels with
Edie, drink wine with my sisters, eat good food, celebrate the holidays with my
favorite people and then come back home to Palmdale ready to begin a new year.
Two Peggies,
On the day after I arrived in Palmdale, I went
to the walking exercise class that meets every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. There,
I was greeted by a small group of familiar faces. One such person approached me
with a full smile of welcome and I searched my memory for a name to go with her
somewhat familiar face. I came up with Peggy… thinking, I’ve seen her picture
on Facebook a couple times. Peggy was so surprised that I knew her name. She
was really impressed because she hadn’t been here last year but was here the
year before that I should remember her name. I said that I had an advantage
because I was friends with Peter on Facebook. We walked back towards our RVs
together and she told me that they had replaced their motorhome. That didn’t
fit with what I had read on FB because I know that Peter and Peggy were looking
at buying a mobile home here. There were a couple of other things that weren’t
congruent with what I’d heard but I figured I must not be up to date. So I went
home and told him that Peggy Pazucha came to exercise class and I pointed to
the motor home that they live in. Don said, “That can’t be them. They bought a
mobile home.” I doubted him and said they must have changed their mind. He
said, “That’s not where they are parked.” Maybe they moved, I thought, but
doubt was beginning to form in my mind. I looked at Peter’s blog and I knew
that the Peggy I met couldn’t possibly be the same Peggy. But they are full
timers and they were here 2 years ago but not last year. That’s about all they
had in common. Peter and Peggy are from Wisconsin and they didn’t travel all
over the country this year. The other Peggy is Peggy Pendill and is married to
Dick and they are from Maine. I introduced Peggy to Peggy the other day after
the children’s Christmas show and they have a little resemblance in that they
are both white, about the same age, and not much difference in size. One has
gray hair and one is more blond. One is very talkative and outgoing and the other
is more reserved. One is at almost every event around here and the other I will
need to go seek out so I can get to know her better
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