A list of missings

...

Fire. Illuminated and captivated faces. Deep orange embers. Thick curling drifts of gray rising to darker. Red cheeks. Dried snot on my upper lip. The smell of unleashing. Crisp crisp crispness where sound can be caught. The white glow of the white moon on the white sleeping field. My silver cashmere hat. Crunching snow covered ice under my booted feet. Vapor from my mouth. Chills silenced by layers and layers of cozy. The owl in the forest I know by sound. The flannel duvet. The heated mattress cover. A laying down of our angels for the full moon's viewing.

...Hygge, cocoa, the blowers on the paddle court, soggy boots in icy puddles, cold meets black meets starlight meets silence, neck warmers, leg warmers, morning walks with steaming coffee around and around the dog park, frigid fingers, wood on the porch, rolling up newspaper, fatwood, the smell of phosphorus, crackles, crackles, crackles, cozy sweaters, fur-lined jacket, cold leather seats, seat heaters, the winter bed, hot soup and fresh baked bread, snow days, snow flakes, powder, the only foot prints in the woods, tartan blankets, fleece blankets, fake fur blankets, knee socks, mittens, hot water bottles, a cozy conversation around a cozy fire...

Around this time last year, one afternoon a week, I would join an intimate group of women around Drew's living room with our tea, chocolates and cozy blankets and listen to some artfully collected poems. She would offer prompts and we would find our way with a story, a poem, and, sometimes, a list. A list of stirrings. A list of peaks, of valleys. A list of grievances. A list of graces. A list of could-have-beens. Today's calling was to list my longings and put sunshine aside. So, I planted my "pen" and brought the missings to life. The memory of quilted snow, the frigid quiet, the heavenward embers, hygge... each memory more vivid as I gave them life on the page.

Drew's Taste Life Twice workshop info- (https://www.facebook.com/DrewLamm.Ink/)

For those who may not have an inclination for winter's comforts and need some assistance finding the silver linings... "Hygge is a Danish and Norwegian word for a mood of coziness and comfortable conviviality with feelings of wellness and contentment. As a cultural category with its sets of associated practices hygge has more or less the same meanings in Danish and Norwegian, but the notion is more central in Denmark than in Norway." Wikipedia

Also, I highly recommend The Little Book of Hygge audio book! I got my copy at the library, but I am sure Audible has it as well. (https://books.google.co.vi/books/about/The_Little_Book_of_Hygge.html?id=kpxMDAAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=kp_read_button&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false)