The morning was chillier than usual when I stepped out of the house. The air had a certain dry bite to it when I inhaled. The car sparkled under the street light. Frost. The first frost this year has come. My eye wanders over the flower beds as I pass them. “Time to prune the roses and woody herbs,” I remind myself. The car door opens with a frozen crackle. It doesn’t take long to defrost the windshield and warm up the car – it’s cold, but only 34 degrees (F), barely cold enough to frost things over.

I head up the highway with my thoughts. I’m cautious and alert for frozen stretches of roadway. There is little traffic, and the drive is a pleasant one. Nice start to the day, and I find myself smiling as I drive, relaxed and unbothered.

…”Relaxed and unbothered”… an almost ideal state of being in 2025, and it feels like a stroke of luck, and a luxury. I make a point to enjoy it, aware of how precious this moment really is…

I breathe, exhale, and relax. It’s a good beginning. Sometimes that’s enough.

I sip my coffee and think about the holidays ahead. There’s no stress over it, really, and I don’t have any lavish costly plans. I’m looking forward to a simple holiday at home, a chance to relax with my beloved Traveling Partner, share joy, tasty treats, and festive moments. That, too, is enough. His birthday is between Thanksgiving and Giftmas, and I often find it challenging to find something worthy to celebrate him, but that challenge is a “me thing”. Although he is particular, he is not demanding, nor ingracious, and he knows how to receive a gift well. I’m excited about my choices this year. I think about holiday baking, and setting up the tree on Thanksgiving weekend. I think about the Thanksgiving dinner, and the simple and tasty classic menu we decided on for this year. I’m hoping for a low stress holiday – no one needs more stress these days. I think about Giftmas, too, and selfishly, like a child, I think about gifts under the tree and stockings hung on the mantle. I’m hoping for fuzzy soft spa socks and books, and maybe something for the garden, or the kitchen.

My keyboard begins vexing me with some crazy bullshit. It’s wireless… Low battery maybe? No.  Some update not yet installed? Nope, not that either. It’s weird; the actions of the keys seems to change randomly. Restarting the laptop clears it up temporarily, but in a few keystrokes the problem returns. I find myself more distracted than frustrated, which seems promising, all things considered. I turn my attention to troubleshooting and the work day ahead.

… It’s apparently time to begin again.

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…If you’re curious what the issue turned out to be with the keyboard, my function key was apparently sticking. Resolved. Feeling grateful to have done some time in a technical support role, once upon a time. Handy skills.