I was listening to CBC, as usual, and they played a piece by one of my favourite contemporary composers, Michael Nyman. This prompted me to go and seek out what is available on disc. Well, I found a treasure trove. I am especailly intersting in all the cinema soundtracks, ie from Greenaway films and the like. However, I fear that most of these would have to be ordered. Perhaps if I have some left over scholarship money in the new year...that should keep me motivated. :)

Well, after adding my comment to Tom's Diner, I just had to come here and extole the virtues of winter a little more. Yes, I am one of those freaks who likes winter. I love being snuggled in bed under heaps of covers. Long winter nights to burn lots of candles, while sitting around cozily reading or better yet writing, in my journal, or personal letters. December and January are especially good because there are lots of home made Christmas cookies to eat. But best of all about winter is that I get to pull out all my wonderful handmade sweaters, and use them to full effect. I come from a family of knitters, and I love to knit also. So, along side my closets full of unfinished knitting projects, I also have a dresser full of hand knit wool sweaters. (I am also one of those freaks who can wear pure wool next to my bare skin. I should really become an ascetic. I think I missed my calling.) Anyway, yesterday I pulled out an Aaron Sweater that my Mom made for me. My sisters an I all have ones that are almost the same. I put it on over a t-shirt, and while I was walking to school, I was embraced by this fantastic feeling of cozy. It lasted pretty much the whole day. I was nice and warm. Then this morning I pulled out the first sweater I ever made myself, which I am still willing to wear. My only complaint is that I made it out of cheap yarn, rather than real wool, but the buttons came from a cool store in Banff Alberta, and I think it still looks cool. I wore it all the time in high school. My mother called it my 'uniform'. There was a cat hair caught in one of the sleeves, which I think must have belonged to my old cat Muffin, whom I am missing (but who will not come back, as Mischief did). Links to home, the past, beloveds in my life who are currently far away. My mother is giving me a big warm hug from far away, as I wear my nice warm sweater in the crisp cold winter weather. Yes, December is a great month after all.

I just went to pick up something from the floor, and out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw a cat in the hall way. It was really just some cleaning things I had left there, but it made me think just how much I miss having a cat around. Recently, my Mom called to say that my older sister's cat, which is currently living at my parents, had disappeared. Now he is in the habit of doing this, and he has now returned, much to my delight, but I was really worried that there would be no cat when I went home for Christmas. I lived with that cat all last year, and for most of my life we have had a cat. They just make a home. They are fantastic company. And they have great personalities. Cats are great for all kinds of things. They keep your house mouse free. They curl up on your lap and keep you warm in the winter. They purr. Not to mention all the good emotional and physical health petting a cat can bring. They are also good lover tests. Set a cat in a prospective lovers lap, and see how well they pet it...you get the idea. Ah well. Hopefully, when all this work is done, I will be home with a cat waking me up in the morning, and curling up on my lap in the afternoon, and pouncing on me in the night. I miss the kitty.