Final candle, final hours…

Tags

all souls day, bells, candy, celebration, choir, feast, frankincense, freedom, halloween, jack-o-lantern, keys, kind, mass, peace, writer for 365, writer's life, writers

I think last night’s gathering of the Keys was a great success, and best captured in images, rather than words.

Before…(while two of us worked on the feast in the kitchen)

After…(while everyone was in the living room getting spontaneous portraits done and discussing ossuaries & necrotourists)

After staying up until one, the time change was a gift. In fact, I woke up at the new, improved eight o’clock, refreshed and willing to walk to church to attend Mass on All Souls’ Day with my friend. The bells, choir, Latin, and frankincense (followed by leftover cake) were a lovely way to end a three day celebration that perfectly coincided with the weekend this year.

I’ve spent the rest of the day eating Halloween candy, looking over 50% Halloween decorations (with disappointing results), and following up on emails. I’m also mentally preparing myself for a grueling two weeks at work. One of our team will be on vacation and I’ll be covering her impossible job. Thankfully, I have some help and someone to do parts of my job while I do hers…but it’ll still be hard. I have to be extra kind to myself during this time. This means, trying to exercise and eat well, to help with the stress, and not expecting too much else from myself. I’m going to do my writing in the mornings (to waylay the evening hurt that comes otherwise) and my blog in the evenings (which is actually quite relaxing at the end of the day with a glass of wine and good soundtrack). Anything else I do will be a bonus.

Now, putting a final candle in the jack-o’lantern and enjoying my final hours of peace and freedom.