Last night was the longest night, deep in the heart of winter. It was a bad one for me. I found myself lying awake and slipping down the worry slope. What was I thinking, giving up my full time job and salary? What am I doing, going off to Grahamstown on an expensive trip? The more I tried to sleep, the more that voice in my head went on and on.
Eventually I got up, and lit a fire in our new fireplace. At midnight. In the middle of winter. The worry voice just faded away.
Masha du Toit 
Jun 22, 2011 @ 10:56:50
Sounds like the perfect winter solstice to me – changes, introspection, darkness, fire 🙂
Jun 22, 2011 @ 14:46:16
If I’d thought of it at the time, I would have burnt something meaningful. But maybe that is best. Just letting go of wintry thoughts 🙂
Jun 23, 2011 @ 00:19:59
Fire is so calming. If I can’t sleep I sometimes do sudoku … I should just make little fires with my sudoku books. Very flammable! Masha, I hope you will have a wonderful time with us in GTown, we’re so glad you will be there.
Jun 23, 2011 @ 07:17:50
Burning soduko books! That seems quite right and proper, somehow. I’m looking forward to the trip, Elaine – still got to pack up all my work though!
Jun 23, 2011 @ 19:05:49
I promise you your warm fire of inspiration has burned brighter for not being in the dry ice of the INSTITUTION! The ebooks are going to light up those tablets.
Jun 24, 2011 @ 07:52:24
Ha ha! Thanks Richard, words of wisdom.
Any chance we will see you guys before we leave on Sunday?
Jun 24, 2011 @ 10:50:53
Lovely post. It’s comforting to know I’m not the only who wakes up in the middle of the night like this. Fire – yes.
Jun 24, 2011 @ 10:57:45
Yup – those lying awake blues. They get me every now and then. Something seems to happen to my brain late at night! Maybe it is the lack of distractions. No idea.