Christmas Vacation

Loving the after Christmas solitude of having the house to myself. No thermostat battles or any other battles, just quiet or movies playing while I relax. I need this kind of unstructured time to unwind. I feel nourished by it. I hate having my time nearly completely scheduled-that feels like prison for the brain. I need to be alone to recharge. A recurring theme when LeRoy is at home. Makes me wonder what retirement will be like. Will I be able to enjoy it?

A friend of mine died yesterday. He had cancer, which he survived for years with grace and determination. My reaction to his death surprised me. We knew each other for a year over 30 years ago, but got together at reunions several times, the last one a year ago. He seemed to stride through life like a splendid warrior, facing whatever adversaries he met with confidence. He seemed larger than life. Maybe that's the reason that I experienced his death like a punch in the gut. He was strong, beautiful, and brave, like the classical heroes. He was supposed to be the one who could conquer this terrible opponent. He said he was too stubborn to die, and I believed him. He was a hero to his many friends and his family. I imagine him now in the Elysian Fields, with others who died nobly, in combat with powerful adversaries.