Five Golden Rings (5)

"All men's miseries derive from not being able to sit in a quiet room alone."
-Blaise Pascal

Spouse is back at work on this day. Sitting alone, it hardly feels like the holidays. Still, I do have plenty of hot tea to drink and suitably Wintery films to view. I am thankful for Mater's surprise gift of a warm and snug pair of slipper-boots. I feel quite like I ought to be climbing mountains in them, although, given the fickle nature of slippers, they would not survive a trip to the front step of our apartment.
The sky is blue, the snow is melting gradually and it remains one of those peaceful, perfect frosty December days which one cannot help being pleased about.