Crossroads

Welcome to February!

We have settled into a pretty decent winter routine. It's surprising for us all and still not. We've been actively trying to limit our time spent staring at screens -- this includes TV. Oddly, we're also trying to use less, which seems to be our personal theme for Wintertime. it probably sounds a bit odd, but the point is not only conserve energy, but to also increase our family connection to the past and building a bridge to the future. 

Master wants learning to be a family activity, not just something that children do, to get an education, learning should be continual throughout your life. As always, Master wants to model good behaviors for our brood, so we're turning the clock back a little. We're not living without anything, but rather exploring ways to improve family our family connection. More time spent reading, writing and less time staring at screens. We brought back the family Saturday meal, which is more a formal affair, where we dress up, and spend hours eating and talking. Everyone can bring up a current event that interests them. Together we're certainly learning about new things. 

What We're Watching

Master splurged on a subscription to PBS Living, which gives us access to great cooking, travel, and home type stuff that we've been enjoying immensely. The cooking shows alone (lots of Julia Child), are worth the price. All the shows, Master enjoys the car shows and we both like Antiques Roadshow. It's a winner, since all the shows are fairly kid friendly. We're also doing an odd dive into shows that demonstrate (often by doing themselves) the difficulties of life long ago. While, as a child, mouse used to dream of living on a farm, waking at the crack of dawn to feed a milk a cow, living that lifestyle probably wouldn't suit her very much. Especially for women, it was very hard work. Who wants to spend a full week doing wash? Victorian Farm on Amazon Prime, scratched the itch nicely where a historian and archeologists tackle life as it used to be during the Victorian age. 

What We are Reading

Master has been reading more for fun, which is a bit unusual for Him. While mouse still reads smutty or bodice rippers on her kindle app, Master has been reading more mystery stories. Our local library, while mostly closed does allow for the taking out of books. You tell them what you want to read and they bundle them up and He picks them up. 

Games We Play

Each evening it seems, we are spending time together playing a game. Inspired by the Victorian Farm show, mouse dug out an old Christmas book that shows you how to make your own gift wrap, Christmas Crackers, and includes a chapter on games to play for parties. Games like Charades, and other guessing games have become a family staple, right along with a few board games, and of course puzzles. 

All these things, while a mostly snowless winter continues, have served us well and improved our family connection and interactions. There's a calmness over the house that's bursting with people, yet we're all getting along just fine. This is to contrast the previous summer and fall when everyone seemed to have their nerve stretched so thin that anything would set off a powder keg. 

A year ago, mouse was struggling with depression and while medications have been stopped for that, she needs to keep herself focused and mindful about her daily "feelings". Often there's no reason for feeling sad, nervous or whatever, but she has learned to accept it when it happens and go to Master. Not to have Him fix her feelings or even validate them, but so that He understands that mouse might go a little quiet, or seem to just be going through the motions of the day. Of course, if the feelings persist longer than a day or so or if they intensify, mouse can schedule a therapy appointment. 

That being said, there hasn't been any of that so far this winter (which traditionally is hard on many of us). Also, Master has stepped up a bit in His expectations where His slave is concerned, as we settle into a more service oriented life, where Master extends even more control over the slave's daily life. There is even less room for personal decision making and more emphasis on how He wants things done.