Dark December

The sun rose in Central Minnesota at 7:46 this morning and will set at 4:38 today. We will have about eight hours of daylight today -- except it's overcast.  To compare, our reader friends in Arizona had the sun rise at 7:18 and set at 5:20.  They will get about two extra hours of daylight today -- except I read it might freeze down there.  (Bless your hearts, Arizona sisters!  Put on your sweaters!)

You know that secretly in my heart of hearts I love my home state, right?  I really wonder if I would feel right living in another state.  That is the gosh honest truth.  It's green and lovely here in the summer.  The snow can be beautiful.  The cold puts hair on your chest . . . or something.

But -- truth be told -- these dark days are not easy for some of us.  Some people handle it just fine.  Others struggle to maintain good mental health.  Yesterday I started crying in church and I could not stop.  Would not have been a big problem except I was standing up front playing bass guitar and then I had to sing a special song for some departing missionaries.

Problem.

Just before we started, the pastor turned and said, "Let's sing the shortened version."

No.  No, we can't do that.  I can't do that right now.

I cried all the way through it.  What a mess -- an honest mess -- but a mess.

AND my girl Anne Burrell got eliminated off the Next Iron Chef last night.  Why did I even get out of bed?

Because . . . we press on through the dark and the tears.  Right? At least we know and all that.

Start the countdown with me.  Solstice starts December 22 -- just in time for Christmas.  We are S-17!