Brrr-ave New World

The last month or so has been positively idyllic, excepting the collapse of the entire world's economic system, of course. The weather here has been most fine for weeks: an autumn that rolled gently on and on, colorful leaves, warm weather, congenial company and the promise of a new world, at least in terms of mutual respect and civility among friendly nations.

But the wolf of winter is upon my doorstep. Several feet of snow have fallen in the Dakotas and Montana; yesterday was the first whole day below freezing since last March. The corners of Flippist World Headquarters have become a bit chilly. Evenings spent watching gloomy Ingmar Bergman movies are not far away. I've started my first book of the Winter reading season- The Great Weaver from Kashmir. The first major novel by Icelandic author and Nobel laureate Halldór Laxness, written when he was only 25, has finally been translated into English after 81 years! Rose and I will be posting our respective reviews on December 10th. (Sneak preview: It's good already.)

As for now, I'll just pour myself another cup of hot chocolate and cozy up with my book and a woolen lap-blanket, letting the Brrr-ave New World of another Minnesota winter begin for me tomorrow.