War and Peace

This is the first week of January and it is frigid cold outside. The temperature tonight is in the single digits. What snow that is left is crunchy and iced. Geese were circling overhead earlier this evening looking for open, unfrozen water in which to land on the nearby lakes.

This is the time of year to put on extra blankets at night. Burn the fireplace. Let the dog and the cats sleep with you. Stay indoors out of the biting cold wind. A time to go to bed early and read.

Several years ago a German exchange student spent a year with us. During the cold January winter she spent many evenings snuggled up in her duvet reading Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace. That spring when she returned to Germany she left her copy inscribed to me daring me to read the whole book.

Recently an author on NPR was talking how everyone should have a time in their life that the take the time to read War and Peace. This cold winter I am going to do it. I started reading the week between Christmas and New Years.