Friends
Monday, November 04, 2002
      ( 9:27 PM ) Nathan Kibler  
Yeah! This is great writing, Carolyn, and very good to keep your goals in sight. I feel like I may have bitten off more than I can chew right now. After busting out the first two days I have too many words to catch up to. But I love this essay, almost a prose poem. I like the contrast of the specific rituals and the images of the season. Very good. Will you be adding to this subject? Perhaps some childhood memory? Keep up the good work. I want to see more like this. #

      ( 12:48 PM ) Carolyn Pietala  
I am not participating in NaNoWriMo like Nathan. (Look at him go!) [Insert enthusiastic stadium whistle.] But I am using the time to work on my writing. My goal, much less intimidating than the 50,000 words of the novel writers, is 30 essays in 30 days. Nathan encouraged me to post my writings here. And although I don't want all of my scribblings to be out in full public view, I guess I wouldn't mind this being seen.

327 words

S is for Sleep

There have been certain times in my past when I have suffered from insomnia, but this is not one of them. The season probably helps as well. It is autumn. Really autumn. The leaves blaze in fire colors and are trimmed in frost if you get up early enough. But who wants to get up, when it’s warm in the bed and guaranteed shivers when you throw back the covers. The bears know. This is weather for sleeping.

I have my sleep inducing science down to a ritual. It starts with vitamins. Vitamins that claim to improve circulation are best taken at night. When they open up all those veins the effect is soporific, not energizing like one would think. Fingers and toes already started to get cold? This specifically calls for niacin. A niacin flush will bring heat to the farthest tip of icy toes.

Internal things taken care of, time to check off the external. I have a heat register in my bedroom that never gets turned on (too close to the bedding) except for that time before bed. I pull the edges of the covers up on to the bed, crank the dial and wait for the warm air to start circulating into the room, but mostly under the bed. Socks placed on top of the register for a minute, and then put on as bedtime apparel encourage toes to stay warm. A flannel nightgown, one that has been recently washed with that softener smell, is particularly cozy.

Just before getting into bed, I spread the afghan out on top of the covers and turn off the heat. The chill will edge back into the room, but that is a good thing. It is the contrast between the chill in the air outside the bed and the warmth inside the covers that makes one want to stay under those covers and dooozzzze. The bears know. This is weather for sleeping.
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