Wednesday, December 14, 2022
Climbing into bed I could hear the winds rushing through the pines. The first real blizzard was beginning to brew. My words, I guess. Weather reports call it “winter storm”or advisory or simply “warning.” I peer out the window. The yard glows as all the light from the city and my own Christmas decorations reflect in the churning moist air.
The dark of night is not so dark this night. I lie in bed, watching the bare bones of maple tree branches wave in the gusts. Walls of wind blast through the trees. My home sits in a bit of a cove among neighboring properties. One neighbor is lower. They are tucked back into their own wall of trees. Some of my neighbors sit a bit higher upon a bit of a hill. My other neighbors are my sentinel towering pines which outline the rest of the woods to the east.
I am delightfully nested among all of them. I crack open the window just enough to make the wind whistle. Burrowing into wool blankets, my body and mind settle into sleep.
Rain awakens me the next morning. Thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit accompanied the precipitation. Hours of ice, sleet, rain and hail slicked every horizontal surface. My friend lends me tracker ice cleats for my boots.
I am ready to salt my sidewalks!
Besides catching up on my sleep, I spend part of the day revisiting economics. As I stoke the fire, sounds of business news and Christmas music competitively blast in the house.
Rather a strange brew, isn’t it? While I focus upon updating myself on current events, creative endeavors and the micro aspects of business, I have become rather lax in the study of economics.
There are easy aspects of economics or so the study used to seem to be. But I watch the business news, astonished at the complexity. Or, I half-watch because I am overwhelmed and I am disgusted that I have not kept updated.
Even the vocabulary I now find daunting. I fold laundry and listen. Start to nap. Listen. Eat a salad. Listen.
When I was in the midst of studying, decades ago, the DOW was below ten thousand. Today? Thirty-three thousand. The federal reserve board met today, determining the overnight interest rate should slow in its increase. But increase it did, just at a slower pace. Inflation, they have determined, is slowing.
But still, it is a factor that is concerning.
The increase in interest rate is tempered to half a point rather than the most recent increases of three quarters.
The days of the DOW recovering reversed today. From a high over thirty-four thousand, the index decreased to thirty-three.
I smile as I listen. The television report is just the tip of the iceberg. I realize how much I miss it. Plus I realize I will never be an expert and am even less an expert than I ever possibly was. But I smile.
In order to maximize my own household budget, updating my economics knowledge can only be helpful!
I have a new promise to myself in that I will study financial news for no other purpose than to be better informed. And possibly I will better understand my finances even though I have a Cracker Jack financial planner. (I learned years ago to never ever assume the stance of stupidity in any matters. I made horrible mistakes by assuming others could think and decide for me!)
The promise reminds me of one I made to myself years (gasp, years?) ago. I promised myself that I would not even worry about dating until I learned languages.
Well, I guess I have a few more subjects to engross myself. Or, I could add them to my new Christmas list?
Technology. Economics. Languages.Creative endeavor. They have become my list for me. Now just for me, because I want them. And they make me smile.
Speaking of gifts and lists, Hanukkah comes this Sunday evening! Which reminds me of another promise to myself. I need to perfect a recreation of my grandmothers potato pancakes.
I love lists and things to do. Happy Hanukkah to you. I am excited to light the candles! And to begin to my studies!
Lots of love. And I wish you a holiday of engagement…
S
Stephanie Springborn 