Today was another example of how this blog & challenge came through to encourage me to walk when I might normally drive. I did a lot of driving today - to the next town to attend a funeral, then back home. Dropping off a few Christmas presents. Into Glasgow to a friend's house. And I can say unequivocally that I can see why i am walking. Driving makes me frustrated, ticked off, easily angered, keeping records of wrongs...all those things that love does not do, according to I Corinthians 13, my mind and heart want to do when I am driving in traffic!
So once I got to my friend's flat in Glasgow, I realised that it was a 4 minute drive to visit another friend nearby - or, according to Googlemaps, an 18 minute walk. Seeing as I hadn't had my walk yet, I chose that option.
It was a very wise choice. Perhaps because I was in Glasgow as opposed to Airdrie, but I found myself not needing my hat, scarf, gloves, and even my coat. It wasn't just the walking - I've been walking every day in sub zero temperatures and not warming up! There was a warmth in the air, which I attributed to the predicted snow. I've learned from experience that when it gets very, very cold and suddenly, surprisingly, warms up - it often means snow is about to show up. (I remember where I went to university this would happen. I would leave my dorm and find it surprisingly warm all of a sudden, so I would leave my coat and set off to class, coming out less than an hour later to huge snowflakes falling, and me with no protection from them!)
I passed a Christmas-tree lot, hidden away in a corner of the street. I wanted to stop and take a photo, but there was a guy standing there looking like a Christmas Tree Bouncer of some kind - he eyed me suspiciously as I crossed over to the other side. I just wanted to smell the fragrance - the clean, sharp smell of fir trees. I wish so often I could take a picture of smells like that. It brings up all kinds of feelings and emotions - family, opening gifts, love, joy, baking cookies, sparkling lights, 'Silent Night' on the radio - all this passes through your mind in a moment as you walk past live Christmas trees. I left others to purchase their trees, and walked on.
Also passed a place called The Church On The Hill. It was beautifully lit, with that soft golden light glowing out of the windows. Not used for a church anymore, as is sadly the case with many such buildings in Scotland, but a beautiful venue, and I never knew it existed.
Made it to my friend's flat and enjoyed a lovely catch-up and some red wine, and then back out in the mild evening air to Chinese & Indian food and a rousing game of Trivial Pursuit, complete with Christmas crackers. Then home to my wee flat, where all is calm, and all is...quiet.
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