As the end of the year approaches, I rely on candles and books and quiet walks close to home to get me through the short, dark days. I've been knitting up a storm recently to get all my Christmas projects finished, which means I've fallen behind on my reading. Luckily books don't go anywhere, and slowly working my way through the towering pile of books on my nightstand has been a marvelous way to spend the rainy days and nights of this early winter. A friend once told me of an impressive woman she saw knitting and reading a book at the same time in a cozy little corner of a yarn store. Since hearing of that, I haven't been able to decide if that should be my new goal, or if that level of multi-tasking would take all the fun out of each activity. For now, I'll happily stick to just one at a time, even if it means forever falling behind on my list of projects or books. At least winter is the best time for catching up on both!