Flamingos and Light Hats

Wow.

Is it really January 22?

I swear I have not seen the sun in 21 days. I was just about to go on Amazon and search for 'stylish light hat'. 

except for the lack of ice, this bleakness truly belongs to January

It has been such a dreary January, I was actually sort of looking forward to the ICE STORM of the CENTURY which was predicted for our area last weekend. Even that was a thankful disappointment, leaving only a treacherous coating of ice on the deck which I walk across every morning in my robe and snow boots to feed the birds. I make quite a picture on a good day, but add in the slipping and flailing and well, good thing Rob doesn't have a good camera on his phone... Today a pale yellow sun actually shined down for approximately four hours and it was warm enough that, wrapped in a sweater, I ate my lunch on the deck while JoeyKatt monitored the perimeter for stray chickadees.

What a welcome change.

Which is how the New Year always hits me.

Fresh, clean and ripe for change.

I was hoping to make my Word of the Year 'fulfillment'.

As in, fulfilling those things I keep saying I want to do: write daily, exercise daily, lose fifteen pounds, read more...

But the Universe put a great big International Symbol for NO on that plan by hitting me with several weird, random nearly anaphylactic episodes.

This has resulted in the realization that I am a terrible patient. Even though I have spent over half my life as a nurse, I have been depressed, tearful, angry, obstinate, pissy, anxious and did I mention pissy?

Today has been a good day. Thanks to the sunshine, breakfast with the family, enough anti-histamine to send a meth-head to Walter White Mountain.

I have been doing yoga nearly every day. And if you count writing in my food log, that writing thing is back on track...

I have so many things to bring back to the Coast of Illinois – more of the Keys, a new 'floating' project, some interesting books – I think my new Word of the Year will be:

Hopeful

I am hopeful that I will get back on track with the writing.

I am hopeful that, thanks to the evil diet I am following to prevent more Stay-Puft episodes, I will lose that last 15 pounds before this summer's vacation.

I am hopeful that the two story pile of books on my desk will decrease before that poor bottom book becomes nothing more than a crushed piece of cardboard.

And after watching the streets of St. Louis, Chicago, New York, The World, fill with women and men of all colors and creeds to peacefully bring attention to the need to protect women's/everyone's rights, I am hopeful that we, as Americans, can come together to facilitate change in a peaceful productive manner.

Happy New Year

from

The Coast of Illinois

Harvey would like you to know that is actual greenery sprouting behind him. Not some terrible end product of a distressing GI illness.