What. Where have you been?

"Why haven't you been blogging?  Is everything alright.  I was so worried."  These are the imaginary conversations I have in my head about me and you and this blog.  Yes, everything is good.  I just have been doing the Christmas, back to school, back to work and do inventory week at work, oh my have not unpacked or taken down Christmas and am now avoiding such work, so I'll blog thing. 

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WELCOME JANUARY!

I don't know about you, but the older I become, the more I enjoy January.  Although, I love and will always LOVE Christmas and all the fullness it encompasses:  my belly with good food, my house with beautiful decorations, the in and out of people and all their stuff.  I must say, I'm always refreshed with January.  After the Christmas break, I am as happy putting away the decorations, as I am pulling them out.  I like how sparse the house is.  I always clean the house real good after putting away Christmas, and Christmas vacation stuff, and presents.  I usually go through the kids clothes and closets and do a general housekeeping.  My version of Spring Cleaning usually happens in January.  

Plus, I usually decorate for January.  On my mantel,  I only decorate with the colors of silver and white and lots of candles.  I want to embrace the sparse-ness.  I want to drink the coffee in front of the fire and read a good book that I received for Christmas.  I want to break out the Monopoly game or cards and play in the early dark evenings.  It is that time of year that we venture out for just those things that are needed and required and we regroup and rest up and prepare ourselves for Spring.  Because Spring my friends is just around the corner.  I even saw some wildflowers trying to bloom on the side of the road the day before yesterday, but not to worry Old Man Frost took care of them.  They lie in wait.  And we shall, too.