Is January half done?

People up north tend to hate this month. (Then we move on to February and they hate that one even more.) It rarely pleases. In years when we had more snow, you'd hear a lot of groaning about the need to shovel. Without snow? People like me complain ceaselessly that our winter-long cross country skiing is getting to be a thing of the past. Sometimes there are unexpected warmups. That seems so wrong, so people complain. Arctic blasts, like the one this week and the even bigger one next week? Well yeah! Being hit with shards of glass in the face (which is what it feels like) is no fun. And it all lasts so many days! Too many days! Nor does spring follow! You know what does follow? February -- another month of the same.

January 15th -- today -- can only bring one of two reactions: fantastic! We're half done with it! (Glass half full.) Or: unbelievable! We're only half way through. (Half empty.) I think I'll straddle the middle: we're gettin' there! 

January has great virtues for me: it's a slow down after the mad rush of December holidays. And it is a real slow down from outdoor work on farmette lands. Ed and I are obviously not farmers, but from April through October we have endless projects that need our attention. Some of them -- like lily snapping for me -- are daily ones that take a lot of time. Some are heavy duty digs. Some, like weeding, are exasperating in their infinite demands. Yes, I love spring best, but I love that January requires of me only one gardening chore: to pick the plants and seeds I want to put in come spring time.

And here's a January bonus: we do not have to check for ticks.

 

It is cold once again. Ed is still in the sheep shed, saying "I'm better!" but sounding the same. So I eat breakfast alone, digging into the warmed cinnamon roll from Madison Sourdough.

(my trilogy of scrumptiousness!)

And here's my very own anecdotal evidence that January has a way of getting to you: I pick up the kids at school and as usual, we review the day, starting with a positive -- what great thing happened today? Each has something to relate, so that's good. But as we continue with our drive, Snowdrop says -- I wish it were summer. Now, this is a girl who loves the cold and claims to be a winter person at heart (she attributes this to having a January birthday). And yet, January is threatening to make a summer lover out of her! 

 

Since I'm feeling upbeat and kids have had good outcomes in school, I want to offer them something uniquely special, even as we've used up our treat stops for the week, so it can't be food. I have just the thing: kids, you want to go to the car wash with the rainbow soap? (The car is terribly salted-over and dirty).

Yes!! 

It takes so little...

 

 

 

 

At home, we near the end of a very fun book (The Library Girl) and even Sparrow, who usually loses himself in his next Lego building project, can't resist listening in. 

It shouldn't surprise me of course, but it always does -- children's literature can be truly amazing: imaginative, clever, fast paced, with well developed character,s and most often with satisfying endings. There will come a time when these kids wont be so enraptured with me reading books out loud. I'll probably have to sneak some for myself then! We've hit some real page turners this past year. Wonderful stuff.

 

In the evening Ed comes over, and this is how the day ends -- on an up-note, despite January, despite the cold, despite the short days and lack of snow. We eat reheated stuff and watch something very British -- a form of escape I suppose, to a place where Januaries never quite get this freezing and Februaries reveal snowdrop flowers, and Marches bring out the bluebells. Oh, but all their winter rain! I'll stick with our deep freeze, thanks. Who knows, maybe we'll even get snow. Someday.

with love...