Back in the 2000s...

Man, we're getting old. I can just hear my proverbial kids howling with laughter when we tell them that during our heyday we went sledding during Christmastime and rang in the New Year and the new decade with good friends, good food, and cheap champagne (because the only people who buy expensive champagne have apostrophes in their names and wear five inch dollar signs as jewelry). They will probably have hovercrafts and be able to zip over to Paris, and then to Shanghai and beyond to follow the new year around the globe in a snap. Probably not. But that'd be cool. Ah, me. Everything changes, nothing stays the same. I do have photographic proof of the Big Snow and sledding and New Year's and such. But I'm too lazy to deal with the rigors of posting said photographs on this conundrum of a computer right now. So, you'll just have to wait. But I will post them, I promise.

Christmas "break", as it were, was much, much too much and not nearly enough all at the same time. Too much shopping, too much food, too much Christmas music, too much driving....but not enough time with the ones we love the most. Just simply not enough. We're back in the good ol' 1318, just me and him, him and me. And our Christmas tree. Our first food of the new year was homemade tomato soup and chicken salad sandwiches. Yu-um. Don't worry, we had collards and hoppin' John in Charleston before we left on New Year's Day. No bad luck here. Make like the Shaker's and shake off the Man. Ha! A little trivia for you: leftover Hoppin' John is called "Skippin' Jenny". how hilarious is that?? Prett-yyy hilarious.

Ya know what I think is tough?? Tough like old shoe leather, like beef jerky, like arithmetic, getting out of bed, and steeling yourself to clean the bathroom? I think Winter is tough. I know, you thought I was going to say "looking for a job" or some such nonsense (which, it is tough, but that's not what we're talking about here), but I think January, February, and the former two thirds of March are tough. Becauuuuse...they're cold. There's usually rain involved. And there's not a birthday or reasonable holiday in sight until July. Yeah, yeah, your birthday's February 82nd, but what I'm saying is there ain't nothing to look forward to but summer. And that's a long three months. So. I've decided to take another good, hard look at Winter. If Martha can make something out of nothing, so can I. And I'll be gosh darned if I don't celebrate Valentine's day with vigor and Saint Patrick's day with pride. There will be doilies, hearts, clovers, and leprechaun's all over my house. Juuuust kidding, just kidding. But I will probably make a cupcake or 20.

So, Winter is about hybernation. Snuggling down until Spring. Hot tea, good books, soft, fuzzy blankets. But, this time of year, it's also about turning over a new leaf--even if that leaf is colorless, crinkled, and dry from a harsh Winter wind. One thing I love, love about God is that he is a huge fan of New Year's resolutions. Not in the self-serving lose-five-pounds sense, but in the sense that when you stand in front of him, staring deep into his loving eyes, with your arms flung open wide and your heart flung open wider, declaring to Him that you will go all the way, you will give up everything for Him, you will do whatever it takes to spread the Good News--he believes you. In that moment of complete surrender and steely resolve to give it all up for the Kingdom, God believes that you will. Even though He can see the end of your lifetime, and whether you did or you didn't, in that amazing moment, He believes you. He sees his likeness in your heart. Because He is love. And Love believes all things and hopes all things. And Love rejoices with the truth that Love sees itself in you. Yes, and amen! Good to know.

To turning the leaf, turning the page, turning the other cheek, turning the key, turning a profit, turning wood, turning around, turning over, turning course.

To turns. Mine and yours.

Cheers!