Jeeze, How Does Anyone Have Time to Blog???

It is January again. Another fresh new start. I love them.  Here are some sweet little things that are currently surrounding me.

Debbie gave me the Ling Chang desk calendar years ago and I've continued to get the refills every year since. I have old folders back to 2002. Plus, I have a group of sister-like people I give this to every year. I especially like this January's pansies.

Before Christmas, I went to a pop-up art show where some of my Fiber Guild friends had work. I bought for myself, this lovely little accordion book, handmade by Kris Westerson. It is all handmade paper, including the cover which I'll show you in a minute. The quote says "Change is law and no amount of pretending will alter that reality. -- Socrates" -- and she drew the zentangles.

Here is the front of the book. I love handmade art books. I love the lovely pages, and the clever designs. There are so many bindings. If I had it all to do over again. . . but at this point, I'm just going to enjoy the ones others make.

Sandy Witman sent me this sweet set of envelopes, made by a friend out of calendar pages, pages from found children's books and other random sources. I want to learn how!!

This is one of my favorite sweet little vignettes of the holiday season -- At Mom's --this lovely camellia from her neighbor's bush that reminds me of Daddy -- and then Mom reminded me that Marie Mauney gave her this pretty vase. What a sweet and simple way to keep loved ones close during the holidays.

and speaking of camellias -- here is my own Lady Clare -- a variety that Daddy did have in our yard in Raleigh, holding it's own in my border here in Charleston.

January Starts

We started the year with a record-breaking cold snap -- 13 or 14 nights in a row with temperatures below freezing. People around here don't have any stamina for these bitter days and in this, I have become one of them.

Finally, yesterday Duncan and I took a walk after work and watched the sky go light pink as the sun faded and it was a great relief to be outside and think it was pleasant. And to notice that it was after work and not dark yet. The days get longer by nearly a minute every day, I heard. It's beginning to make a difference.

Claire gave me a wonderful book for my birthday -- When Wanderers Cease to Roam by Vivian Swift. It is a creative woman's journal notations and water color sketches for a year. Vivian says January is the Warrior month because it takes a warrior to soldier through these cold, dark, harsh January days. She goes on to say this must be why the Romans put January at the head of the calendar, the better to teach the most important lesson of the year, that: What it takes to get through January is what it takes to get through Life.

That may well be, but it was Duncan who saved my bacon on Sunday morning when we woke up with frozen pipes. He used a heat gun (who knew we even had a heat gun?) and thawed them out in about 10 minutes.

Tuesday a strong earthquake erupted in Port-au-Prince in Haiti. Most of the island is in rubble. That is all the news and heartbreaking.