Why Hello Februrary!

It must be the teacher in me that thinks about Groundhog day each year. I secretly hope that the rodent's predictions mean something, especially if spring is headed our way. Alas, looks like six more weeks of winter, and has it been WINTER here in Oregon, unlike most years. Seeing the sun today is a welcome and hopeful sign. Enough halfass snow and icy mornings thank you very much.

It's been a strange week. Everyone's been sick, and I finally felt it last night. I was watching The Pursuit of Happyness as the illness moved its' way into my bones. Phooey. I'm not planning to let it set me back much, but it has had its' way with both my husband and the girls. Fevers, cranky behavior, some coughing, oh, all the loveliness. I'm out of practice with it because we've been really healthy all fall for the most part.

My mom is doing well, laying low and taking time to recover properly from not just her surgery but the complete experience of being diagnosed with cancer and then quickly having it removed from her body. The process of the sentinel node biopsy sounded so uncomfortable. Needle and nipple shouldn't be in the same sentence. She sounds better each day but I think it suprised her that it would take her awhile to feel normal again. She wasn't ready for guests and we weren't ready to be guests with our germy bodies so we still haven't seen her and hugged her. I hate that but my relief at her being well overrides my anxiety at not seeing her.

The absense of t.v. (we ripped through the Flight of the Conchords) has paved the way for some good reading at night. I would recommend Water for Elephants and am reading a book of short stories by Miranda July that is so quirky and odd but strangely inspiring. Her writing is wowing me.

So Puxatawney Phil says more winter. I will leave you with wishes for winter days spent sipping warm cocoa. I'm not talking regular Swiss Miss either. Try the recipe here.It is heaven in a mug.