Counting Down!

Yes, we are counting down . . . 

til this LONG, cold, boring, 

did I say long?

 month of 

January is finally over!

We shopped on cold weekends!
But no, we did not buy  another  stuffed animal!

Just heard that it was the coldest month in 100 years!

I knew it!

Ok, I admit we had a couple warm days here and 

there and I was able to get the snow and crud

washed off my big red jeep!

Muffy enjoyed a warm day in the sun!

It was so cold that Connor decided to grow

his hair out!

People --- this is big!

He has shaved his head since he was in high school and

hasn't had a real haircut for 11 or 12 years!

May look short to you, but this
is really long hair for him!

He looks so different and

I had forgotten that his hair is so black!

Don't tell him, but he is kind of a 

Mr. Tennis look-alike! :)

Did you see the itty-bitty little sliver of moon

this morning?

Cutest little thing ever!!

Photo courtesy of EarthSky.org

I just did some research for you.

Evidently the moon is waning toward a new moon

 (the second new moon for January) on January 30!

Get up early to see the little waning crescent moon 

for the new couple days!
It will make your day to see that sweet little moon in the sky!

January Weekend Update

Every year I dread January.

The month seems to drag on and on and on . . .

It's cold and dreary and such a long month --
do you feel the same???

I thought so!

We struggled through the beginning of the month with snow and

an arctic chill and then -- guess what --

it warmed up!

Love it when that happens, especially in January!!

 

So, Maddy and I planned a fun day on Saturday --
escaping

the laundry and decluttering.



 It just so happened, that the church and school I attended had

its annual Flower Show. 

They plan it for January to give us all hope for spring. 
A quick day road trip was in order!

One of the many gorgeous flower arrangements

I made my First Communion, Confirmation and

graduation from 8th grade and high school at Cathedral.

 It is such a beautiful Spanish Renaissance church  --
really a special spiritual place.

Brought back so many memories to be there!



Isn't this Cathedral lovely!!

It was quite the fun Mother/Daughter day!

First we shopped at Pottery Bar*n and some other local shops;

had lunch together at a sweet bakery cafe

(not a fast food place -- so unusual for us),

stopped at a major furniture store (just looked -- no purchases)

 and finally got to the flower show.

 

 

 

It was go, go, go and SO much fun -- just the kind of day

I'd always hoped

to have with my daughter some day.

Having a little fun at at waterfall at the mall!

Lost

January is even a harder month this year than usual.

You see, my dear sweet Mother is at a hospice house now.

I used to call her and jabber away at her every single night. We'd chat about the family, the kids, the weather, how messy dogs can be - especially in the winter, what's for dinner, my work friends -- just about anything and everything.

And now, she is fading away from me, from all of us.

What will I do without her?

She's in my dreams and my heart always, but I am feeling very lost.