i'm home and i'm happy. it's a little blustery outside....i'm still hoping for a warm bright spring to appear and stay for more than an afternoon. i worked at the bookstore tonight. and i came home brimming with all the energy it provides. i love the people who i work with. and the customers who are almost always funny & interesting & generous of spirit. tom works early in the morning. so although he waited for me to get home, he's gone off to bed, leaving me to watch tennis i dvr-ed from the weekend. edgar is on the couch with me. stella is curled up next to him. there is a little fire in the fireplace. the windows are dark. and i just had a snack of cherry tomatoes and tzatziki. there are dishes in the sink, but i'll put them in the dishwasher in the morning. right now i'm basking in a happy moment. it's important to recognize these moments and love them without distraction.

the last week of the year may be my favorite. the magical delight that follows the excitement and rush and exhaustion that is christmas. a relaxed and dreamy week. the days when you gradually bring your home and your thoughts back to the humdrum of daily life. the air is snapping cold outside, but you bundle up to trudge through fields of snow or city streets or house filled neighborhoods just to do it. there are video games to play and new dvds to watch and books to read. and lots of football and hockey on tv. the kitchen is full of all sorts of food just waiting to be snacked on. and occasionally dragging out the vaccuum doesn't even feel like a chore. there is a fire smoldering in the fireplace most of the time and everyday feels like the weekend. this is how i bid farewell to the past year and welcome the new, with a week of sundays.