Standing at the Trailhead of Winter

Monday I'm going to look at a house. To rent. In town. For the last fifteen years, I've been dreaming of finding my house in the country. A small farmhouse with just two or three acres. In my dream, I have a cat or two, a dog or two, a Jersey cow for milk, and maybe a sheep or two so I learn to sheer wool, make yarn. A large garden outside the back door supplies me with veggies to can and freeze. The fruit trees I plant give me cherries, apples, and peaches. The red raspberries stain my face red because I eat more straight from the vine than I save for jams. But, some dreams just stay dreams. I know I'm not the only person whose dream won't ever materialize. There are many, many people who move through their days with the hope that maybe, just maybe, one small part of the dream will happen, but know most likely it won't. This is one of the saddest parts of life. I keep going back to at least I'll have my children with me in whatever house we decide to re...

The start of a new year has begun, and with it, the wonder of what the next 12 months will bring. I, for one, have lots of hopes. My primary hope is that my family continues to enjoy good health. My middle child for many years was the one who battled sore throats, allergies, and colds. We teased him about being the sickly one. Thankfully, 2010 was a good year for him. He remained healthy overall, only having one or two colds at most. During the fall semester, in November, it dawned on me that he hadn't been sick during the fall months. This was a first in his life. My secondary hope is that I can continue writing, producing like I did during summer and fall of 2010. I truly believe my time has come for creating good work. When I finish a story, the feeling of accomplishment spurs me to continue. I've never experienced this before. And lastly, for 2011, I hope to fine tune my nutrition and exercise. I have several events lined up, giving me something to work towards, and I'm...