Day by Day--January

I had the big idea this year to remember my days.  After living through so many months dealing with the after effects of cancer I wanted my experience to make a difference.  

And it has.

But not as much as I would like.  

I don't know what I expected.  It is hard to have lofty thoughts and high ideals when you still have to slog through normal life.  Organizing, washing, cooking cleaning still have to be done.   I thought I would have more energy by now.  It is discouraging to come to the end of the day and the thought of having to carry the step stool to put something away feels like too much.  

What I wanted was to notice as I go through life, to pay attention to the good things and the good people that are sharing it with me.  It seemed like last year just went by too fast, and I remember so little of it.  

So, I set myself a project.

To remember the days.

Every day has a story. 

December
29. My new camera has a pretty good zoom.  That's about the only thing you can say for it however.
30. We visited Jim's sister in Wisconsin.
31. Zane is 5.
January
 1.  Happy New Year, 2014!
 2.  We enjoy puzzles in the winter time.  My folks were here over New Year's, and we did two 1000 piece puzzles.
 3.  Zane built this house/castle from our blocks. I was impressed by his absolute symmetry.  It was also my daughter's birthday and anniversary, but they went out to eat and I forgot to take her picture.
 4.  We enjoy our fireplace.  This much wood will last a couple of weeks.
 5.  Jim enjoys our fireplace, too.
 6.  Sunrise off the deck, almost 8:00.
 7.  Very Old John Deere Catalog, 1928.  
 8.  First measurable snow of the year, and the winter, too, I think.
 9.  Frost is beautiful on the pines on the north side of our property.
10. My Barry boy has beautiful eyelashes.  I was babysitting while my daughter was registering for classes at community college. Her first steps toward a nursing degree.
11. A good friend turns 50.
12. My amaryllis given by a very dear friend, Gertrud, has THREE blossom stalks.  Unheard of in my experience.
13.  A perfect ice cream cone, and I did it myself.
14. The blossoms are breaking.  There are FIVE blooms on the first stalk.
15. Sunrise a little earlier now.
16. Birthday celebrations with another good friend.  
17. My grandboy Christian wearing a pink romper that his great-grandfather wore.  Christian is 8 mos, yesterday, great-grandpa is 78.
18. Two blooming stalks.
19. I'm starting another afghan. I love blue.
20. I love to write letters, another goal for the year is to send more letters.  
21. Chocolate chip, cookies, my all time favorite, BC.  Now, I've discovered that dipping them in cocoa makes them easy for me to eat, and they are my favorite again.
22. This is in tribute of our Aunt Inez.  One year ago today she was buried.  She loved babies the best.  She was so thrilled to hold this Barry boy, since he was born in her town.
23. Blood oranges...want some?
24. As fully bloomed as that amaryllis is going to get.  The first blossom was fading as the thirteenth was opening.
25. I had an absolute panic this day.  I couldn't find my camera card anywhere.  Someone says, "Could it be in the laptop?" "Oh."
26. January hair.
27. Sunrise, 10 minutes earlier by now.
28. I just love this painting by Lynette.  It lives in my kitchen.
29. Sunrise again, this time with a new moon.  The picture is amazing in a larger size. It is really been cold to go out and take these photos.
30. Credit cards...gone.
31. More snow!! The start of a 4-inch two day snow fall.  The snow is so pretty falling against the red of the barn.
February
  1. Valentine tea, one of my favorite social events of the year.  It brings food, friends and card making together under one roof,  but not mine.

I wanted this to be ready to post closer to the end of January, but since I somehow spilled water on my keyboard, it has had to wait--about three weeks.  I still don't know how the water and the keyboard ended up in the same place.  It was the only time in my life I remembered not to carry the water the the laptop at the same time.  Sigh.