I Do, I Do, I Do Love Christmas...

(hence the Christmas Tree still standing at #17) but I've come to realize as much as I anticipate and relish every moment of the the Holiday season that commences Thanksgiving Day Eve (hey, it is my world) and continues until the Epiphany, truly, January lays claim to the position of My Favourite Month... and while I no longer task myself with Resolutions that, I promise ya'll, will go Un-Resolution-Ed, or stayin' awake until Midnight to toast the New Year in as that glittering ball drops in Times Square*, I find great enjoyment in putting the house to rights and layin' down my thoughts for directions I hope I find my life takin' in the coming months. Like the bare branches of this Cleveland Pear tree, the stripped down days of January with no Big Holidays and a Deleted Bank Account allow me to see somewhat clearly what course to set...or at least what direction to face...most likely, that course will alter, over and over again, until it is no longer recognizable by the time Year End nears but that, as we all say, is life...all we can do is pray a little, plan a little and see what fills up our cups...Happy New Year, everybody! and may all of our cups over run with Love, Good Health and Good Fortune in this Year of 2011...

*************************************************************************** *I made it until 8 p.m. this New Year's Eve...we saved the champagne for another day... As a huge added bonus, January and February in Southeast Georgia are pretty much the only months where a gardener can have a Brief Respite from most of those crushing garden chores...havin' said this, I will own up to being outside in the icy rain today, shaking ice from the leaves and branches of my Little Gem Magnolia, my Tea Olive and a Nandina that was completely bowed down beneath the weight of ice...