So it Begins!

Mahonia 'Arthur Menzies' in bloom. Making those hummingbirds happy
Mahonia ‘Arthur Menzies’ in bloom. Making those hummingbirds happy.

A new year begins and the garden is waking up again. It’s been in the 30’s here mostly. The days are getting longer. Lately we’ve had lots of fog and a little sun.

I had marvelous holidays. Got to see lots of people, ate wonderful food and drank some delicious wine. Spent time getting to know our new love seat and swively chair. And we got a new router! Whoo hoo! We can now watch Netflix on the TV. We’re moving into this century. Watch out world!

On the downside, my ITP’s back with a vengeance and my platelet count is so low they’re threatening to put me back on steroids. Last time I was on them for two and half years. I NEVER want to go back there. Prednisone screwed up everything in my body, except it did raise my platelet level. So, we’ll see if my count goes up again tomorrow. Unfortunately, no one I’ve talked to, or read, has any idea what to do with ITP. They don’t know what causes it or how to actually cure it. And the treatment is normally either steroids or cut out my spleen. Yikes. Not even the alternative medicine community knows. So discouraging. At least it’s not contagious.

Pinus 'Chief Joseph' Even the pines are brightening up.
Pinus ‘Chief Joseph’
Even the pines are brightening up.

I started a new novel, which is going well. And upped my word count goal for this year. Plus, I’m continuing my quest to redo all my old covers. As I do each one, I’m putting them on the pages of ‘Books & Stories’. It’ll take a while before the whole catalog’s complete, but each week I’m getting closer. And of course, I’m still working on publishing things I finished last year.

I’m trying to sort through my life and decide what needs to leave. There are several things I’d like to get out of my schedule, but alas, they need to be done. Doing the budget, occasionally vacuuming, cooking, all the stuff that makes our lives function.

I’ve added in a daily walk to my schedule. Even if it is me walking in circles around the garden for twenty minutes. In the rain. Just not getting enough exercise. I’d like to tell you that I’m getting exercise working out in the garden but that’s just not going to happen. Unless it’s sunny. Or maybe in the sixties.

The garden’s still trashed out from last month’s windstorm that took down chunks of the neighbor’s dead tree. It did some fairly intense pruning of some of our plants. The chainsaw’s getting sharpened today, so perhaps cleanup will begin soon. Maybe.

Waning wolf moon with fog.
Waning wolf moon with fog.

I’ll leave you with a photo I took the other morning after walking Zoe to the bus. The moon was waning, although that doesn’t show, but I loved the look of the moon, the fog and the trees.

The fog has been so awesome, streaming down the hill and through the trees towards our house. I love the way it looks. A friend told me yesterday that she could feel it on her skin, cold like ice crystals. It gives me a sense of a blanket, keeping out the world, giving me permission to stay inside myself and just be.

It helps me stay quiet and still, listening for the voices of new characters. Finding stories and maybe even helping me figure out how to better live my life.

Happy New Year Everyone!



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