No one sees but me. . . . . .

. . . . . . the elderly German neighbor on his early morning walk.

A red scarf round his neck, a cap, comfy walking shoes.

He looks down mostly, perhaps afraid of tripping. . . . or

slipping on wet oak leaves continuing to fall and float

in rain puddles.

The empty, damp morning doesn't phase him, just as the heat

 of July brings him up the street and back, several times

each early morning.

We admire him. We are not so dedicated. 

I was up early today - dull and wet yet again. I switched on all the lights

before seven to brighten up the rooms while the coffee pot gurgled. 

I unwrapped our annual Italian Panettone sweet bread, sliced it open

and admired how it was studded with golden raisins, candied orange

 and citron peel.

One tall, slim wedge on a pretty china plate was all I needed. 

Yes, I know, the decorations are still here and will remain today.

Tomorrow and Sunday, sunshine is promised and our efforts to put things

 away from both house and garden, will hopefully be a bright and cheery job.

See them? My two amaryllis bulbs from last year are at last coming to life! 

One has three leaves growing fast - I've already had to push a few twigs in the pot

 to steady them. The other one I had given up on until yesterday when there it

was. . . . . . .a tiny green point pushing up, trying to catch up.

I'm excited!

A wellspring of ideas. . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . but not much energy to get going on them!

Let's blame it on the weather. Again.

How can you 'take down' outdoor Christmas decor when it's constantly 

raining, unseasonably warm and humid, muddy and messy underfoot,

and just being out of the house is unwelcoming?

I have ideas for this year. They involve the garden, the part named

the back yard here in America. The front garden is not bad. Come 

Spring it might be just about manageable for two aging gardeners

who have time, tools, gloves by the dozens, and now kneeling pads!

 Energy, flexibility, and non-painful limbs are hoped for as I continue 

physiotherapy on my right shoulder.

Our back garden is a disaster and requires much TLC in the 

coming months. Much of the damage is due to that heavy, wet

snowfall just before Christmas, breaking boughs on many shrubs

 and small trees which I agree we should've pruned earlier.

 My 'Secret Garden' of the past years is no 

longer calming, it's become more of a nightmare!

 So this is what I'm doing too much of lately.

Watching old movies and Outlander on TV.
Hanging out with throws and pillows, heating pad on the bad shoulder
after stretching exercises. Going to PT twice weekly.

Making soups - new favorite is curried sweet potato - recipe from
of all places Better Homes & Gardens magazine.
Sipping a hot chocolate in my new big mug, eating chocolate,
nibbling snacks and leftover mince pies from the parties - then disliking
 the numbers on the bathroom scale. 
Re-reading a pile of last year's magazines before tossing or sharing.

 Thinking a lot about taking down the decorations, seriously
 sorting through them, downsizing, and then packing away just the
 ones to pull out again eleven months from now.
Oh, did go walking a few times on the drier days - the nearby school track
 and around the neighborhood - it felt good and made 
me forget how much my shoulder hurts!

Indoors, thoughts of projects to be addressed this year are overwhelming me. 

Most important -- big, messy and expensive -- will be replacing our entire

 heating/cooling system. The original system is now 34 years old and

is no longer happy running with band-aid fixes. I'm living on the edge with

 fingers crossed the heat or air conditioning will respond when I flip the switch,

 or will I be making the phone call and putting on another pot of coffee while

 awaiting our HVAC guy. . . . . . he's a very pleasant man but I don't want

 him visiting so often!

Then there's cleaning out the attic, painting walls, scraping ceilings, 

cleaning carpet, replacing furniture - all making me wish even more that

 we were instead selling up and moving to a brand new, or newish, easy to
 manage, one level condo, where just locking the doors behind us, and we
 can travel here, there and everywhere, whilst we're still able.
 Sounds like a good plan to me. . . . . . just need to get a certain other
 person on board!

What are you doing on these somewhat depressing 
January days?

New Year's Day 2019 -

Morning has broken and a new year is here.

This morning the Eastern bluebird - bringing happiness - was the first bird

 I saw when I opened the dining room blinds!  What more could I ask for!