My Winter Walk

A flash of red against the snow.
The friendly chirp of the cardinal sings.
They brighten up the winter sky.
Spring cannot be far behind.

The bobbing white of the tail of the deer.
The graceful leaps over the fallen brush.
The contrast between their fur and the snow.
Seeing them makes my walks worthwhile.

Sunday night after Thanksgiving

It has been an interesting Thanksgiving weekend. Visits with family and friends, and the loss of two friends in an car accident. That weighs heavy on me as I write this. We put up the outdoor Christmas lights today - not too many - because it was nice out. I still think it is weird to put them up while it is still November. We used to put them up about two weeks before Christmas, but that often means putting them up in snow and cold. Now I cave in to neighborhood convention and get the outside lights up Thanksgiving weekend. We still wait to put our inside Christmas tree up until about two weeks before the holiday. I really do like the Christmas holiday season. I like snow, I like the cold, I like the memories the season conjures up. Watching old movies (especially White Christmas!) takes me back to being a kid, but also gives me a sense of being grounded. When we lived in Atlanta, I missed the winter season and the gray dismal days. Strange. Some people get the winter blues, but not me. I like winter and all it brings. It helps to have a warm house, not have to worry about where my next meal comes from, and a good job.

Work begins again tomorrow, five more days until the weekend. I was named one of six top women marketers in the office products industry by a British web site over the past weekend. A dubious honor at best. On to the work week!