fresh start.

Beret. Sweater. Coat.(on sale) Jeans. Boots. (on sale 40% off.) Sunglasses. Similar bag.

We went ice skating on a frozen pond by our house yesterday afternoon.  It was a lovely way to spend New Year’s day, even if it was cold.  No, it was more than cold, more than freezing even.  The kind of cold people write stories about, and when you read them, you’re inclined to make yourself a cup of hot cocoa as quick as possible.  The kind of bitter air than chaps your skin, and feels sharp in your nostrils and throat.  And yet, it was lovely being out there on the pond skating through the thin layer of snow that had fallen on top since the water froze solid.  I had all these ideas about what New England would be like before we moved here.  Some things are different, but skating out there on that frozen pond, old colonial houses peppering the hillsides around us, kids playing hockey on the other side of the ice,  people burning their Christmas trees in a giant bonfire to stay warm, it was just like I dreamed it would be. Perfectly refreshing way to start the new year.

We all got ice skates for Christmas, it was Craig’s idea, and I happily agreed, because if we’re being honest, I’m still nursing some real Nancy Kerrigan aspirations from my childhood.  (Although, I’m guessing that at almost 35 the figure skating ship has sailed.)

Is it crazy to anyone else but me that I’m turning 35 on Saturday?  I don’t feel 35, and then also, I do. I don’t know how, but that makes sense, I promise.  To be honest, I’ve always kind of bemoaned having my birthday at the beginning of January, right after Christmas.  Kind of the same way, until earlier this year, I always bemoaned Mondays.  I cursed them, dreaded them, hated them with the fire of a thousand suns.  Hate with the fire of a thousand suns, that’s how I always felt about having a birthday on January the 6th.  Other than the fact that it’s the day Annie Banks became Annie Banks-Mckenzie in FOTB, my birthday has always been kind of a bummer.  Except, this year, I decided back in November that January was no longer going to be my “crappy Monday” month of the year. Rather than looking at it like a big bummer after a holiday, I’m looking at it the way I look at Mondays now, as a new chance for a fresh start.  And this year, I’m starting strong, with a happy heart and a renewed sense of purpose.

I love to wear white in January.  If we’re lucky, the world around us is covered with a blanket of snow, and the air is cold and fresh.  It’s a good time for a fresh start.  White feels like the color of a fresh start doesn’t it?  Renewed faith in ourselves and a bright outlook on life, that’s what I wish for you all.  Happy New Year, everyone!

May 2018 be filled with joy and purpose.

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