Happy New Year!

I love the New Year! The holidays have come and gone (and a season of birthdays in our family). I start to eye new projects around the house. I welcome a cozier January and February to be indoors and getting things done (without "garden guilt," as I like to call it). And yet seed catalogues are arriving by the day and **plant-dreaming-deep sets in while doing other things. After a long few months of rain and mud–and balmier temperatures–I'm actually hoping we have a bit of winter this winter.

My resolutions this year are to be more in the moment in all ways and to check off some long term goals that I've had in the realms of health, well being, sorting the past (vast photo and archive project), and getting my house in order. I don't mean manic bouts of cleaning–although I have been looking forward to some good organizational frenzy in several areas. I mean the house of my body and my soul. I want to connect more with myself as well as the world in real and authentic ways: this means less Internet and Facebook and more Face Time (or good old-fashioned letters and notes via the U.S. Postal Service).

It's still technically Christmas in our house
until the Feast of Epiphany on January 6th.
Plus, it's too hard to take down the decor before
then, especially when I got it up so late last year!

Our farm has been growing and my husband is doing a great job managing it, my boys are busy at school and on the farm, our daughter is happy and well in her life back in New England. We are reasonably settled here now and I have no more excuses not to write more for publication (and to dust off some old fits and starts and try new ideas).

2012 should be interesting in all ways. I'll try to pop in here with more "bloggish" (rather than essay-ish) postings when I can, even if it's just a photo or two, a recipe or something I want to share.

You come back when you're ready!

Catherine
**to borrow from the poet May Sarton