Dragon Fire

 The wild winds of the New Year are howling! I wish I could say that I have dragon fire in my belly and I'm ready to go, but the truth is, I'm feeling a bit worn out from the hustle bustle of the holidays. I've definitely slowed down a bit, enjoying hot coffee and family time and doing little else. Well that's not entirely true. We did venture out of the house on New Year's Eve to visit Burlington, VT while Jake's dad was in town. We visited a science museum with the kids and then stumbled upon a dragon parade while grabbing a cup of coffee. How lucky, indeed?! I'm hoping that I can take a bit of that light and creativity into this coming year. There is a lot I want to accomplish, make, do, and become. I'll need to find that dragon fire if I'm going to do any of it!

 
Speaking of fire, we did have an awful scare just after Christmas. Our pellet stove pipe on the store was knocked sideways by falling ice from the roof and sent sparks onto some ancient wood under the snow, causing the wall to catch fire. Fortunately, the smoke detector alerted us in the wee hours of the morning, and Jake and our dad's were able to put it out while my mom called the fire department and we got the kids out of the house. The only damage was to the clapboards on the stove wall. It truly made me grateful for all that we have, and especially that everyone was safe. It was good that we called the fire department, even though the fire was out, because they were able to use their detectors to tell if there was any fire still smoldering in the wall. Do make sure your smoke detectors are working... they can be annoying at times, but if our fire had gone on for much longer, the whole place (both store and home) could have gone up in flames.

So that's my cautionary tale for the new year, but mostly I'm just so glad everyone is okay. It makes you realize how quickly and without warning that you could lose everything. 

So, that being said, there is much to do. I have a word for the New Year, a word that makes me cringe a little, but it's something I need to focus on... "management"... ooo... what? Did I just say that word? Yes! Because so much in my life is willy nilly frilly silly and I need to get my ducks in a row, so that I can feel more at peace. This includes better management of my house, kids, money, relationships, and just about everything. It's time to stop tumbling through my days and make the most of them... well perhaps after a little bit more rest from the busy holidays.

Goals for the New Year:
- let go of more stuff
- try to take care of the little things as they happen, so they don't pile up
- bake more bread
- write more letters
- buy less
- make art
- sew
- start doing farmer's markets in the Spring
- grow more food and plant more flowers

Here's wishing you a year of joy and radiance and good food too!