Sheepishly She Returns With Excuses

Please forgive my prolonged absence from the internet... I have been enjoing the holiday season immensely this year. I would even venture to say that this has been the best x-mas I have had in at least a decade.

It has been full of icy, middle-of-the-night runs. Sometimes just home from the noisy local bar where I visit with friends, and wish like mad that there was an indy coffee shop open late to hang out in. Other times I have run for its sake alone. To watch my breath catch, and hang, on the winter air. To smell ice,  hear my heartbeat, and feel truly alive.

This past week has been full of music. Santa (who is me, in case you are still buying into the parental lie) bought ukuleles for myself and the kids, much to my mom's dismay. I don't know if she was worried about the noise, or the fact that I dabble with tonnes of things and don't always follow through. She probably thought it was a waste of money. But after seeing the awesomeness of my bright red uke, and hearing how easy it is to play, my mother jumped on the literal band-wagon and bought one for my sister, and one for herself.

On Christmas day I watched my son play his uke and sing, when he was supposed to be having a nap. He didn't know I was watching. "We can be small togetherrrrrr," he crooned.

I am deeply in love with this instrument, and have been strumming in my sleep.

I am filled to the brim with parties. At the last one I watched a drunken friend be held up over a toilet to vomit, as she could not hold herself up any longer. Of course I was concerned. But I did think, somewhat smugly, "this is why I don't drink too much." And I wondered why people do this to themselves.

Karma kicked my ass the next night when I met a musician (guitar and banjo) from a neighbouring town. He had been ice-fishing for most of the day and was still wearing fishing boots. That's my kind of man. We danced to Michael Jackson after imbibing too much beer and tequila. I'm not a big drinker, so the hangover was insane. Lesson learned, apologies to drunken gal-friend. I get it, sistah.

I have been finding joy in the little things, as usual. Someone once told me it's because I am an aries. First sign in the zodiac, so everything always feels new and wonderful to me. I dunno, could be. No matter the reason my brain functions just so, I like it.

These past few weeks have been full of full-body smiles. When every atom of your being just feels pure joy. Here's hoping that this year will bring more of the same...