So where have I been? That’s a good question.

I’ve been hanging around bothering other people’s blogs, and lurking my way through de-lurking week and neglecting my own sorry little webspace.

I’ve also gone to my first couple of rehearsals, which have been fabulous, and nursed myself (with Lilah’s help) through a clogged milk duct (not so fabulous) and watched the snow fall.

We have had an honest-to-goodness blizzard round these parts, and it’s very lovely, when you can stay in and stay warm.

The shrubs in my front yard are so very very pretty.

And I spent a satisfying five minutes carving the Death Star Trench in the backyard.

Snowbound, the girls and I have been amusing ourselves in various ways.

We have done our hair

And we have danced a lot. I don’t have pictures, though, because I’ve been too busy dancing.

When we get tired from dancing, then we take pictures.

We are saving our pennies to get this for Rowan when she is three, because the only way she’ll pose for a picture is if she gets to push the button.

She’s taken a few shots of her favourite things.

And if I am very bossy, I occasionally get a chance to push the button, too.

Various thoughts have popped into my head, and I have contemplated putting them here, but for whatever reason, that has not happened. I think it’s time for a change.

So, probably in the next few days, the blog will be moving.

I (read Michael) will set it up so you will be forwarded from here to there, wherever there may be. I’m still working on that.

I know the suspense is keeping you on the edge of your seats. Don’t fall off.

Heads up, everybody! You have 12 days left to read On Beauty by Zadie Smith.

Our first Virtual Book Club meeting will be on Monday, 15 January. Karin offered to set up a LiveJournal community for the purpose some time ago, but I was all distracted and never got back to her about it. I don’t know if she is still interested in doing so, or if she has the time. Unless people make a lot of virtual noise about their preferences regarding format or location, I suggest we go ahead with the first meeting here at La Petite Banane, and then see if we feel we would like a change.

I also think it’s high time we pick a book for February. I read far more slowly than I used to, and I need some time to get through a whole book.

If there are no suggestions by this time tomorrow, I will nominate someone to choose the next book.

Happy reading!

So Hey! It’s New Year’s Eve!

This is not going to be a year-in-review-thingamy, because I don’t do that.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about over-analyzing everything I do. The seventh day of Christmas just doesn’t feel like a natural time to me to do it. I have a few New Year’s rituals, which I honour, value and observe, but because I am Difficult, I do them to the beat of my own drum and sprinkle them throughout the year.

The First Sunday in Advent is the beginning of a new Church Year, and that suits me just fine for cold-weather contemplation and preparation for new life. And I just did that a month ago, so what would be the point of doing it again now?

My own birthday also resonates for me in a New-Year-y kind of way. Maybe I’m self-centred, but it always seems more personally significant when I’m getting my very own new number than when everybody’s getting one. I like to be special. My birthday is near the beginning of Spring, so that feels like a good time for pondering my progress along my personal path.

And for I’m-Sick-of-Summer starting fresh and celebrating, Cheesefairy and I invented our very own holiday which just can’t be beat.

I do celebrate the New Year, I just don’t get all that fired up about it. When I used to go to parties, I went to New Year’s Parties, some good and some bad. And I kissed some frogs and some princes after counting down to zero. Mostly, though, the biggest New Thing of the New Year always seems to be remember to put a new number on the rent cheque.

This evening’s exciting plan is to play games, watch movies and eat cheese in an attempt to stay awake long enough to drink some cheap bubbles, and I’m looking forward to it as a pleasant way to spend some time.

I really only have two wishes for 2007 as a collection of days.

The first is to not move. I’d like to stay here long enough to get all the way unpacked.

The second is to celebrate August Eve with Cheesefairy, even if we have to do it over iChat. That is a tradition that must lapse no longer.

Of course, if this seems to you like a good time for reflection and renewal, I wish you happiness in that project. If you want to party like it’s 1999, I wish you someone kind and caring to bring you coffee and Sunny-D tomorrow morning.

And I wish that you and I and everybody find many opportunities to smiyo smiyo smiyo.