January Dreams

I coughed for two hours during the night.  A text on my phone this morning asked if I wanted to moderate the annual spelling bee at Farmin-Stidwell next week.  

I said yes IF the cough/cold is gone, my voice has returned and my horse doesn't get colic like she did on last year's spelling bee day, which is always in mid-January.

I'm reaching that annual point when I'd like to just cut loose and take off to a faraway place where the sun is shining and the ground is bare.  

That may not be easy cuz yesterday there was ice on the runway in Spokane and a plane slid off, shutting down the airport for a time.

One friend was on the Denver-bound plane, while another was hoping to go to Paradise in Kuna yesterday when other flights were cancelled. 

They gave out vouchers, she said, so she'll go to Kuna some other time. 

It's January, and we've got a long ways to go before seeing the end of the month I most dislike every year.  

I don't like January because it is long, I'm usually broke from all the holiday expenditures, and, almost like clockwork, the flu/colds from the always-generous Christmas exchange of germs take over for a couple of weeks. 

In addition, the weather isn't always the best, although our January's of the past couple of years have given us a break.  Looks like this one, though, will fit in the pattern of a normal January with ample snow, then messy rain, followed by a general mess.  

Indeed, January can be a bleak at times, especially for outdoor lovers who do not ski, but opportunities for a little excitement do exist.  

I took advantage of one yesterday by getting together with Cindy Wooden and her sister Cheryl-----two impressive ladies, with Cindy's fabulous position as jet-setting Papal reporter/bureau chief in Rome and Cheryl serving as our Bonner County treasurer, almost alway garnering the most votes of anyone running for local elections. 

We didn't talk too much about jobs; instead, we stuck to longtime friendship-oriented stories, especially family talk.  Our two families' paths have crossed on many, many levels over the years----church, kids the same age, school teacher/student, 4-H, music and living in the same neighborhood. 

It was fun touching on subjects where the parties involved were known to all three of us. 

So, yesterday's lunch served as one great way to lessen the my usual January blues. 

Turns out puppy obedience training, which I thought started last night, doesn't start until next week, so I can still look forward to that, including next week's spelling bee and Keith Lee Morris' book appearance in downtown Sandpoint the next day.

Keith's book was released yesterday.  He drove to Spartanburg, South Carolina, last night for his first reading/lecture focusing on Travelers Rest.  

The book has also received a few reviews in major publications, including the following piece from across the pond: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/archaeology/reviews/travelers-rest-by-keith-lee-morris-book-review-a-fine-addition-to-the-creepy-hotel-thriller-genre-a6794586.html

Besides the usual ZAGS gatherings and local basketball games, this month also offers plenty of time for dreaming----inspecting those seed catalogs, plotting other upcoming major trips over the year, like our sisters' getaway to the Southwest in February and our trip to Spain and Portugal with Annie in June.

Of course, along with all that come dreaming about the multiple opportunities for returning to our favorite outdoor haunts for hiking, photography, geocaching, etc. 

January can be a good daydreaming month, for sure.  As we putter away at the mundane items of each winter day, our minds can go crazy with planning.  

I've discovered over the years that dreaming of the event and mentally plotting the wonderful scenarios can be as much or more fun than the actual doing.   So, we must take advantage of these times when our minds are not cluttered with a million "to do's."  

January is good for that; plus, it offers a great opportunity for removing a lot of clutter in and around our domiciles and maybe even reading a book or two. 

So, it's not all bad, but I'll still be very happy several weeks from now when I can turn the calendar over to February.  

Happy Wednesday.