Happy New Year!

Day 1, 2008. I suppose it was an okay day.

Although the lady cardinal that mistook our picture window for wide open spaces this morning might not agree.

I dread the sound of that sharp rap against the glass pane. It doesn't happen often -- and we've yet to have a fatality that I know of --- yet it's upsetting. Through the window, I kept an anxious eye on La Cardinal. After an hour she flew away. I was relieved. But the tone for the day was set.

Fred was still under the weather so we postponed our plans to see "Sweeney Todd" today. I used the time to hit the grocery store where I stocked up on staples and...birdseed. If I see a lady cardinal at the feeder in the days to come I'll feel somewhat better, though I'll never know if it's our little kamikaze. Still, a peace offering was in order.

For dinner I made black-eyed peas & collard greens. Happiness, good luck & good fortune. Tradition served.

And I ticked a lot of "to dos" off my list, trying to get my mind set on going back to work tomorrow after this four-day weekend. I think I was successful at that. I've missed hanging out with the Concentrix family.

I hadn't planned to take down Christmas. But I did. And I guess that--along with La Cardinal--is the source of my wistful spirits tonight. I don't get the blues during the holldays. I love the holidays. I love the decorations. I love giving gifts to the people I like, the people I love. And I cherish the reason for the season.

So it's hard to take down the yuletide trappings. Everything is back in boxes now, waiting on me to muster enough energy to haul it all up to the attic... where it will wait another year before I muster enough energy to climb the attic ladder to retrieve it again.

Though it doesn't feel that way now, I know the time will fly. I hope La Cardinal will safely do so too.