yes it is winter but I feel okay.

Do you see the sunlight on these barren branches?

Alright, the holiday is over and we can settle back into our lives again. I am happy to report that it is my birthday week and I am enjoying it. I celebrated this fine day off with a 6 mile hike accompanied by a dear friend and then a light meal and sparkly conversations at the home of some new friends that I'm super excited about.

The other night I went on a birthday shopping spree at Powell's City of Books. While the rest of the book city focused frantically on the crapshoot that is buying books for others, I perused and purchased whatever my heart desired. All of my holiday-slash-birthday anxieties melted and swam away next to my new (mostly used) stack of reading materials. (I even bought My Life in Heavy Metal by Steve Almond again, and it broke my heart, again. If you want a good short story, yes, the title story wins the prize in my book of books.)

We've had the sun in our eyes the last couple of days. Somehow everything is easier. I still have 3 drawings to go and an absurd amount of printing and paper cutting to go but it's alright. Tomorrow I will be at the press all day. I will battle it out with a stern stack of paper and take as many coffee breaks as I can stomach. With any luck you, or someone we both like, will stop by and say hello.