Janus

Janus am I; oldest of potentates;
  Forward I look, and backward, and below
I count, as god of avenues and gates,
  The years that through my portals come and go.

I block the roads, and drift the fields with snow;
  I chase the wild-fowl from the frozen fen;
My frosts congeal the rivers in their flow,
  My fires light up the hearths and hearts of men.

-- From "The Poet's Calendar (January)," by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Some Belated Christmas Pictures

My Favorite Moments of 2012

In some ways, 2012 was our best year ever.

It was the year that I made the vegan "cheesecake" that, according to David, is the best thing I have ever made.

It was the year that David and I walked in the woods in January and saw carpets of trilliums.

In February, David finished writing his book manuscript.

In the spring of 2012 we had a rare sight: the blue, blue waters of Wakulla Springs. The springs are usually dark, but they turn bright blue about once a year, for some reason.

 That was the spring that we bought our citrus trees.

 That summer, we discovered a beach full of hermit crabs at Shell Point.

 And we had a fantastic vacation with our friends on St. George Island.

 This was the year that we remembered how much we love sparklers.

 It was the year when I canoed Lake Griffy for the last time before it was drained.

And the year I took a road trip to Louisville with my mom.

One of the best things that happened this summer was that I started my book blog, The Bamboo Bookcase.

And then it was fall, and David and I got to teach some classes that we really loved.

This was the year that David wore my favorite Halloween costume ever.

It was the year that we had a delicious Thanksgiving dinner in Hillsville.

This was the fall that I joined the Adventure Club and went on some amazing hikes.

 It was the fall that I befriended wolves and hugged a skunk.

This year David and I got to experience a real winter.

And the year ended with a very merry Christmas.

A Walk in the Blizzard

The Year's Awakening

How do you know, deep underground,
Hid in your bed from sight and sound,
Without a turn in temperature,
With weather life can scarce endure,
That light has won a fraction's strength,
And day put on a moment's length,
Whereof in merest rote will come,
Weeks hence, mild airs that do not numb;
         O crocus root, how do you know,
          How do you know?

--From "The Year's Awakening," by Thomas Hardy

Our Colorful Christmas

 It snowed the day after David and I got to Bloomington.

 The sunrises were spectacular.

But they weren't the only colorful thing about this Christmas. Nola dyed her hair with red stripes, and Mom planned to dye hers green for a Christmas theme. This is the moment when we all realized that it was not going to be green.

It was a lovely aquamarine.

 Jacob and Granddad also dressed festively for the holiday.

On Christmas morning the whole family gathered in the living room.

 Sarah and Jacob got flashing lights in their stockings -- one set for fingers, one for teeth.

The dogs got Christmas presents too. We had four dogs at Christmas this year: Socks, Chacko, Toto, and Mitzi.

 Toto and Mitzi spent most of the morning on Jackie's lap.

 While Chacko hung out with Brenda and Will.

Then we all had an amazing Christmas brunch: Nola's egg-and-cheese strata, Dad's roasted potatoes, my baked French toast, Mom's fennel-orange salad, plus cakes and artichoke dip. There were Christmas crackers containing prizes, jokes, and paper crowns.

And we enjoyed our very colorful Christmas.

December Gardens