January 8, 2017
11:24 a.m.

Wow, we're eight days into the New Year! Incredible, right?

Snow, snow, the wind doth blow, and I am a shivering, quivering mass of sleeplessness. Ugh! Misery, thy name is Insomnia.

Actually, other than the aches and groans caused by arthritis and brought on by this onslaught of cold weather,  and the fact that I'm not sleeping, I feel pretty good. I have surpassed the eighty-thousand-word mark on my novel, and I'm beginning to believe that the end is in sight.

(Not the end of editing, of course...but that' s another story. A LONG other story.)
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Yes, it's winter in Wyoming, folks, and we have hit some lows here. Minus 25 degrees and lower, believe it or not. Brrr! School was cancelled, which is a big deal here--not like when they cancel in places like Texas when they get half an inch of precipitation. Digging out has been the order of the day. In fact, my brother got his truck stuck right in front of the house the other day! We got a good snowfall here, that's for sure.

Having lived away for so many years, I am now bothered much more by the cold than I used to be. But what really gets me is the wind. Jeepers! I have joked to my Colorado acquaintances that when the wind stops blowing here, everyone falls down, but it's no joke. Wind in Wyoming is a thing.

I am talking about the weather. Oh...my...God. I'm a cliché.

"Cold out today."

"Yep."

"Real cold."

"Yep."

"Windy, too."

"Real windy."

"Yep."

Hahahahaha! Ah, poor me, I've fallen on conversational dry rot. Sad.
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Storm aside, the New Year has started out well. I have been able to re-connect with a friend I haven't seen in about twenty years. Getting together with her, it's almost as if no time has passed. If you are lucky enough in life to have one of those friends, the ones who remain your friend regardless of the passage of time, regardless of distance, and who can still make you laugh, make you think and make you care no matter how much time has passed between visits, you are truly blessed.

I think a lot about friendships sometimes. I know I appear to be a socially active person, at least in my social media sites. I have a lot of friends on Facebook, and I'm grateful for the interactions with every one of them.

In person, I am not a social butterfly. I don't go out much, and when I do, I am usually alone. My kids sometimes have to drag me out kicking and screaming. I look for excuses not to leave the house. Go out and eat? Uh, delivery! Take out! My son, you wonderful daughter-in-law, will you just pick something up for me? Thank you! Grocery shopping? How about if I give you some money and you can go for me. Thank you!

I'm not afraid to go out; once I'm out, it's all a good time. I just...er...lack motivation. I mean, I have a computer. I have books. I have a Kindle. I have Netflix. What do I need to go out for?

In Colorado, I have my kids and grandkids and extended family, and they mostly come to me. Like I mentioned, sometimes they make me go out.

And sometimes, I actually make myself go out. To the doctor. To the dentist. To the library. To the casino. These things I do alone, mostly, because I'm not daunted by being in my own company. I don't have to have a companion. I take a book, a notebook and pen, some music, and I'm good.

That said, sometimes it is beyond great to have someone to go out with, and I have really enjoyed that this past week. A good friend is such a gift. I should really strive to make more of an effort to cultivate some  in-person friendships.

Maybe I'll make that a 2017 goal. Not a resolution, mind you, but a goal.

However, I will never be a butterfly. Not happening. I just need to escape my cocoon once in awhile.
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For some reason I have a whack-a-doodle song running through my head today, so I'll share! Enjoy!https://youtu.be/hnzHtm1jhL4

Don't ask me why. Blame the weather, I guess. Or Trump. Yeah, blame Trump.
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Have a great rest of your day!