good folks.

i know it's been too long.... i can barely explain where the time has gone..... every so often, i manage to make it back to 'chicken scratch' and peruse it, but truly lack the motivation or creative muses to put something down. but seeing that people have been checking in on me even when i just make a 'peep,' makes me feel pretty special.... so gracias.

can you believe it's the first week in FEBRUARY???? lately i seem to be reliving the freaky moment when i realized that i only have 5 more weeks of research and writing before my first draft of my capstone paper is due. okay, i'll give it to you straight-up. i'm way behind and though i may work better under pressure, at this point i'm praying for a miracle and a full realization that it's not by my strength, but only by His.

do you ever name your past year? i mean, i'm still looking for a word to describe 2006.

so, some of you may have heard about this blizzard that hit the mid-west and michigan in particular..... we've been dumped on.... and pretty much stranded in our homes over the past few days. but it was quite enjoyable.... lazy, really. i convinced rodrigo that we needed to help the critters in the woods - so we bought some bird seed and brick of bird trailmix and then a corn thing that hangs from a bungee cord for the squirrels. i'm now an avid birdwatcher. i have a fat woody woodpecker who is a regular at the feeder - i named him 'albert.' and then there is a beautiful red cardinal who sometimes allows his spouse to come..... let me tell you - that dash of RED in the midst of white, gray and brown is so stunning. even albert's red head and blue back stand out.

deep, bold colors. primary colors. what a beautiful gift to the world .... can you imagine if life were only in black and white? (yeah, i know ... there's a movie out about that.)

i made the mistake of picking up a gardening magazine while waiting in the check-out line the other day. i'm ready for spring and to work in my garden. again. deep, bold colors.

there's much to ponder. i hope you are all doing well......

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by the way, i received an email out of the blue on sunday.... from a guy i grew up with in germany.... it makes me sad to think that i have forgotten about some of the people from that time in my life. i haven't heard this guy's name in 19 years. he now lives in the canary islands. 19 years.