Done

Well, the tree is down.

Most of the Christmas decorating paraphernalia has been rounded up and is ready to be pushed, once again, to the back of the storage closet under the stairs.

And the freakishly warm weather has given me an insight into the "January Blues".

When autumn heralds the changing of the seasons we have Thanksgiving and then Christmas to look forward to.

Winter, at least the beginning of it, means Christmas is coming. We spend the first two months of winter in the warm glow of anticipation.

And then it comes.

And then it is gone.

What we are left with, once the lights and tinsel disappear,

Is winter.

As soon as The Holidays are over, my heart turns longingly toward spring.

I don't think I've ever realized it before, but this week the temperatures have been so springlike in their effect that this afternoon it struck me.

It may have been the fresh, spring fragrance of the breeze or the bird song that drifted through the open windows of the sunroom. It may have been the sunshine or the clear, light blue skies.

Whatever it was, I understood the post-Christmas doldrums in a new way today.

January and February are winter months in the places I have lived for all but maybe two years of my life.

It will continue to be dark until after breakfast. It will continue to get dark again by supper time. There will be snow storms and frigid temperatures to contend with.

Spring is still so far away.

And so the Optimist in me opens the windows and rejoices in the spring-fresh scent that drifts in, while the Pessimist, which is the greater part of me, tries not to enjoy it so much that winter reality, when it resurfaces, doesn't bite too hard.

Ah, well.

The sun is going down... time to start closing the windows.