Rain, which is so often comforting to me, feels like a curse this morning.
I can only hope that unlike Christmas Eve in Georgia and the day after Christmas in NC that it does not rain for most of the day.
I need to see and get out in some sun.
Fortunately, tomorrow's forecast looks promising, with predictions of clear sunny skies. It will be very cold; but maybe breathing in the sharp crystalline daggers that near freezing air can be will not only purge my lungs but also my mind and my soul.
As I mentioned in the last post, the week between Christmas and New Years is already a reflective enough time for me - a time when exciting ideas, warm memories, and terrifying anxieties equally rise up from the depths - and this grey monotony of more rain simply foments this vortex into a near paralyzing frenzy.
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As always, I am turning to pictures, to words, to music, to try and shift this foul darkness.
So, year 2012 in review:
January:
James and I embark on redoing our front room, hallway and foyer. The crowning jewel was the bamboo hardwood floors, which we put down with a lot of help from friends in February. (Though Sweetpea would say she's the best accessory to any room.)
February:
The gang runs the Heart and Sole Half Marathon in Walnut Creek. Good times.
March:
For the first time in decades, I sport bangs (!):
A few weeks later, my folks visit and we run a race and eat a fabulous dinner at Raleigh's 18 Seaboard.
April:
April is a quiet month for blogging. I run my first sub-2 half marathon in Raleigh at the inaugural RunRaleigh half marathon.
Though I didn't write about it at the time, I also find out late that month that I am going to become an aunt in the fall.
May:
A warm winter lingers into a proper spring and there is lots of time for stealing sunshine during lunch hours.
Then, finally, during Memorial Day weekend, we head to the beach. But not before dancing like mad, hamming it up during games, and toasting the marriage of a friend's daughter.
June:
June finds me in the weeds with work and taking my first class in over five years. My writing and my running suffer but I manage to make sure to get out every Sunday for a longish run. James and I go to St. Louis for Father's Day weekend. While there, I see my first ever Indigo Blue Bunting.
July:
We finally have a pool party for Fourth of July.
James and I go to Raleigh for two concerts at the NC Art Museum and enjoy both, in rain and shine.
Then, we head west from the heat to Colorado!
(Yes, I would be the one the guide is reaching for.)
August:
I set a goal and make a plan to run the Richmond Half Marathon in 1:50:00. I wrap up my class and go for a long run with James in the rain.
September:
Training for Richmond starts out strong; I'm pretty stoked!
I visit my friend Meg in Minnesota and amidst some amazing meals (and a little too much wine), I go for an awesome run around Lakes Harriet and Calhoun.
October:
Training continues to go well in October - I cling to this schedule as my world shifts unsteadily under my feet.
James has taken a position in Athens, Georgia and we move him down there at the end of the month. But not before a beautiful weekend, complete with a visit to New Bern's Mum Festival.
November:
Race weekend arrives! And we all do fantastic.
I keep myself busy with preparing the house for sale, wearing my paint pants almost nightly, and in the quiet, I start to take more moments to notice things. I am dazzled by a spectacular sunrise on the way to work. I am still not quiet happy with my writing on it....but, no camera would have done it justice either.
December:
I go to the beach and see the sun rise over the Atlantic Ocean.
This month, I practice being thankful for the small things. I meet my nephew and shuffle the trails in Queeny Park. James and I celebrate Christmas at The National, eating bread dipped in the fruitiest olive oil, and run on Cook's Trail.
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It is now 10:08 am and the rain has lessened but the grey persists. Reviewing this post, I know this too shall pass. For those of you who have read through to the end, I reassure you, I am calmed.
Reviewing this post, I find myself staring right into the face of the spirit of this blog.
Would Rather Walk. Seeing each day for all of its oportunities.
How thankful I am to have my health and strength. To have the presence and mindfulness to make choices, be they easy or difficult. To be able to smile and laugh and enjoy this world, this life, and the people who populate it.
And to know that I can't truly enjoy the light without having the darkness, too.
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