the sky was thick with clouds this morning so, instead of a rising sun, i saw a band of pale yellow at the horizon.

still, i was surrounded by beauty. a deer watched me quietly from the snowmobile trail before darting off into the woods, white tail held high; miniature waves lapped quietly at the shore; the sky & the lake were dressed in steely grey-blues; and the world was so still that it felt like nature was holding its breath in anticipation of the sun.

one of the nicest things about blogging is the friends you make along the way. because of that, i thought i’d share a photo of me in my natural habitat.

just so you know that i am alive + well + happy, even if i am here much less than usual these days.

i appreciate you, you know. there are so many places to spend your precious time; i am honored that you spend part of it here, with me.

you are one of my many blessings. may you be blessed.

i grew up in the land of winter. in many ways, it is during winter that i feel most alive.

there are moments when i am on my snowshoes or my cross-country skis and the world around me is nothing but blue & grey & white & green – that i think winter just might be my new favorite season.

ham.
turkey.
venison.
mashed potatoes.
peanut butter cookies.
more turkey.
stuffing.
gravy.

YUM.

i love december.

thing one: my dogwood stems are blooming!

i cut them on thanksgiving morning to decorate the table and then kept them for myself. i noticed the fresh green shoots this morning. every time i look at them, i smile ear-to-ear. they are so tiny + sweet + delightful.

thing two: i made a letter from santa claus!

you can download the letter here.

print the letter, write a child’s name in the appropriate spaces, and leave it for them to find.

surprise + delight + magic. (may it be so.)

it’s for you, with love.

p.s. if you have an elf, maybe the elf can deliver the letter. pretty sure that means he doesn’t have to move that night.

the snow is falling in my little corner of the world.

in truth, this is the fourth first snow, because the snow has come & gone and come & gone and come & gone three times now.

i suspect this snow will leave us too. i can’t say i mind. the first snow – whether it’s the first time or the fourth time – feels fresh & new & magical.

friends!

i’ve missed you!

i have been very busy over here keeping an eye on small children and large elders. but don’t worry, i still get lots of naps.

did you know that it is hunting season in michigan? i love hunting season. i went hunting the other day (on my own, my person said to mention. apparently some dogs go hunting with people. why, i ask you? people just slow me down.) and there were smells everywhere. i did not see a deer but i sure smelled them. it was the most exciting day ever.

the hot days of summer are over and i am happy to report that i did not swim. since you’re my friend, i’ll confess that i did grow to love the beach this year. it turns out that a beach blanket and a cool lake are just the thing for a very hot dog. swimming, on the other hand, is not. i do have my principles.

last month, my person told me that we’d been together for 12 years. someone took a picture of us for her and i stood still and looked at the camera. don’t you think i deserve an ice cream cone of my very own for that?! i certainly do.

uh-oh! i hear small children! it’s back to work for me.

take care of yourself, please! you are worth it.

your friend, atlas

if you have black eyed susans in your neighborhood, you might want to pick some & put them in a vase with water & keep them there until they dry. black eyed susans are bright & cheerful in the wild & in a vase. when they dry, they are sweet & adorable.

i discovered this by accident – i have a habit of keeping flowers long past the time when most people would toss them – and then i went and picked two more bunches. i can just picture their dear little faces smiling sweetly at me in the dead of winter.

(just so you know, they do drop a lot of pollen, even when they’re dry, but i decided it’s worth it. and after they dry, i move them to their new home, which has no water in it.)

lilac season is short but sweet here. i appreciate every single moment.

last year, i had at least one vase of lilacs in my bedroom every day they were in bloom. this year, i had two or three. every time i opened the door, the sight & scent of all the lilacs made me smile with pleasure.

(at first, i was hesitant to pick them at all, but my dad told me that they bloom best with a good pruning. now, i just make sure that each bunch i pick comes from a different set of lilac bushes. and there are so so so many bushes here to choose from!)

the lilacs are gone from the bushes now, but there is still one vase of them in my room. instead of the petals dropping from the branches, which is what usually happens as they die, they dried on the branches in the vase. it was a wonderful surprise – clearly a bit of nature solstice magic.

1. these cherry blossoms!

my mom’s cousin has cherry trees in her backyard. last year, i ate the fruit. this year, i saw the blossoms.

2. this sunset!

remember when i missed the part of the sunset where the sun is still inches above the lake? i caught it the next night and it was spectacular.

3. this art!

my friend robin is a wonderful artist & storyteller. when i saw this painting, i knew i needed a print, because i could not stop thinking about her.

4. this pair!

i loved how my nephew would pause every so often on his constant journey toward atlas. (being an auntie is the best.)

5. this bumblebee!

at times, he reminded me of a very tiny bull rider.

how about you? what made you smile?