The New Year has had a rough start around here.  I spent the first week preparing for, and anxiously awaiting, a board meeting that had the makings of a catastrophe.  For the past couple of days (before and after the meeting) I couldn't think about anything else.  Over the Christmas holidays there have been a barrage of emails and letters from disgruntled society members wanting to overturn a board decision.  After many sleepless nights, the meeting day finally arrived.  It was a brilliant meeting:  there was drama and diplomacy, grand-standing and graciousness.  I came away happy but exhausted.  Every minute pf prep time was worth it.

And, now, I can focus on Getting Things Done.  I have a sewing room full of things that need to be finished and/or put away.   To give myself something pretty to look at, I'm knitting some pretty pink mittens - Ailbe is what the designer, Kristi Geraci, calls them - I call them Twisted Pink.  Don't you love the cabled cuffs?  They're just complicated enough and the color is gorgeous.  It makes me think of flowers and soft skies in the morning.

And, I'm noticing a few signs and portents that spring will come.  The snowdrops are peeping up through the snow and fallen leaves.

The winter jasmine is smiling sunnily through the raindrops.  All is well.

*All this was supposed to be posted yesterday but while I was writing our internet connection died.  Many hours later, we have it back.  We have a supposedly much faster one now.   I'm off now to see what everyone's been doing while I was doing other stuff.