January cold clears way for memories

It creeped in before we were aware. The holidays are behind, the decorations are put away, the fruit cake all dried and hardened to a lump of ugly has been thrown out for the critters to pick through, then the COLD days turn colder. School is back in session.

Sigh!

Fog of memory clears.

On one of those late January Sunday afternoons of laying beside the wood burning stove or fireplace all wrapped in that ratty old blanket playing monopoly or checkers we scatter the pickup sticks and jacks to answer the urge to breathe fresh air. So outside we go to walk in circles, look at the dried stalks...