Hello January! Hello 2018! Hello the coldest day of the year! On January 1, 2017, the temperature was a nice 54 degrees! This morning: 15 degrees and that's probably a heat wave compared to some parts of the country.
Last night I could barely stay awake to see the ball drop ...can you believe all those people in Times Square freezin' their buns off! Amazing!
Today is my friend Margaret's birthday and we four braved the cold to celebrate at The Hotel! We ate in the Old Maryland Grill restaurant that specializes in Maryland cuisine, seafood and drinks. We all agreed that the menu, food, ambience, and service were worth braving the frigid temperatures. We'll go back - when it's warmer!
I began this day by watching Ali Edwards' 2018 One Little Word presentation. Last year I chose three words: practice...complete...peace and I'd decided to continue with those words this year...but, several weeks ago, I felt the draw of the word mindful/mindfulness and decided to add it to the menu, too.
I see in mindfulness more pausing, breathing slowly, relaxing, refreshing, appreciating; spending my time doing more writing, stitching, experimenting, playing, reading, creating, being present in the moment ... less driving, less driven...
I think the four words work very well together and perhaps mindfulness encompasses all. We'll see.
As I typed this post, I stopped to watch the first sun set of 2018 ... from my vantage point, t'wasn't a good place to snap a photo...but perfect for pausing, watching Mother Nature color the world...and giving thanks for witnessing this incredible natural phenomenon.
Cheers~