Ending the Month on a High Note

These four weeks in January have sailed by so quickly.  During this week of classes, day trips and wind storms, I continually took note of what was happening to me and around me, paying attention to everything I am thankful for.  Participating in Friday Fave Five is a great training exercise in gratitude, and if I post nothing else here at Willow's Cottage blog, I make sure I write about my five faves every Friday.  Thank you, Susanne for hosting this at Living to Tell the Story.

1.  I know that it's January when the early camellias begin to bloom.  Both the flowers and I are soaking up the warm sun.  I learned years ago that cold weather and I are not compatible companions.  Even Southern California winter rain storms cause me to shiver and be miserable. (I know, I know.  I sound like a wimpy wus, but I really do not do well in freezing temperatures)  When the sun shines and the temperatures hover in the 70s, I'm just a happier person.  I can identify with the camellias.

2.  Recently, we received a communication from long time, long ago friends telling us that they would be in the San Diego area the end of January and asking if we could get together.  He was our fixed wing and helicopter pilot during the first two years we lived in Papua, Indonesia.  We saw them on Saturday afternoon and evening and enjoyed reminiscing with them about those days when we were all a lot younger, living in the jungle, flying around in the three seater Hiller helicopter, and being stranded in crazy places by crazy weather.

3.  Spending Saturday night and Sunday morning with our daugther Mia and her husband (and the two puppies and two kitties) in San Diego before we drove back home through the four SoCal counties was another highlight of the weekend.

4.  This week there has been simple knitting.  Knit one, purl one. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Five inches wide.  Five feet long.  Soon, it will be a scarf.  Sometimes I appreciate the relaxing and repetitive hand motions of a simple knit.

5.  I am continuing my relaxation reading.  This week, I finished The Dark Frigate by Charles Hawes which won the Newbery Medal in 1924.  Hawes published only two books in the early 1920s before his untimely death from a sudden illness.  The Dark Frigate tells the compelling story of a young man who is boatswain on a British ship that is commandeered by pirates, and from the first page, I was enthralled by both Hawes' writing style and the very true to life tale of danger on the high seas.  I know I mentioned the Newbery Medal books last week--I'm wondering if this will be a recurring theme--the best children's literature of the Twentieth Century.

Willow's Week was sunny and quiet.  How was yours?  Snow?  Rain?  Sun?  Loud?  Busy?  Relaxed?