i'm sitting in my studio on the comfy chair, a mug of Tiger tea wafting up from the cup...Cinnamon & clove warm goodness. the snow hasn't stopped in days...today husband had to re-dig the trails for Diva - the snow is double her height. i worry about her knee and hope she doesn't hurt it again. she seems to know to be careful, so maybe i worry too much. a slow stirring of an awakening is beginning...not yet a call to be creative, but more an internal sorting through of things with sleepy eyes...i'm glad for the gentleness...such a change from last year's grab-and-shake changes, and the fierceness of 2 years ago...this is kinder, more ginger-and-vanilla. and a call to ritual vs. routine is slowly peeking through...replacing the routine of waking, animal feeding, animal walking, and on & on with preparing food for my beloved 4-leggeds...that sort of mind shift. and a call to soften, and expand - but gently, slowly, and at my own pace rather than making a determined list that must be adhered to. yes, i am a listmaker extraordinaire. i bought myself a little vase for christmas that has a Rumi quote on it: "Let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull of what you love." yes. featherwalk. i actually intended it to be a gift for someone, but then i listened to the quote, and kept it. :) such a slow, quiet, cozy, soft mode in so many...not lethargic or sickly, but more contented-with-reservation...there seems to be big things in the works ahead for the year, but for now, rest. L.