I love the bright sun that is streaming through my office window even if, just as in the fable when the wind and the sun have a contest to see which can make the traveller remove his coat, I have had to remove my warm and cozy housecoat. If the wind were howling I would pull it tighter around me. The sun is a powerful, positive force. And on these January days the sun puts on an amazing show when it sets. The sunsets have been breathtaking. I have not started snowshoeing yet but have walked most days along the rutty, frozen trails made by the tractor or down Chapin’s long driveway to see his progress. Watching his house take shape reminds me of the excitement I felt when we were building our house. Windows will come next and I remember when I saw our windows right after they were put in. All of a sudden it was a home. Chapin and Brianne have huge windows that will allow so much light in and allow so much of the beautiful lake view to be seen from the rooms of their home. Take in the view. Take in the sunshine , take in the sunsets. Each day is a gift and so quickly the days add up to years. The work I am beginning this morning starts from the perspective of an old lady trying desperately to remember her past clearly. The story will unfold through her remembering. Those stories unfold for me every day. How I wish there was an option to see a memory as clearly as if I were rewinding a VHS tape. Now there is a blast from the past. Faulty memory and outdated technology. That is what aging is . Never the less I embrace this sunny, January day wholeheartedly and with gratitude.