Magic words: sunrise, snowdrops

I was running through Facebook when I happened to glance up and saw the rosy fingers of dawn stroking the sky.  This lasted for about five minutes.  But, oh, what a glorious five minutes it was!  I feel as if it was a special present just for me.  I am SO grateful that we can see sunrises from our house.

The whole sky was colored.  We have had day after day of cloudless cold and the sunrises were just there.  No filters, no gels, no special effects.  I'm always happy to see them, but the guy in charge was sort of phoning it it.  But today, he put in special effort.  And then bam, the earth turned that little bit more, the sun slipped past that specific slit under the clouds, and everything went to gray.

 I was out there in my bathrobe and slippers, shivering a bit, and as I turned to go inside I saw - We have snowdrops!  Winter's back is broken.  We may have rain until mid July, but the freezin' season is on the run.

As long as I was out in the natural light, I decided to snap a shot of the latest scarf.  This used up lots of little bits of yarn.  Looks like an easter egg, doesn't it? Wool, polyester, cotton, rayon, whatever was the right color.  Knitting these scarves the long way is a great way to put in random stripes.  And random has been my basic attitude this winter.  "Do you like fruitcake?"  As a food, it's ok, but lately it's become my prevailing approach to life.

I have friends with focus and direction and goals.  Friends like salmon with purpose and drive.  I'm more like one of those gossamer finned exotic koi, just drifting blissfully here and there around my pool.  Is there anything wrong with that?

I have a friend who owns a beautiful fluffy cat.  He sits in the yard, and when the squirrels run up and snatch peanuts from in front of him, he disdainfully turns his head and looks the other way.  Like him, I'm just not interested in squirrels.  Occasionally, I stumble over guilt.  Shouldn't I be earning my keep somehow?  Killing rodents?  Embodying ferocity, red in tooth and claw?  On the other hand, don't squirrels have a right to live?  If the establishment puts out peanuts for them, who am I to interfere?  Maybe I have a gentler, more meditative purpose in life.  Maybe it's my job to be happy.  It's possible!  It's a tricky task, but someone has to do it!  I accept my assignment.  I will be happy.