More adventure just around the corner

Those Christmas gifts are a recent, but lovely memory. The desserts included Pumpkin Fudge, Cranberry & Wine Nut Chutney, Thumbprint cookies filled with strawberry jam and marmalade, Pecan Pastries, Chocolate Fudge, Pumpkin and Banana Muffins, Pumpkin Cake and now they are all fighting for space on my butt. Ah, Christmas, the end of December and the New Year's promise of adventures to follow.

The fluffy, white snow and roof's icicles are melting slowly and my husband is building steps outside --- gloves, stocking hat and snow boots fight the cold but he perseveres. Cold in Virginia is like no other, I think; the blue sky and birds flitting around our feeders in the back gardens belie the fact that snow lingers, quietly but firmly everywhere.

A new year and more new family to find! Since Grandma birthed 15 children, but saw only 12 live to adulthood, it is no wonder that the number of grandchildren would have spiked the Guiness Book of Records if they'd been registered. As a Grandma of four lovely children myself, it still amazes me that my Grandmother knew each of our names and made us feel special and loved. Her eyes used to light up when we entered the room and her smile made us feel we were her only grandchild. How does a woman do that, I wonder? Could I ever measure up to my grandmother, whose very memory evokes an immediate smile to my face and heart? I must find the rest of those children and share their miles of memories.

As we proceed into the new year of 2011, I will not make resolutions because I never keep them more than a week. Instead, I will work on my grandmotherhood, my research into family history, eat less, smile more and acknowledge the blessings that whisper over my heart.