Today was Lucy’s birthday, the third that has occurred since her passing. Please take a moment to remember her and the joy she brought to our lives. She would be in the living room now trying to see where the Great Horned Owl is that is making its presence known. He Who Yells At Owls is probably sufficiently inebriated to not be screaming profanities.
The weather today was typical for this time of the year, cold and blustery. This year, the sun was out and I did not have to wade through 18″ of snow to visit her grave. Cardinals and chickadees advertised their availability through song. Winter so far has been far better behaved than last year’s debacle.
Three days ago was the midpoint of winter which some places in the United States mark with a quaint rite of determining if a hoary marmot caught a glimpse of its shadow. One groundhog provided a possible etymology for the phrase “chewing his/her ear off“. People do silly things for amusement when cooped up for six weeks and some rodents take umbrage when someone reaches in and interrupts badly needed but totally wasted beauty sleep.
Yesterday was World Cancer Day. Nearly all of us have known someone who is either a cancer warrior or whose cancer battle ended. We have lost too many loved ones to this horrible disease. Lucy will always be part of me, but I have to rely on memory for the warmth of her hugs and the sound of her voice. It’s not the same as having her here. Take a moment to remember those who fought and are no longer with us, and please support those who are still in the fight.