What's great about mid-January

Is, quite simply, that the month is HALF OVER. 

 Alas, this sentiment sums up the entirety of Advent and Christmas 2013 for me. Low points included:

• sickness. We've had colds, flus, coughs, sore throats etc. non stop since Dec. 16. 
• bad weather (WAY too many consecutive days of wind chill temps in the -30 to -40 C range) 
• due to both of the above: numerous missed events and/or cancellations: recitals, music lessons, meetings, church services, appointments
• my kitchen being dismantled until Dec. 21 (try to guess how much baking or other culinary prep I accomplished)
• extended-family issues: nuff said 
• being stuck in bed with stomach flu on Christmas Day (we missed a multi-family celebration, and the turkey was elsewhere, so my husband and kids literally had to scrounge the larder for Christmas dinner)
• getting in on the local epidemic: rushing a daughter to the ER with breathing difficulties on New Year's Day (eventually she tested positive for H1N1, the influenza strain that has been killing people in my part of the country. She is fine now.)
• just not enough time: I think Advent was only ten or eleven days long this year. At any rate, I have never been so poorly prepared (in every way imaginable) for Christmas in all my life.

But make no mistake, there were many highlights too, for which one must be very grateful. These were: 

• having my daughter NOT die (or even have to be hospitalized) for H1N1 flu (thanks, EMTs, Doc, and ER nurses, lab techs, all willing to work holidays!)
• spending wonderful time with visitors from afar, some of whom I have not seen in years, and some of whom I had never met in person (pre-school nephew and nieces from Oz)
• the turkey turned out well (I cooked one New Year's Day to make up for my family missing the Christmas Day bird)
• finding the source of my chronic back/neck pain and discovering it is CONQUERABLE (thanks, physiotherapy profession and referring physician! You guys and gals know your stuff!)
• my kitchen ceiling is FINISHED (long story, and probably interesting only to me and other reno-nuts)
• a fancy new coffeemaker (best hostess gift ever, from Oz relatives)
• getting addicted to Duck Dynasty (blame credit for this too is laid at the feet of those zany Australians)
• anything containing alcohol
• Salvation re: the Incarnation

For your perusal and edification, David Warren's dissection  of the January Blues. The Reason for the Season is the reason for all seasons, human existence, and eternity. Would that we could hearken.
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