it was my birthday

Yesterday. 28 years of living, learning, growing, backtracking, failing, falling, trudging, repeat. The cycle goes on, some day highs of joy and contentment and happiness, others plunging to not understood lows. That goes for mood. For temperature. For successes and failures and creativity and the push to actually do something. As you can tell, it was a weird day for me yesterday.

I woke up feeling sad. And sick. Also tired and a little miserable. But it was my birthday. And Chris went to work in the afternoon and I made chicken and coconut rice for the potluck and Jude was sick and miserable as well and he whined at my legs most of the day. Although these sort of sick days also result in a pale red-cheeked baby willing to cuddle for hours while watching videos. Which we do more and more of these cold stuck inside snowing for the last five days. Pyjamas until noon, or more often after naps which could end between one and three (sick routines are not so easy to follow). And it's cold by our giant picture window that we haven't sealed with plastic yet so I crank the heat and leave blankets around everywhere making plans to knit and quilt and buy more from goodwill. Jude wore his slippers for the very FIRST time since he was able to remove items from his feet. At least the cold living room is good for something. But we haven't yet added silicone caulking (yes, that's the plan) to the bottom of the felted wool for grip so he went sliding everytime he hit the linoleum or wood floors in the rest of the house. 1903. This is a cold house.

We had everyone over for a potluck last night. Everyone being all my brothers and sisters and parents who lovingly braved ridiculous roads and traffic to come celebrate in my cozy house. And how lovely that I didn't have to leave the house myself. It was the perfect way to enjoy the snowstorm... I haven't left the house since Monday I think. So far we have everything we need :)

And despite my morning funk and initial frustration at feeling so crummy on my birthday, it turned out perfectly that it was my birthday. All the messages and videos people sent me, all the phone calls and dropins (although I did feel crazy for a while) helped move the day, wine helped, chocolate almonds/blueberries/cherries from Sugar Mountain helped, a cuddly nursing boy helped (and hindered too although always very cutely). It was a busy day and today I have two people dropping in to see us, while tomorrow brings a full day of CAW EI workshop. Then an evening special yoga night for women at Blue Moon Wellness with the fantastic Amanda. I am SO looking forward to "an extension of the vrat (resolution) rituals for women in ancient, medieval, and current day India". And then maybe on Saturday we can actually get the car back.

Things have been busy, since being home. It's a different kind of busy and some days I don't feel like I accomplish a lot, but I still feel really busy.

This was my birthday in pictures.
It snowed. A lot.
Pretending not to be sick and grumpy.
My lovely family.
Jude got bonked on the head and night collapsed into heaving sobs and bedtime.
Chris shoveled. Again.