I realized this morning that it had suddenly been three weeks since my last post. With the Patriots’ sudden loss of a playoff spot and the election long over, there just has been little excitement worth posting.

And, of course, it’s January. I’ve always disliked January: after the three-holiday trifecta of HalloweenThanksgivingChristmas, January is always a kind of let down. Mix in the frigid, bleary and still-dark days and it just feels lifeless and cold. But as I get older I realize there is a certain calm to January. After indulging and celebrating and taking for several months, it’s nice to to have a cool peaceful month of renewal. Though still winter, there is something soothing to this back-to-normal month where people feel ready to turn a corner and begin again.