January so far

Good things: healthy cat, starting a Latin class that's engaging and challenging, honoured to perform a wedding ceremony for a couple who's been together 23 years. Welcomed them to the adventure and institution of marriage, thanked them for strengthening the concept of marriage by their presence. Unrelated to my comments, but happily: they are moving to Canada. One thing about our marriage laws, we are getting some of the brightest and best Americans moving up here.

Weird things: given a ring by a starling (no, really) early on - nice ring too, silver with inlaid bits of shell in the shape of two daisy's - and it's been suggested that I may have inadvertently become engaged to a bird. To explain the "bird gave me a ring" craziness: walking along Eglinton I stopped to avoid stepping on said bird who hopped in my way. It looked at me and kept looking at me as it hopped back to the curb. Unable to go around it at first because of the crowds and then charmed that it kept eyeing me, I stood and watched as it hopped beside something shiny, tossed it in the air with some effort, looked at it, looked at me and hopped back away from the object. I walked over and picked up the ring and the starling hopped away to eat a bagel someone had dropped. Later that week I went to feed left over pancakes to pigeons in the neighbourhood and they were chased off by a very small flock of starlings...

Sad things: My mothers sister died, her reputably least favorite one. Still hurt her, and I wonder if it will be the same with me or if I'll have a reconciliation with my sister before it's too late. My friends neighbour died of a heart attack; they'd seen him last and no one recognized the signs. It doesn't look like in the movies, all clutching the chest and keeling over. Sometimes it does, but other times it looks like indigestion. The heart and stroke society thing actually mentioned that in one of their "buy our lotto ticket" commercials, but after this took place. Wish they'd done that years ago, would have helped their mandate and my friends immensely. Annoyed that more charities don't educate at the same time they solicit funds.

Scary thing: This week, my friend who's been in hospital since March comes home for a trial run. I don't know how it will go. I don't know if the move will kill her. I don't know if her care team will entirely survive the exceedingly demanding experience of caring for her without 24 hr nursing. I don't know if I have the fortitude and strength of conviction to see this through. I don't know if I'm the amazing person people seem to think. Very soon, I'll find out and I'm on the edge of frightened about that.

Opprotunity: I've been invited to submit a painting to a silent charity auction. If accepted, it will be seen by oodles of people. I need to paint something right quick as I'm kind of out of paintings just now.

So far, pretty full month.