Branch

# 1 - Making Tempeh Reuben and green bean fries for dinner - with enough leftovers for a couple more meals this week.  I asked my father if he wanted a sandwich with me, "What kind of sandwich?" he asked then continued, "Never mind." Knowing whatever I'd say probably wouldn't make sense to him, but he ate it.

#2 - My niece was super excited to watercolor paint with me, but I didn't realize how soon they needed to leave for cross-country skiing.  She was really disappointed, but I look forward to painting with her another day.

#3 - It was a perfect day for cross-country skiing, well except for the fact that we hardly have snow.  So let me say, a perfect day to cross-country ski in the few places where they make snow for that.  And the deep cold we've felt meant the temperatures felt balmy and comfortable.  It was super busy when I pulled in the parking lot, but the course was big enough that it felt fine once I got out there.  And I was happy to know this was the first day a handful of kids I care about would begin their cross-country ski club for the year.  I love it when people can get out and enjoy winter.

#4 - Hearing the happiness in my cousin's voice when I answered the phone.  She was in a much more confident and grounded space than when I spoke to her this time last week.  The first thing she did was ask me about the New Year's Ritual I did yesterday with my friends.

#5 - I just read my last post, and it reminded me to look up my new word of the year.  It made a lot of sense when it came to me, right now it feels a bit more mysterious.  Merriam Webster gives it three basic definitions -

The first is part of a plant stem.
The second is "something that extends from or enters into a main body or source".
The third is "a part of a complex body."

My new word is  - Branch