grateful for the break in weather

I had expected a day that was ten degrees colder.

That's what had been forecast earlier in the week.

Then, with the hard rainfall for most of Wednesday afternoon, I had expected a cold front to follow.

And yet, here I sit, on the front steps, drying my freshly washed hair in the sun.

In this first week of January!

This absolutely does my spirit good.

i thank You, God!

And what a nice diffraction pattern on my sweater!

That really accentuates the connection between the silver gray in my hair and that of blowing beach sand.

(smile)

I kept thinking I would go to a movie, but I couldn't make up my mind which to see.

The A*List theme this week was people who were thought to be dead, but weren't.

"Avatar: The Way Of Water" was seen in BigD Saturday with mi tres amigas. Another overlong scifi adventure film, like "Wakanda Forever", desperately in need of an editor. The human commandant had been killed in the first movie, but here he was, his consciousness inside one of the natives.

That's the one that started the theme off. I followed that up with a reviewing of "Strange World", another scifi adventure, this one animated instead of CGI. Here, the father had been presumed dead after an absence of 25 years, but he turned up alive and well in the belly of the beast - literally. Good movie about fathers and sons, too, as was the first one.

My intention had been to follow that up with "Puss In Boots: The Last Wish", as that would complete the trio and be in keeping with the theme.

Yeah, that didn't happen.

Years ago, when Grandmama died, I began a tradition that brought me solace. I went to a movie that I knew she would like, then I sat in the dark and let the story on the silver screen soothe my heart and bring me a smile.

Ever since then - which was April of 1997 - I try to follow that tradition.

I didn't think the animated film that I planned to see would be one that Christa would have chosen. She was more a fan of science fiction horror, so "M3GAN" would be more her style, especially as it seemed to be a derivation of the "bad doll" bad movies.

However, that new movie, to my knowledge, doesn't fit my A*List theme of the week.

What to do, what to do?

So I sat in the sun, on the steps of the front porch, absorbing the warmth from the bricks below me and the sun above.

That's when I noticed this.

Yes, the tulip tree already has pink buds all over its branches, with some even in bloom!

In January!

(smile)

So I sat for the next thirty minutes and admired it as I sun-dried my hair and got warm down to my bones.

By that time, going to a movie was a moot point, as I had missed both start times.

No worries!

"You Bet Your Life" had a surprise for me -

a Savannah Banana as a contestant!

Kevin Eubanks even had a bat handy so Alex could show off his swing - very nice!

For me, it was clearly right place, right time.

This was exactly the day I needed.

i thank You, God.