2010, I will blog again...

:)

It was one of my new year's resolutions! Since I probably could have funded my next trip to North America if I had a lat for every time someone asked me "why don't you blog anymore??", I figured it was time to start writing again. Ok, it's taken 18 days into the new year to live up to this resolution, but I guess just this week I finally feel back into the swing of things here in LV.

The quick list of realizations on why I had stopped blogging (excuses, excuses....):

1. The two hours I spend on the train each day serve as my time of reflection. I have composed many a brilliant blog in my head, but by the time I got to a computer, it was already out of my system.

2. Our camera was out of order (less fun to blog without pictures).

3. If you don't have something nice to say, don't say it. Life in LV has been tough, tough, and tougher. The economic crisis elsewhere in the world does not begin to compare to what is happening here. We've had a lot of friends moving away and it's just generally been an emotionally tiring time.

4. Farmville. It took over my life. Sadly, and yet happily, it was also one of my new year's resolutions to stop playing Farmville. Sorry, farmville neighbors. (Notice I have not actually had the courage to delete my existence on Farmville - actually that might suck me back in! - but I'm definitely on sabbatical.....and it's amazing how much more time I have at night and less stress worrying about withering crops.....)

So there, those are the four obstacles I am working toward overcoming in order to blog again. KB has also requested a "column" in my blog - he thinks he may write about architecture and building, music, ice fishing, forestry (mainly chain sawing), and such. So stay tuned. :)

And today, I leave you with a few photos that have come close to capturing the beauty that has been Latvia's winter since we've been back. We returned to 36 cm of snow (yes, KB measured), blocking our driveway, gate and garage - an hour of both of us shoveling just to pull the car in. But it has been perfectly white, blue sky days and an entire week's worth of frost that coated every last tree branch - absolutely gorgeous! (And I love Sigulda! Today walking home from the train I realized on the side streets the snow is still pure white - no fresh snow in over a week, but no pollution!)