Well, its 18 degrees in Port Orchard today.  I haven't gone to school for four days, and our driveway hill is now just one long, sled-a-licious, frozen strip of ice, so I will probably not be going anywhere for the time being.   We are just not prepared for 5" of snow and frozen roads out here in the Western Washington lowlands.  In dire need of warmth, (Brrr....), I have been thinking about hot spots of happiness in my world  that might do the trick... (1) I am currently supremely excited about Nancy Pelosi (sp?) and her new position.  Listening to her talk about women breaking the marble ceiling warmed my heart and made me believe that change is possible in our government again.  (2) On my way up the driveway on Thursday, I had to stop and wait for one of my neighbors, who was flying down the hill on a red sled with one of my other neighbor's little girl clinging to his back and screaming in delight.  (3) The other night, Dorothy and I fired up the hot tub and then soaked in the velvet warmth of hot water while the snow fell all around.  Then we decided to roll in the snow, in the true Scandinavian style, and jump back in the tub.  Perhaps we are crazy (!), but it was exhilarating, to say the least. and I loved it. (4) A strange silence from all of my friends fell over our house for the holidays.  It was just one of those years that everyone was doing something else, and at first it felt strange not to be in contact with these people I love, but then Dorothy and I got into planning cozy nights together and practiced holiday traditions we have often skipped when we had guests, in deference to other people's comfort levels.  We bought a live, flowering Edgeworthia for our Solstice tree and decorated it with tiny lights and all of our favorite necklaces and pendants we don't usually get to wear.  And we had a huge breakfast of bacon and eggs, and opened presents all morning, and watched the third season of "The L Word" on DVD.  It rocked.  And, later, I sent New Year's cards to all of the people we didn't get to talk to, and I had a lot more to write than usual because we hadn't been in touch for a few weeks, and I felt full of myself in a good way, content and whole, and not overly worried about catering to other people's needs.  So, all, as they say, is good.