We had our first snowfall of the year yesterday. Barely 3/4 of an inch, but it was enough to paralyze the small hamlet we live in. School was cancelled for Thursday and today, and all of my boys were quite thrilled about it! Not so much mom and dad. It's been really bitter cold for this part of the south; today's high was 17 F, tonight is supposed to be 9 F. I look forward to the warming of the spring, though not the summer.

I'm still trying to decide where I'm going with this journal. I don't want to turn it into a list of complaints, as so many often are. I do want to use it as an introspective tool, maybe work out some of the ideas I believe in, talk about my children and family.

One of the big things that defines me is my beliefs. For a long time, I thought I was Wiccan. Over the last several months, I have come to realize that I am not Wiccan, though still pagan. And there are many ideas from other cultures that have made their way into my beliefs. I believe in male and female divinity, though not a huge pantheon. Nature is sacred. I believe in treating others the way you want to be treated. There is more for me to learn, much more. When we stop learning, we stop living.

I just stepped outside, and the flurries have started again. Now to get the children to stop fighting, and settled in bed. My next post I'll talk about my family.