Dry

 Both of us are plagued this year with drier than usual skin.  Multiple dermatologist visits over the years have resulted in lots of different lotions/creams/prescriptions.  Mostly the dr. just says:  we live in a desert.  It's dry here.  And now in addition to the dry, it's cold and windy and snowy. 

I've begun my almost forgotten routine of wearing gloves every time I go outside.  I even drove with them on today.  I want to think it helps.  Does thinking make it so? (I totally wish that were the case.) I can't help but think that our age has something to do with it, also. 

In any case - I lotion and cream and do my best to keep hydrated.  The picture kind of shows how dry my hands are.  I'll persist, but figure things just keep on the way they are until spring/summer when I'll be complaining about the heat.

For the third day in a row it looks bleak outside. For just a minute on our way home from a couple errands the sun peeked through and we actually saw blue sky.  But it wasn't for long and we're back under heavy clouds that refuse to let any warmth of the sun through.  Those clouds are generous with their snowing.  I guess the best that could be said about the weather today is that the angry wind has calmed.  We watched the noon news/weather at lunch.  Several more days of this (and more snow) then a break for a couple days and then more of the same.  This is why I always want to go somewhere sunshiny in January or February. Perhaps one of these years I'll be successful.

The good thing is tomorrow we've been invited to a dinner with friends.  We are so grateful for them.  It's her birthday on Saturday - it has become kind of a tradition to share a birthday celebration dinner with them. I am so enjoying having something fun to look forward to.

I am aware there's nothing exciting or extraordinary to read here.  I just don't want to totally give up on my journaling here.  So I persist even though lots of our winter days seem mundane.  I still try to find something to be grateful for in each day.  Today I'm grateful we were able to find a couple new puzzles for The Husband to work on.  So glad that he enjoys them.  (My mind just gets overwhelmed with them - clearly I'm not a puzzle person.)  I continue today to be grateful that the car's tire was fixed with minimum fuss and cost.  I'm grateful that I've finally learned how to enjoy a hug. 
I'm still looking for a tiny bit of joy in today. Perhaps it'll be obvious before we head to bed tonight. I think that's my unofficial goal for the year - to find at least a spark of joy in every day.