I’m stuck in a writing mud puddle again, so I thought I would just write and not worry about the outcome. I’ll get dirty and it will be messy and I won’t care. No perfect girl here for 2016.

It’s been raining a lot here lately. It was nice when we had freezing temperatures. Really. Because then the ground was frozen and we didn’t have to drive or walk through the mud. My kids don’t seem to mind. They like the ice and they like the mud.

Last week I went on a hike with a friend from my herbal class and we came across this lions mane mushroom on a tree.

My friend said it is edible and medicinal. If you’re interested in learning more about mushrooms, David Arora has two books, Mushrooms Demystified and All the Rain Promises and More: A Hip Pocket Guide to Western Mushrooms with great photographs to help with identification. I’m still in search of candy cap mushrooms that grow locally here in Northern California and are supposed to taste like maple syrup.

For a long time I used to write in my journal “a year in review” before the new year. I stopped doing it around the time my kids came along. There was so much happening, and perhaps some memories deserve to be left unreviewed in the far recesses of my brain. And for a long time I would write New Year’s Resolutions. That too has ended. But I did write for 2015 that I wanted more “being time.” I find that when I am well rested, I can have “being time” in any moment of the day, even while doing the mundane house chores as long as there is a semblance of peace in the house (no whining, screaming children). For this year, for my health and the well-being of my family, I strive for calm. If I can keep my anxiety and heart palpitations at bay when there is chaos all around me, I’ll call it a good year.

I just came across this list tonight and thought it would be fun to do, so I’m passing it on to you. Join the 2016 Reading Challenge. I haven’t decided which books I’m going to read, but if I remember I’ll let you know. If you decide to do it, post your list of the books you’re reading in the comments section below. Happy 2016 to you!