Now that Oregon is seeing hints of spring, I have to conclude that I basically spent the months of January, February, and part of March in a bit of a stupor. I am beginning to come out of it. This may have been the first year that practically everyone I know has been hanging by a thread, waiting for spring. It has been a dreadful and long winter. The blooming plants are at least a month behind where we were last year.

I just hate Oregon winters. Every fall I feel absolutely desperate to stay afloat, to cope through the winter. In addition to the dreary weather, I had to go off of Zoloft in December. It was causing a lot of digestive problems, which I am still trying to fix. No, I did not opt to stay on the medication merry-go-round, although Zoloft had helped me tremendously in some ways. I have my reasons. So, between that the weather this time of year, I feel that I am walking through mud with a backpack full of bricks.

I wish I had something better to say, but I want to leave an honest record of this winter, and it is what it is. I will be able to look back and say that I'm getting better, or getting worse, next year. The good news is that spring is on the horizon. We have had some nice days and today, although there was no direct sun, it was fairly warm. My daughter and I went to the river and I stood in the sand with my bare feet. The water was freezing! It's nice to know that some relief from this dreadful weather is on the way.