Ever Singing For Joy

'Tis the season.  The back end of the holidays is probably one of the weirdest seasons thus far.  I've found myself wanting to retreat in my own mind.  I had a lot of time over the past few weeks to myself.  My girls were in Texas for the entirety of their Christmas break.  I spent a week out in Texas with them, but I bookended either side of Christmas with some time to myself back in Alabama.  I had made tentative plans to travel and 'get-away' but the reality is... when that time came I didn't want to do any of that.  The thought of traveling and getting away was so appealing until it was time to pull the trigger.  So, when the time came (along with my lack of planning the logistics ahead of time), I defaulted to what was comfortable and routine.  I spent that time at home or in a coffee shop.  It was uneventful, moderately restful and definitely provided opportunities for my brain to run in overdrive.   I often use the analogy of a snowball rolling down a hill wh