This morning it was snowing and it was 19 degrees. Yeah, sure, snow is pretty. OK, fine, it’ll warm up as the day goes on.

Tell me another one.

Winter is not my favorite season. I’d much rather be basking in summer sunshine, listening to the birds and watering my sunflowers. But the earth needs a rest, at least in this hemisphere, and today I choose to view winter as a period of rejuvenation. I’m gathering strength for the coming season.

Like most of the over-indulgent, I’ve put on a few pounds over the holidays, slacked off on the exercise and generally lived the life of a pampered potato. Tras, too, has taken a good hard look at where his abs used to be and made a similar deduction. And like most of the over-indulgent, we have taken the coming of the new year to vow to turn over a new leaf, make a new plan, start afresh.

A shopping trip yesterday found me buying loads of fresh foods that I love. I’ve perused the recipe book for healthful dinners that I’ll be making from now on (NO MORE GRAVY) and I’ve taken inventory of spice rack and planned accordingly. The Wii Fit is singing its siren song and no longer will I ignore the treadmill in the basement.

These are my resolutions. Like the cheerful sunflower that again adorns the NouveauSoileau masthead, I’ve resolved to take a new and sunny view of life – and my waistline — and view it as an optimistic Project. I’m up for a challenge. I’m a healthy risk-taker. I know what needs to be done and by God I’m gonna do it.

I only ask one thing.

Talk me out of it.