Return to the Living

I'm back!!!  Finally!

My apologies for my absence.  It was unintentional, as absences frequently are.  It just so happens that the plague decided to descend upon my household right after the busy holidays.  It's been making the rounds in the area I live so I can't say I was surprised by its visit.  What bummed me out most was its timing.  As I've already mentioned, January held a big birthday for me and I had big plans for celebrating.  But being weak from the tail end of the flu complicated them a bit.  Alas, I was able to power through well enough and make some memories of my big day.  I also promised myself a redo later this year.  Who knows, maybe I'll make it an annual birthday tradition!

Even in my weakened state, it was quite the experience!  I treated myself to a day at The Spa at The Hershey Hotel.  And what a treat it was!  For those who aren't familiar with The Hershey Hotel, let me just say that it's quite lovely and grand.  And that's just the hotel itself.  The spa is beyond words!  I felt like a queen.  This is definitely an experience that will go into my Mason Jar of Happy Moments!!!  I can't say enough good things about all the people I encountered both in the spa and at the hotel, where I stayed overnight.  I give the entire experience 5 out of 5 stars!

As mentioned, I also treated myself with a room for the night.  After checking in, I splurged on some tasty gourmet room service.  There was snow on the ground that evening, which was fitting as there was snow on the day I was born.  I took a very brief stroll outside that night, marveling at its freshness.  Under the moonlight I was treated to thousands of untouched snowflake diamonds that glistened all around me.  Its beauty was beyond compare.  I was also gifted with a sighting of 2 deer running across my path as I walked along in the still and silent night.  Magical, indeed. 

And speaking of my Mason Jar of Happy Moments...  Over the holidays, I found a lovely large mason jar at home that I have set aside to use.  After partaking in a little Pinterest, I found some nifty ideas on how to decorate it.  I really want to do it up, you know.  So this weekend, I'll be making a trip to my local Michael's to stock up on necessary supplies.  By the end of the weekend, I will have a beautiful jar to fill with slips of paper that detail wonderful experiences throughout the year.  I even have a few to record a while to put in it once it's completed.  And of course, I will photograph and show it here real soon!