Sign, sign, everywhere a sign

Happy New Year!!! Laimīgu Jauno gadu!!!

Latvians are big on fortune telling this time of year, winter solstice and Christmas marking the advent of the New Year and New Beginnings, and the dark days providing plenty of time for reflection and planning.

Laimes liešana - "pouring" your luck! (photo credit Gunārs)

Whether it is the superstition that shrouds the season or just being more open to signs in my everyday life, every year come January 1^st I’m struck by the sudden appearance of multiple portents…The giant Wolf Moon, one of two this month. The never-before noticed cornerstone of a bridge that corresponds with my birth year. The path of a single shooting star mirroring my route home.

The difficulty lies in determining what these presumed signs mean. Is the shooting star showing me that I am on the right track, or is it an indication that I have been driving for too long, am seeing things, and need to pull over for coffee? Is the coincidence of the arrival of a long-awaited package with my arrival home an omen of other long-anticipated changes coming, or a result of the mail-hold and post office delays?

Maybe it means I'm not very observant - I mean, I drive across this bridge about once a week! 

I am of half a mind that this New Year will bring exactly what I make of it, yet also open to the possibility that these omens are a sign of positive things to come, pre-ordained and pre-approved. It is hard not to feel hopeful with the clean slate that a new calendar provides; may this optimism translate to new opportunities, extraordinary adventure, accomplishment and good health!

As the boys grow older and the novelty of our return to South Carolina has worn off, I find myself wondering where the future of Femme au Foyer lies. However, I am content with what the blog has evolved into – an outlet for a mother and wife, a way to share the beauty on our doorstep, and a connection with friends and family scattered across the globe. As far as 2018 is concerned, you can expect more of the following: great hiking spots in the Upstate and vicinity, restaurants/bakeries/breweries we enjoy frequenting, new exhibits & locations in the Greenville area that we’ve discovered, and hopefully more on the ways we incorporate our Latvian heritage into our Southern life.

Thank you for joining us on this journey; I can’t wait to see what 2018 has in store…