Happy Year of the Horse! Although I am not cooking a banquet to celebrate the new year, or really doing anything at all right now (although I do have a duck defrosting in the fridge..), I feel grateful to have this second shot at starting the year.
January slipped by almost unnoticed. For more than two weeks after our trip I was in a sort of sleepy and extremely lazy haze. It was jet lag at first, I guess, and then the boys and I fought off the flu while we were in Istanbul for the weekend.

Not that any of this seemed to slow them down at all. So who knows, maybe it was all just me stuck in a fit of indolence. Whatever the case, the fog lifted a week ago and I am once again feeling equal to the tasks of the day. It’s good to be back!
So for now, I simply want to wish all and sundry a happy and healthy year. I look forward to sharing our adventures.