Dashing through the sand ....

It's so sunny I can't open my eyes out here!

Such an out-of-the-body experience for the week between Christmas and the New Year. Normallly a time for unfolding all your new clothes and putting up the holiday plates and undecorating the dehydrated Christmas tree.

Instead, I am in the middle of three books, listening to the winds through the palms. And the French housekeeper slushing "suois" and "ouis" on her cellphone next door.

Yesterday we walked Friar's Beach, hiked to Happy Bay and glanced at the show -- and oh what a show -- on the nude strip (no pun intended) of Orient Bay.

Over the beach and through the waves.

It's really not better, just different.

And "different" is what I asked for, since I couldn't do "the same" in a place that wasn't yet home.

It will be home.

The Hub City. Downtown. The Oaks. Sixth Avenue and all the variety of people passing through it.  I'm sure it will be home.

As soon as I get screen doors. And a few more parties, gatherings, planning meetings, crying sessions, drop-ins and impromptu friend nights. Oh yeah. And overnight company. It needs to house a law clerk, a displaced family and at least a couple of overseas guests before it's really home. Any volunteers?

Here's to a 2013 that didn't turn out like I thought it would and a 2014 with the promise of more than I could ask or imagine.