Home again, home again

It has been a long time since I updated, but I have a good excuse... Well as good an excuse as any, any how.

I was at my most favorite place in the world.

Wishes

That's right, Disney World.

Even more incredibly, I was there all by myself. No husband, no kids, just me calling all the shots. It was nothing short of amazing!

The purpose of the trip was two-fold. First and foremost, I got the chance to meet in person some very long time online friends. We all started out together on a public message board, but when the board shut down we started a small e-mail loop and after many years of talking about much more than our shared love for Disney we've all grown quite close. Fourteen of us were able to make the meet and we had a blast!

The second purpose, and the reason being solo was so very priceless, was that the Flower & Garden Festival is in full swing at Epcot.

I am an avid gardener, bordering on obsessive at times. You'll find that my garden will butt in here a time or two if spring should ever arrive, because it consumes much of my spare time and energy during the warmer months.

With my interest in gardening, it should come as no surprise that I spent most of the trip at Epcot. I took a Flower & Garden Festival exclusive tour, attended several of the festival seminars, and enjoyed a behind the scenes tour of Disney's incredible greenhouses. It was a truly magical experience to be there without kids hurrying me along when I wanted to get a closer look at some unusual display or growing technique. This was my third visit during the Festival, but the first time I really felt like I could take the time to appreciate everything it adds to the park.

But I am home again and struggling to get back in the swing of things. I didn't run while in Florida, partly because it was just so hot -  70° with high humidity at 7am - and partly because I was spending 10 or 12 hours a day walking around the parks. And then I came home to find winter still clinging to our area, and promptly developed a nasty cold. Ugh.

I am heading out for a walk now, just to get moving a little. I doubt I'll run at all. My cold is passing but any real exertion triggers a coughing fit. Still, I need to get myself out the door and putting in at least some effort so before the sun goes down I'm going to bundle up and hit the trail. Maybe I'll find some small sign of spring out there somewhere!