“They will be given challenges based on phenomena such as hurricanes, fog, tornados and tsunamis. So you see this year it's pretty relevant.” -Julie Berry

I updated my profile header with a snowy mountain picture that I took on one of our hikes late last spring. That is what Utah winters usually look like, Crisp clear blue skies, purple mountains covered in clean white snow. Notice the contrast to the heavy air in these photos I took recently.

It appears that my camera is out of focus, I assure you, this is what you see without the lens.

This year is an exception. Heavy clouds of dirty air held in by low atmospheric conditions, turning to ice crysals in the frigid temperatures.

And then this: Fog.
A fog so thick it can hide monstrous mountains behind its veil.

Although summer is my favorite of the four distinct seasons here in the state, I don't mind winter.


It has its own beauty. The (usually) few days we have with really low temperatures and 'bad air' are more than redeemed with those sunny winter days.



Those days you need sunglasses from the sun gleaming off the freshly fallen snow. White as marshmallow fluff. 


A golden sun cast over the dark looming and white topped mountains is a sight to behold, takes your breath away.




The weather this month seems to be a metaphor for the deep pain and non-clarity that my friend Mike must have been feeling over the holidays.


And 200 miles south of here, On a small Island that is a beautiful haven for tourists and yet only a few miles in, a poor and starving home of many terrorized by violence.

The people there are fighting a fog of their own. A deep, unsettling and scarring fog.
Made worse now with the earthquake.
Far too many paying the ultimate price. And even more it seems left to live a hell on earth, with nothing left.

I watched a clip from a news story, a woman no older than her late twenties or early thirties, she was chanting and wailing as she was held by her husband. A woman literally driven insane by the loss of not one child but all five of her loves. The heartbreak this poor woman was more than I could bear to watch. The correspondent, by his own admittance, a tough minded soul, broke down at the sight of her pain.

The fog is thick, the pain is unbearable. This will one day be a piece of history, much like that fateful day in 2001. But I don't think that this fog will ever completely leave us.

It is in times like these, we also see more humanity, more love, more charity. The people of Haiti have needed help for a long time. They have lived a nightmare long before the earth shook their island nation to rubble.

Could this be our wake up call? Should we try to do more?
For the third worlds, for the troubled friend, perhaps for the lonely elderly, the struggling single parent or young mother.
There are things we can do to help clear the fog, and each small pebble builds mountains.

The first Contest on this blog ever!

The first thing I want to mention is it seems to be my lucky week. Not one- but TWO wins for me!
They were each passed on to me by fellow single mother bloggers.
The first award was this one:

Given to me by  new blogger and twitter friend notyouraveragesinglemomma. The challenge that come with this particular award is to create a list -Ten things that make me happy. The way the past few months have gone, I see this as a refreshing, eye-opening task. However, I have not yet had the time to get it posted. The second part of the challenge is to pass it on to ten bloggers whom I find inspiring, I welcome the opportunity for this too. I will get to it soon.

The second award was a fellow bloggers support on her New Year's Resolution. She has made a resolution to watch less Television this year. A challenge that I believe we all wish to accomplish at periods in our lives. She put up the challenge to her readers to post a comment and take a guess just how many days she would make it through her challenge before watching television again. I hardly remember commenting, I wanted her to succeed. But my guess was that she would last no longer than I would, and guessed 4 days.
I was unaware that she would be under the weather, and also entertaining friends with games which used her television. You can hardly blame the girl for her demise. But thank you so much Aljolynn  I can hardly wait for my little taste of Hawaii. And good luck with the restart of your personal challenge I know you will do fine.

Which brings me to my own very first contest.

Everyone has an opinion on the right way to roll – over or under – and both points-of-view have been argued in households for ages. This January, Cottonelle brand sets out to settle this Great Debate once and for all. Are you Team Over or Team Under?
 

Cottonelle

 As a member of the Mom Bloggers Club, I have the opportunity to win an entire months supply of Cottonelle tissue. And honestly who cant use toilet paper. With two teen girls in the house smack dab in the middle of cold and flu season we use a lot. Seems I am the one left with the bare cardboard roll staring at me as I attempt to reach for the box of tissue.

But the best part of this whole toilet paper debate??? You as a reader of this humble blog can also be a winner. Simply leave a comment below and you will be entered to win 1 of 10 Cottonelle gift baskets randomly chosen on January 29, 2010 from all entries.

 What beats a contest open to all? I would love to hear from my regular commenters as well as some silent readers I just know are out there. And I cannot think of a better time to come out.
So leave a comment and good luck and I will work on my happy list.