It's truly foul outside. The roads are filled with slushy wet stuff that supposed to freeze tonight. The sky is somewhere between white and grey. In 30 minutes, I have an appointment for a regular physical where the doctor is going to sign me up for a colonoscopy — family history and over 40. I can't tell you how excited I am to flush out my intestines and then get probed. I'm trying to tell myself that it's a cleansing and that's what all the rich girls do, but my brain ain't buying it.

So, what's one to do when the sky is grey and a colonoscopy is looming? Look for inspiration!

1. I'm going learn how to cook winter roots!

2. I'm going to be inspired by someone who made a difference in the world. I'll donate money to a good cause.

 

3. I'll admire a nice home by artists and decide to take some prints to the art shop for framing. Which will prompt me to take the family to a museum this weekend. 

4. I'll stop giving Jonah a hard time about getting a 72% on a math test. (He got all the answers right, but he lost points for doing all the computations in his head.) Who cares? Let's go skiing and skating and eat treats at little cafés. Let's make silly jokes about TV shows and take the time to photograph green eyes and little toes.

5. Two miles at the gym, lunch with friends, the 1,000 word goal, wine with friends on Friday nights, a fluffy memoir, and a date night with the husband.

The recipe for a content life is so simple, and on sunny days, it comes very naturally. It's on these grey days that I sometimes need to remind myself how to do it.