Well, that was fun. I made it **roughly** a week before completely bombing my February challenge. I think I challenged myself to post every day, only to realize that it isn’t as important to post as it is to actually WRITE. The habit of writing is far more important than the publishing itself, though try to convince my 11th graders of that….

After writing and erasing 4 different post titles (and musing over at least a dozen post topics) I settled on introducing you to my new best friend, and ultimately, what she inspired in me today.

Two years since pitching our story on Medina to Kate Welshofer (and thinking our world would be amenable to plans in 2020…ha!) she made the trip to the Shirt Factory yesterday to sit down with us and discuss all things Medina. Of course what I figured would be a quick little chat turned into hours of some of the easiest conversation I’ve had in a long time. We laughed about life in small towns, where we see ourselves when we all grow up, weddings in backyards, the paranormal. You name it, we talked about it. And while some of it will make it on film, I will remember the scraps on the cutting room floor for a long time to come.

However, there was one question Kate asked that I am still sitting with today. She asked how we feel about plunging into 2022. We mentioned in conversation how excited we were back in early 2020 for all the events and ideas we had planned for that year, only to see it come crashing down in mid-March.

“Hopeful,” Scott answered. And while it was his voice that replied, I can’t help but feel he took the words right out of my mouth.

It’s impossible to not feel hopeful as mandates are lifted, Covid numbers decline, and days grow longer inching us toward spring. This year, God willing, I’ll see my baby take his first steps. Hear his perfect little voice utter “Mama.” Watch as his feet explore the cool green grass on Fox Cross Farm. I hope to date my husband more than once this year, watch his eyes twinkle and his dimples crease in soft laughter over a glass of wine on a patio somewhere. I hope to return to the saddle after almost a decade hiatus, sit astride the horses whom I have cared for over the last 5 years without feeling moved to take to the trails in the late afternoon. I hope to splash with my 2 year old niece in the pool after picking flowers in our garden to adorn the patio table while we swim. I hope to see the Factory buzzing with the hum of patrons and friends enjoying Scott’s cocktails and Marin’s desserts under the bistro lights as they dine al fresco. I hope to sit quietly under the night sky and listen to the cicada, something I have done since I was my niece’s age. I hope to spend mornings sipping coffee with my parents, collecting tidbits and stories from their youth to file away and keep close in the years to come.

So Kate, to answer your question again – we feel so hopeful. Hopeful that friends, neighbors, strangers can come out from under the veil of Covid and hug each other and mean it. We may not all agree about everything, but I know we can agree that hope keeps us alive in truly dark times and we are all so glad to finally see the light.

Here’s to clinging to HOPE in 2022. Cheers, friends.

(we can’t wait to see our conversation with Kate go live on Most Buffalo – we’ll let you all know when that time comes! And Kate- thank you so, so much for taking the time to visit Medina and chat with us. You are quite simply, lovely.)