It's a chilly, windy day. And it's been gray out for several days. Today, though, the sun is shining. Many around me are suffering from colds and the flu, Type A mostly. I think everyone needs a cup of something warm, an orange-lemon-tea drink I call Russian Tea is a favorite around here when we are ailing, or hoping to prevent it. Grab a cup of something warm to sip, gather under your favorite covers, and rest with a good read. Enjoy this excerpt of an essay from "Gathering:

We meet characters in our every-day lives and they become “the pages of our stories,” my publisher friend Kathy said. In my not too distant past, I met a superhero disguised as an elementary teacher. His “character” has stayed with me. I wrote about him for the local newspaper and I’ve incorporated a story about him in my book, “Gathering: Homespun Essays from Beech Tree Lane.” And, on this day of “love,” I want to talk about him, again – sort of. How far out of the norm am I