My Approach to the New Year

It's Saturday morning, the first Saturday of the new year. Of course I've already explained my feelings about this time of the week, brilliantly entitled - Saturday Mornings! I've finished my first cup of coffee, read some and reflected a bit. Although I've wanted to write these past few weeks, time and circumstances didn't allow me to sit down and actually accomplish this desire. So, we have some catching up to do!

I hope your holiday season was a good one. Unfortunately, I realize this is not always true for everyone. I'm sorry if that was the case for you. Family dynamics, financial instability, expectations and past echos can wreak havoc on our emotions, particularly during the holidays. Let alone tragedies can happen at any time of year. I'm becoming aware of how I can subtly project my circumstances, reactions and emotions on to others or even groups of people. A small example would be that since I live in Florida now, I can find it difficult to remember that much of the world is experiencing winter. I look out my window... it's sunny and should reach around 80 degrees today.

At any rate, my holidays were probably typical fare. That's not to say I didn't enjoy them! Getting together with family is not only important but fun. (The traveling I could have done without but that's beside the point.) There were a couple of bumps along the road - overwhelmed at times, not feeling well, and miscommunications, but these are part of life. What I loved was spending time with people I see so infrequently.

The new year stretches before us, filled with promise and hopeful expectations. Needless to say, I don't really know what's going to happen, nor am I in control of it! I've not made any grand resolutions. Any goals I have are pretty simple. Two things I would like to see happen (resolutions ?) are: 1) I become more of a reader again. Somehow I've let computers take too much of my time and I want to take some of it back for reading. 2) I'm giving myself a year to get fully settled in the new house. I hate to admit it but we left California (having lived there 3.5 years) without having unpacked a few boxes - ever! So, I'd like to unpack, buy what's needed, paint and decorate. This last goal doesn't seem ambitious to some, perhaps most, but it has been problematic for me in the past.

I don't want a huge agenda hanging over my head. Too many things take place without any plan, whether it be a surprise, spontaneity or just plain out of my control, so I want to be flexible. (For example, it's now Sunday afternoon and I'm finally finishing this post which started yesterday!) I am finding, the simple and very often small choices and activities can bring the greatest joy, impact and/or peace.

Of course, I'm not a type A person, more like a type A-. :-) Therefore many people will not be able to relate with me! That's OK - go for the gusto, A types! We need all kinds of people for this world to function. I'm looking forward to 2013. I hope you are too.

Past the Time to be Thankful...or not!

Happy Day after Thanksgiving! I know other people call it Black Friday but to me that name sounds so depressing. How did a big retail sale day get labeled this? (I know it's because these sales put them "in the black" for the year but still...) Brian's comment when I wished him "Happy Day after Thanksgiving!" was "Happy Friday." He is a man who lives in the present! And he is NOT a man to get up early and spend hours in a line or online just to get great deals. So, today is just Friday!

Me, I rather enjoy stretching out holidays. Is it just a good excuse for not getting much accomplished? Perhaps. Today my coffee tastes particularly good, in fact, I'm on my third cup and it's not even three in the afternoon. Although I love coffee, I'm a two cup a day girl, usually around 9am and 4pm. But I have to say that three cups is still not very motivating for productivity, just enjoying the lanai and doing a bit of writing!

I'm a little late (strictly speaking) for any sort of dissertation on the attitude of gratitude. Well, dissertations remind me of school anyway, which is long past. However, it's never too late to be thankful. Thankfully (!) I don't have to think very hard to find a myriad of things for which I'm thankful. Brian tops the list, of course. From the spectacular to the mundane, there are wonderful things and people all around me. Although we are new to the area, we had two invitations for Thanksgiving dinner. We chose to drive 90 miles to be with Brandon, our youngest, and the family he is staying with at the moment. There were 25 people for dinner!! Yikes! And we only really knew Brandon. Yet, dinner was delightful, engaging conversation and delicious food!

I have friends and family in several countries (also giving me a reason to travel and open up my home)! I don't lack for anything I need and actually have many "wants." Brian is an awesome man, let alone a wonderful husband. I am content and very grateful. I hope you all can also find many reasons to smile in your heart!