Happy New Year!

"Again, time elapsed."
― Carolyn Keene, The Secret of the Old Clock

The new year is a time to consider new beginnings. It brings with it endless possibilities and hope. As the busyness of my morning has faded into quiet alone time, I have been pondering my life. My life is good. I have no major health complaints. I have sufficient funds for a warm house, abundant food, and occasional extras. I have a loving and supportive husband and kids. I have good extended family and friends. (Not the least of which are you, my blog friends.) For everything that is important in life, I have all of the boxes checked. 

However, I have lived long enough to know that life isn't always like this. Mine certainly hasn't been. And because of this, sometimes I am waiting for the other shoe to drop. But in the new year, I will work on living in the here and now and appreciating what I have.  And not let worrying about the future rob me of the joy of the present.*

Is the new year a time for reflection for you? 

Until next time...

*Not intentionally, but living in the present seems to be a common theme among my posts. 

Note: When I sat down to write this post, I was going to tell you about my holiday week, starting with New Year's Eve and working backward. However, it went in an entirely different direction. The short version of my holiday week: We had a fun program for kids at work yesterday, Noon Year's Eve, where we counted down to the New Year at noon with lots of fun activities. Before Christmas, my sisters and families came for dinner and a gift exchange. Once again, the toddler provided fun entertainment. On Christmas Day, Wally and Theo came for breakfast and a gift exchange. Then we piled in the car and went to VA to celebrate with Ward's family. That was a loud, chaotic celebration where a good time was had by all (mostly).

Time for "Happy New Year"

 

"Again, time elapsed."
― Carolyn Keene, The Secret of the Old Clock

Happy New Year!

Another year, another week, another day. Time is such an interesting thing. We use it to keep track of things as they pass, and sometimes, it's important, and sometimes, it's not. Some people can keep track of it easily, some can't. In some countries, the trains run on time. In other countries, they don't.

It has been measured using different standards by different cultures. 

Well, I was going to develop this post with interesting anecdotes (Wally and Theo stories) and with scholarly and philosophical ideas about time. I was going to discuss how different cultures use time (stories about Ward's background and mine). And I was going to finish up with a quiz about time.

But you know what? That takes a lot of thinking, and I'm not in the mood to tax my brain right now. 😀 Not to mention that it's time to go drop off one of Wally and Theo's gifts that Ward made. I'll show it in another post.

So until then, I hope you are having a relaxing day and thinking about all of the great possibilities ahead in 2024.

2023

 Happy New Year!

The clock keeps ticking, and the calendar keeps turning. Each day is unique, and each day is the same. Was January 1st any different than December 31st? Not really. But here I am and thinking about all of the possibilities for 2023. I think the symbolic gesture of ushering out the old and welcoming in the new is important. It gives hope for good things to come. And on a more practical level, the new year is a signal that it's time to get back to everyday business. The holidays are a busy time whether you celebrate in a big way or a little way, and I, for one, welcome the chance to get back to a regular routine. 

On that front, we got all the Christmas decorations taken down and put away, except for the inevitable few that escape detection until the boxes are already packed, I have found one small ornament that needs to be put away, and it will be a miracle if that's the only thing we have missed. 

We observed the changing of the calendar in the usual way-hoping we could sleep through the neighborhood fireworks. No such luck, but I didn't have to work the next day, so I guess it was okay. Earlier on New Year's Eve, I helped with a Noon Year's Eve party at the library for kids. There were stories, crafts, and a count down to noon with noise makers, flashlights, and bubble wrap to jump on. A good time was had by all, and I even wore sparkly clothes to the event. 

This part of the trail wasn't too bad.

The next day, the temperatures were warm, in the 50s F, so we went exploring. We made a list of all of the local parks we hadn't visited and set out to find them. If any had paved trails, we were going to walk them. I didn't want to go off the pavement because we had had rain, and I wanted to avoid mud. But you know how plans go. On the way to the first park on our list, we came upon another one that we stopped at instead. As it turns out, someone from the rec department was leading a hike that day and invited us to come along. At a certain point, we parted ways as we opted for the less muddy path, according to the guide. Well, it may have been less muddy, but it was muddy! Before heading home, we made it to one more park and had a nice paved walk around a pond. Later that evening, we heard on the news that taking a hike on New Year's Day is a thing. The first time in a long time that Ward and I have been on trend. 🙂

I haven't made any resolutions for the new year, but Ward and I are talking about projects that have been on the back burner for a while and about things we'd like to do sooner rather than later for fun. I plan to put our ideas on paper with timelines because I love me a list and a calendar. Maybe the one resolution I will make is to look at the lists after we have carefully made them. Might be more successful that way.  

Until next time...

Happy New Year!

“Again, the time elapsed.”
― Carolyn Keene, The Secret of the Old Clock

Not much to say, except, "Here we go again!"

Below is what I posted last year at the beginning of 2021. While the details are different, the big picture is the same. Maybe this will be the year that we can finally let our guard down because, you know, "Hope springs eternal."

____________________________________________________

 Welcome, 2021!

In the new year, may you find the peace
of a cat sleeping in a sunbeam.

I know that a new year always brings new hopes and dreams - especially this year. Hopes of not living in constant fear of the coronavirus. Hopes of being rid of the vigilance it takes to be safe. Hopes of not hearing upsetting statistics every day. And dreams of talking to someone face to face. Dreams of being able to hug family members and friends. Dreams of taking a trip. Dreams of sitting in a restaurant.

While there is no doubt that everyone wants this pandemic that started in 2020 over, it has been remarkable in some ways. It has unified people around the entire globe. We have been united in trying to figure out the best procedures, treatments, and vaccines for the disease. Sometimes there have been disagreements on what those are, but there has been a common goal--to be rid of the devastating effects of the coronavirus. That blows my mind. Around the world, everyone is thinking about the same thing and feeling empathy for each other.  I guess you might call that the silver lining to the storm cloud of 2020.

So I'll just summarize and say, "Goodbye, 2020, and thank you for all that you taught us, and Welcome 2021, we have high hopes for you."

And So It Begins

 Welcome 2021!

In the new year, may you find the peace
of a cat sleeping in a sunbeam.

I know that a new year always brings new hopes and dreams - especially this year. Hopes of not living in constant fear of the coronavirus. Hopes of being rid of the vigilance it takes to be safe. Hopes of not hearing upsetting statistics every day. And dreams of talking to someone face to face. Dreams of being able to hug family members and friends. Dreams of taking a trip. Dreams of sitting in a restaurant.

While there is no doubt that everyone wants this pandemic that started in 2020 over, it has been remarkable in some ways. It has unified people around the entire globe. We have been united in trying to figure out the best procedures, treatments, and vaccines for the disease. Sometimes there have been disagreements on what those are, but there has been a common goal--to be rid of the devastating effects of the coronavirus. That blows my mind. Around the world everyone is thinking about the same thing and feeling empathy for each other.  I guess you might call that the silver lining to the storm cloud of 2020.

So I'll just summarize and say, "Goodbye, 2020 and thank you for all that you taught us, and Welcome 2021, we have high hopes for you."

Happy New Year!

It's here! 2020! 

There's been a lot of talk about a new month, new year, new decade for the last few weeks. Actually, there have been disagreements about whether the new decade is really beginning now or will be here next year since there never was a year zero. Whatever the case, I have not yet gotten the hang of writing 2020 as a date.

Also, there has been a lot of talk about New Year's resolutions that people are making such as the more common ones of exercising more and eating less to the less common ones such as solving the Rubik's cube one handed. Some say that you shouldn't make resolutions at all because they always fail. Others say it's bad to make resolutions because it suggests that you aren't good enough just the way you are. Have you noticed that everyone has an opinion these days?

What do I think about New Year's Resolutions? I don't know. I haven't had time to think about them yet. I'm still too busy putting away my Christmas stuff.

Annie has been helping me organize my Christmas things
 before they get put away.

Have you been doing any resolving this first week of January?

Welcome 2019

Happy New Year! 

Welcome 2019

Some years I make New Year's resolutions and some years I don't. This year the work was done for me when I remembered the list of  Woodie Guthries' New Year's Resolutions for 1942. He covers every topic from "Take bath" to "Stay glad" and even though he was only 30 when he wrote them, I think they apply to the young, the old, and the in-between. I've adapted some of them to fit me specifically, however 33 things are going to be a lot to concentrate on. So I'm going to start simple and work up to the whole list. Today I am starting with #11. Change my socks.

Woodie's list and my personalizations:

1. WORK MORE AND BETTER Stay focused. Use a timer more.

2. WORK BY A SCHEDULE Keep a running list of To Do things, short term and long term

3. WASH TEETH IF ANY 

4. SHAVE

5. TAKE BATH Yes, but don't stay too long under the hot shower

6. EAT GOOD--FRUIT-VEGETABLES--MILK Don't fill up on sweets so I have room for the good stuff.

7. DRINK VERY SCANT IF ANY Drink more water.

8. WRITE A SONG A DAY  Write 2 blog posts a week.

9. WEAR CLEAN CLOTHES--LOOK GOOD Get rid of worn out, ill-fitting clothes

10. SHINE SHOES Buy another pair of comfortable shoes

11. CHANGE SOCKS Replace holey, no-elastic socks

12. CHANGE BED CLOTHES OFTEN

13. READ LOTS OF GOOD BOOKS Turn off the computer and read library books more

14. LISTEN TO RADIO A LOT Try out some new stations

15. LEARN PEOPLE BETTER Try to better understand others perspectives and don't judge

16. KEEP RANCHO CLEAN Clean the less obvious places (under beds, behind doors) more often

17. DON'T GET LONESOME Use time alone to do creative projects

18. STAY GLAD Remind myself each morning to have a positive attitude.

19. KEEP HOPING MACHINE RUNNING

20. DREAM GOOD Go to bed on time

21. BANK ALL EXTRA MONEY Update financial statement

22. SAVE DOUGH

23. HAVE COMPANY BUT DON'T WASTE TIME Have more people over, but don't sweat the details

24. SEND MARY AND KIDS MONEY Evaluate again charities to support 

25. PLAY AND SING GOOD Sing more, at least a song a day from Mary Ellen's song book

25. DANCE BETTER Start n dance exercise program

26. HELP WIN WAR--BEAT FASCISM Choose my political battles both locally and nationally and don't get caught up in the drama of it all.

27. LOVE MAMA 

28. LOVE PAPA

29. LOVE PETE

30. LOVE EVERYBODY Find value in everyone.

31. MAKE UP YOUR MIND Remember that any decision makes forward progress. No decision paralyzes.

32. WAKE UP AND FIGHT Treat each day with gusto. Don't get bogged down in morning inertia.

____________________________________________________________________________________

But Wait, There's More!

What song is Woodie Guthrie best know for?

This Land is Your Land

The Pete in #29 is Pete Seeger

Happy New Year!

"All old things must end, so new things can begin." 

James Russell Lowell*

That quote seemed like the perfect quote for the beginning of the year. Let go of the old things and welcome the new ones. I remembered it from when I used it in my high school graduation speech, another time when one lets go of old things and embraces new ones.

However, when I did a look for the quote on the Internet, I couldn't find it. Certainly, not associated with James Russell Lowell (or anyone else I could find.) Lowell lived in the 1800's and was an abolitionist, so it sounds like something he might have said. So I don't know if I am paraphrasing after all of these years, or I'm totally mixed up. Who knows?

But I do know that I'm ready for a new year and to see what wondrous things it has in store for me and you.

Happy New Year!

*James Russell Lowell may or may not have said it. :)

A New Year

Happy New Year!

“Again time elapsed.”
― Carolyn Keene, The Secret of the Old Clock

It all seems too soon—to have a new year start when I haven't finished everything that I had planned for last year or even last week. Or maybe it didn't come soon enough -- I am tired of everything from last year and really ready to move on. Do you ever feel conflicted like that?

We just returned from holiday travel and things are in more of a disarray than I like. We went from construction chaos, to holiday preparations, to holiday celebrations with not much breathing time in between. Some people thrive on excitement and change. Not me. While I like some variety to my life, I thrive on order.

So, I am going to do the only thing I can. I am welcoming the new year and the hope it brings of good things to come. Then I'm going to try to put some order to my house.