“I do think New Year's resolutions can't technically be expected to begin on New Year's Day, don't you? Since, because it's an extension of New Year's Eve, smokers are already on a smoking roll and cannot be expected to stop abruptly on the stroke of midnight with so much nicotine in the system. Also dieting on New Year's Day isn't a good idea as you can't eat rationally but really need to be free to consume whatever is necessary, moment by moment, in order to ease your hangover. I think it would be much more sensible if resolutions began generally on January the second.”
How do you feel about New Years Resolutions? Friend or Foe?
This week I've been reading a lot of blog posts speaking about this, and there seems to be a 50/50 split. Some people take them very seriously, while others regard them in the same light as emptying the litter box.
I used to be the former. If New Years Resolutions were a subject in school, inside my teacher's grade book there would be a sparkling A next to my name. It isn't even crazy to say that I'd be offering after school tutoring sessions on how to beat your New Years Resolutions into shape. My own teacher would probably be a student of mine.
These days however, probably thanks to burnout, I don't have much use for them. Last year I didn't make any. If I did, I'm sure I forgot all about them by January 2nd.
But this year I started thinking really hard about it. (Insomnia makes me think even more than I usually do, which is saying something as the mind chatter inside my head is neverending). I decided that it doesn't matter what I call them - goals, resolutions, or a healthier lifestyle - and that no one is "positively perfect in every way." We can't all be Mary Poppins. (Actually, scratch that. Mary Poppins has got to be the most imperfect fictional character of all time with a pompous statement like that). There's always room for improvement.
So here's what I came up with, at 4 o'clock in the morning:
- The simple phrase, “Let go.” Stop worrying so much over trivial things. It’s exhausting and a ridiculous waste of perfectly good energy.
- Imperfection is okay, so stop comparing your creative endeavors and yourself to others.
- I know it can feel like climbing Mount Everest without oxygen, but do your best to change your attitude over certain things... especially when it comes to matters that you have absolutely no control over.
- Find a way to better separate yourself from others emotions.
- Finally learn how to play that guitar, and even though you can hardly draw a stick figure please attempt to learn how to draw. You’ve always wanted to possess that talent. While you’ll never be anything like a Beatrix Potter or Tasha Tudor, at least you can feel good that you at least tried. (See Resolution # 2). Effort does count for something.
- Even though I already have several blogs, I would like to create another one elsewhere. A clean slate and anonymity agrees with me.
- Manage that over thinking. It’s okay that it’s nearly impossible to quiet your mind. Just try your best to turn down the volume of your thoughts. If they’re negative, push either the “ignore” or “self destruct” button. If the thoughts are positive ones, embrace them.
- To experience a well-rested night of sleep, force yourself to go to bed before 9 pm.
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Now, I'm not saying that I'm sticking to any of these. I'm just saying that I've tossed the little buggers in the air and understand full well that subscribing to even one of them is a healthy step in the right direction.
I decided to start the New Year by saving a lot of my favorite music on YouTube. After having done that, I've come to the conclusion that I still enjoy the music from my childhood and junior high days the most.
Anyone remember this one? Or was this way before your time?
If so, I beg you to please humor me by keeping that information to yourself. I'm not a fan of acknowledging chronological age. I like to pretend that I just don't believe in it.
Anyhow, this video was only THE COOLEST VIDEO EVER MADE IN THE HISTORY OF NOT ONLY THE WORLD BUT THE UNIVERSE! It was boss back then, and it still is. It's like the Mona Lisa of 80's music videos. It's timeless!
Season 3 of Downton Abbey airs tomorrow!!!! I'm so glad I'm finally caught up on this show, thanks to good old Saint Nick bringing me the Seasons 1 and 2 DVD set for Christmas.
Don't hate me, but below I'm going to post just a few new pics. I had to take more since we turned on the fireplace for a change. It's been a rainy, wonderfully cool day so there was nothing to do other than take pictures.
Since all the other Christmas decorations have been put away, all left is the village and tree. I started taking off the ornaments, but look at what I'm dealing with here.
I'm dealing with A LOT of ornaments on a 9 foot tree to say sad goodbyes to. So far I've only taken off 9 of them. 9 out of possibly hundreds. (This year I'm determined to make an official tally of them. We have a bet going against my brother. I can't wait to see him lose!)
Abby and I played with her new Christmas baby today. Believe it or not, a couple nights ago was the first time she actually placed a baby/stuffed animal at my feet to play tug-of-war with and chase. (Finally, she's starting to act like a real dog and not a human baby). This is not usual for her, since she's obsessed with just hiding her babies behind the couch and guarding them. I even found Wendy's catnip mouse back there.
If there was a hoarding show for dogs, she'd be on it.
Look at these sleepyheads.
Chewing rawhides, playing with their toys and begging for people food is exhausting work.
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At first, I was undecided but now I think this is so amazing. It's definitely different. I've heard 2 or 3 of their songs before, but I never knew they did all these remakes.
The songs I've heard by them before are these:
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And here's the original song, "My Immortal" by Evanescence. I love both versions of these songs. It's sad, but beautiful.
I confess that I'm guilty of enjoying sad music. As Sally Sparrow said in Doctor Who, "Sad is Happy for Deep People."
- Along with Downton Abbey, Once Upon A Time airs tomorrow too. I don't know if I can handle this much joy in one night!
- I really need to raid the kitchen because this cooler weather has influenced Mom into baking and cooking a lot over the weekend. We have all this wonderful food - left over BBQ, Long John Silvers, homemade Cinnamon Crumb Cake, homemade Lemon Meringue Pie, homemade potato soup, cinnamon bread, powdered donuts, a box of assorted Milano cookies - yet I'm not even hungry.
- I forgot to mention that my niece and nephew were on tv again. Their high school's football team made Championship, and it took place at The Cowboy's Stadium! (Their team won, by the way).
The camera panned on my nephew and his girlfriend a couple times, and before the band played at halftime I heard them announce my niece's name... complete with her nickname "Lethal Weapon." (Because she's a 2nd degree black belt. Her brother is, too).
- My poor brother-in-law just lost his job, but thankfully he already has an interview with someone he's worked with before. Hopefully everything will work out for him, and I hear he wasn't happy at his old job. I really hope this is a blessing in disguise for them.
- I'm extremely jealous of all this snow people are getting. It's been in the mid-40's here lately, which is a pretty awesome change, but snow would be so nice. I don't think I've seen even a dusting of snow in 9 years.
Although we do have ice in our freezer. Does that count?
Today I had a WOW! moment which started with a little confusion.
I've had a horrid headache since last night, so I had the perfect excuse to gulp down an iced mocha. (For the caffeine, which aided the other perfect excuse to eat some powdered donuts. I can't exactly have an iced mocha without powdered donuts, now can I?)
So after enjoying my morning cup of mocha, I went downstairs to the kitchen and on the back patio I saw a rather large bird perched on one of the chairs. I never wear my contacts, and so... very stupidly... I initially thought to myself -
But then the vision center of my brain *clicked* and I realized I was looking at a hawk.
I called for my mother to see it, which in turn had my little pommie pup announcing to everyone in our zip code that, by way of my voice being raised a pitch, that something very exciting was in progress. To roughly quote Peter Pan, an adventure was happening!
Luckily, the hawk wasn't scared off by Izzy's tattle-telling so I ran up the stairs to get the camera. (Well, I walked actually. If I ran, Izzy would have gone even more ballistic. In this house, if we have no desire to have our ears assaulted by a high-pitched yappy bark followed by the other two dogs barking joining in, we can't make any sudden movements).
Isn't it creepy how it seems to SENSE us watching from just one room away?
I wish I had gotten video of it flying off, but luck was no longer on my side. The first time it flew towards the fence, the camera was literally one second away from recording. The second time, the camera refused to focus because of the tree branches in the foreground.
And what do you think Wendy Kitty was doing when all this was happening?
Sigh...
I'm a little disappointed in her lack of enthusiasm, but in her defense she is a vintage gal of 18. I suppose climbing out of her catnip-perfumed cozy bed, just to have a quick lookie loo at a bird of prey, does seem a little senseless. Her priorities have changed.
First, my brother sees a fox behind his house and today we see a hawk. And have you ever heard of animal totems? If not, click HERE to read a quick description of them.
If there are totems, I'm pretty sure my main one is the lion. I'm obsessed with them!
This is what I found online about the Hawk:
Hawk’s Message:
The hawk is a messenger of insight, adaptability and openness, it is also about visionary power and guardianship. Hawk’s meaning teaches us to be observant and to pay attention to what we may overlook. This could mean a talent we don’t use, a blessing for which we haven’t expressed gratitude, or a message from the universe. The hawk has keen eyesight, it is about opening our eyes and seeing that which is there to guide us. Hawk awakens vision and inspires us to a creative life purpose. Look to the world around you for there are symbols buried in everything.
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Hawk is the messenger, the protector and the visionaries of the Air. It holds the key to higher levels of consciousness.
This totem awakens vision and inspires a creative life purpose.
A Hawk totem is filled with responsibility because Hawk people seek the overall view.
They are aware of omens and spirit messages.
~♥~♥~♥~♥~♥~♥~♥~♥~♥~
A Red-Tailed Hawk Totem is special.
It has direct ties to the Kundalini, the seat of primal life force. It is associated with the base chakra. If you have this Totem, you will be aware of and work towards fulfilling your soul's purpose.
It reflects a greater intensity of energy within your life: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual forces will all be strong within you.
The Red-Tail Hawk is a permanent totem -- it will always be with you.
It is associated with the number "14" with the Tarot card Temperance. This card represents the teaching of higher expressions of psychic ability and vision.
I don't know if that was a red-tail/chickenhawk, but if so it's odd that the above passage mentions the #14... seeing how my birthday is May 14th.
I just hope this rare visitor didn't get to any of our birds. I've seen sparrowhawks around here before - only once, perched on our fence - but never this close. I think it was because we had taken down the tarp over the patio due to high winds a few days ago.
But no worries... we've since put the tarp back up and the birdseed we now place on the far side of the patio, where the curtains are. I think we've made it pretty difficult for the hawk to make a return trip.
Even our dogs we're keeping a close eye on whenever they go outside. I doubt this hawk could pick up Izzy or Abby, but we'd rather play it safe.
"The Old Year has gone. Let the dead past bury its own dead. The New Year has taken possession of the clock of time. All hail the duties and possibilities of the coming twelve months!"
~ Edward Payson Powell
First things first! My brother was supposed to propose to his lady over Christmas, while they were out of state visiting her family, but they both got really sick. (She knew he was going to propose and she'd already picked out her ring). He wasn't about to propose when they were both so ill, so it had to be put on hold.
After carrying that ring in his pocket for an entire week, he finally proposed to her last night.
Do you have any New Years Day traditions at your house? When my Grandma (on my Dad's side) was still alive and living in Houston, the whole family would have a get-together at her house. The rose parade would be on tv and we'd have a great big barbecue. It was all very laid back and there was so much BBQ that I don't really think my grandfather ever left the BBQ pit. Half of the family would be outside in the sun while the other half stayed inside to chat and visit.
Those New Years Day barbecues have been a memory of the past for a long time now. The only tradition remaining, at least for this household, began on my mother's side.
It's a superstition, really.
This tradition/superstition being eating at least a spoonful of black-eyes peas on New Years Day. This year my mother even had the dogs and cat eat at least one.
I've never really thought much about it before, but after a little research I discovered just how common it is in the south. Here's what I found (and I'm taking out the parts that don't apply in our household. The article would be too long):
"The practice of eating black-eyed peas for luck is generally believed to date back to the Civil War. At first planted as food for livestock, and later a food staple for slaves in the South, the fields of black-eyed peas were ignored as Sherman's troops destroyed or stole other crops, thereby giving the humble, but nourishing, black-eyed pea an important role as a major food source for surviving Confederates.
Today, the tradition of eating black-eyed peas for the New Year has evolved into a number of variations and embellishments of the luck and prosperity theme including:
- Cornbread, often served with black-eyed peas and greens, represents gold.
- Adding a shiny penny or dime to the pot just before serving is another tradition practiced by some. When served, the person whose bowl contains the penny or dime receives the best luck for the New Year, unless of course, the recipient swallows the coin, which would be a rather unlucky way to start off the year."
That last bit... I believe my grandparents used to do this at their New Years Day BBQ. I had forgotten all about that!
This is what our New Years Eve looked like:
If last night were Christmas Eve, all the little children in our neighborhood would be having a lot of trouble sleeping, wondering if Rudolph would ever see through that fog.
But actually, while it was very warm last night and the humidity was at 100% the rest of that fog was due to rain and most especially the fireworks people were popping. (Around here, the fireworks have been going on every single night since a few days before Christmas).
By midnight the rain chased away most of the firecracker happy people, so I didn't get to film much. I was also afraid of the rain ruining our new camera.
The videos below are pretty uneventful, other than the noise. The rain this year pretty much canceled out any pretty fireworks shows.
I'm not a fan of acknowledging chronological age. I like to pretend that I just don't believe in it.
