New Year, New Attitude

Welcome 2015! I just know that you and I are going to be the best of friends.

As predicted, New Year's Eve was a rip-roaring bacchanal! Well, the pictures would have you believe it, anyway...

...in actuality, the girls left the house well before midnight (adults now, college parties to attend, yada,yada,yada), leaving the boys to spend much of the evening holed up in the Cub's room with a bottle of sparkling cider, a plate of appetizers and the Xbox, while the adults shared a bottle of wine and a few beers while watching movies.

The boys made an appearance shortly before midnight, just in time to watch the ball drop at Times Square and to annoy the neighborhood with noisemakers and bottle rockets. Then we quickly called it a night so we would be at least slightly energetic the following morning; we had sledding to do, you know.

The weather on New Year's day left a little to be desired, it was cold, and, by the time we set up camp, it was also snowing. But, tradition is tradition, and we stuck it out for four hours of sledding, hot dog roasting, cocoa drinking, and enjoying the company of the people that we have spent the last ten (or there-abouts) New Year's days with. Say what you will about black-eyed peas being the luckiest way to start a new year, I'll take a day with friends over that any day.

So, 2015 has officially began (begun? Beginned? College English major here folks, clearly tuition money well spent)!

The Christmas decorations are coming down today, from the last sprig of mistletoe right down to the final jingle bell, so, by this time tomorrow, I will have reclaimed my house.

I wonder if it's too early to decorate for spring?

Happy 2015, y'all!

In With the New

2014 taught me a lot about what is truly important in my life. It highlighted areas in need of improvement and also personal traits of which I should be proud.

I set my goals for 2015 based on the lessons that I learned from the craptastic year that was 2014 and I am really trying to be optimistic about ushering in a new, better year. Here's hoping.

Recite my blessings, daily.

Eat clean, for the entire year.

Stay positive.

Open myself to others; time, talent, heart, and mind.

Let myself grieve.

Use things that I have, buy less, simplify.

Take accountability for my thoughts, words, actions, and feelings.

Identify what makes me happiest.

Overindulge in healthy pursuits.

Never miss an opportunity to spend time with friends and family.

Speak only with kindness.


2...Trips with family and/or friends.

0...Regrets at the end of the year.

1...Big accomplishment

5...New experiences


I added the four numbered goals to the usual format because I needed to throw in something new; I'm a rebel like that.

Tonight, we are planning our usual stay-at-home-watch-the-ball-drop get together with Jana and Co. It will be quiet and relaxing, I hope.

Tomorrow, we will hit the sledding hill for our annual assault on inner tubes and peppermint schnapps-laced hot cocoa. The weather has been frightfully cold the past few days and I am hoping that we won't all freeze to death on the slopes. That would not be a positive way to start the new year, like, at all.

In case I don't get a chance to say it later, Happy New Year! I hope you are safe and surrounded by loved ones and that you will join me in spirit as we kick this wretched year to the curb.

Out With the Old

Recently, I considered skipping the annual exercise of making resolutions for the New Year; I thought, what's the use? New year, same crap. But, then that bitch, the Eternal Optimist, reared her head all  "Hey, 2015 has to be better, right?" and, I figured, oh, what the hell (Please don't smite me, Lord).

So, resolutions, I haz 'em.

Before I trot them out, however, I feel a burning need to revisit my last set of resolutions, because, I don't really want to repeat them, and, because it's been like, a year; I'm not even sure I remember them. Luckily, I posted them on this blog:

Remember what is important, let go of what is not...I tried. I really, really tried.

Enjoy my children while they still live under my roof...The Teenager's graduation was swinging over my head like a guillotine blade, clearly. I did rock this one, however.

Spend my time more wisely...I actually feel like I did ok on this one. I spent time with my Dad and that is something for which I will be eternally grateful.

Offer to help people when they are in need...yeah...about that...my day job requires that I help others. I'm good at it. But, I have to admit to experiencing a massive amount of bitterness toward clients who embodied entitlement this year. I didn't let it affect my work, but I felt it, nonetheless. I'm working on it.

Live in the moment, worry less about the future...still working on this one, but, I give myself an A+ for effort.

Urge The Teenager to enjoy her first semester of college without stressing...Lord, but that child could stress out the Dalai Lama with her perfectionism. Jesus take the wheel on this one, because I am at a loss.

Take care of my physical well-being, eat, exercise, sleep...the first nine months of 2014 were the healthiest that I had lived in years. I fell off the wagon when Dad died, not going to lie. Stay tuned for new resolutions regarding this issue (wash, rinse, repeat).

Invite God into my life in a more meaningful way...I have felt God's presence in my life more this year than I could have ever imagined. Thank Him, because I really, really needed that.

Organize my home, office, and schedule...well, I can find 95% of the items that I go looking for these days, so, win?

Not to cry when The Teenager goes to college...ha,ha,ha,ha! Who was I kidding? FAIL.

See my friends as often as possible...I did well at this. I got to spend time in Phoenix with The Girls, and then again at Stampede. Tee came to Dad's funeral and I reconnected with old friends whom I hadn't talked to in years. I love my friends.

So, overall, it looks like I did ok on my goals. Gooooo, me!

I'm going to follow the same RESOLUTIONS format for 2015 and I'll be posting them tomorrow, so; if reading that kind of crap bores you, please feel free to skip out. I won't hold it against you. Oh, I would want to hear all about your resolutions, but, it's ok. You do what you gots to do.

(Note to self, Bonus 2015 Resolution: Work on being less passive aggressive)

Merry Christmas

From our home to yours...

Holiday Home Tour 2014

Because I can't look back ten years from now and think, oh, yeah, I totally sucked that Christmas...

 

Merry Christmas to all, and to all, a good night.

Denial is a Nice Place to Visit...

...but you wouldn't want to live here.

I haven't written much lately, but please don't feel neglected; I also haven't baked or wrapped much, or watched my usual quota of Christmas movies, or drank more than a sip of eggnog. In short, I haven't really bothered to enjoy the traditions that we have come to associate with the holidays.

Oh, there are a few cookies in the freezer and the children won't wake up to a bare tree come Christmas morning, but, those things have required more effort than I am used to expending and I am, at best, phoning it in.

I haven't written lately because I don't want to merely phone it in here. I started this blog as a way to connect myself and my family to the people I was closest to, emotionally, yet farthest from, physically; today, I am farther away from half of those people than I ever wanted to be and I'm not sure that any amount of nouns, verbs, and adjectives on a page could ever bridge this gap.

So, I am finally trying to do what everyone has been telling me that I need to do for the past couple of months; I'm letting myself grieve.

I'm going to let this Christmas sort of suck.

I don't have any choice, really. I've tried the fake it till you make it method and, frankly, it isn't working. I don't, however, believe in inflicting the sads on others, so, I'm going to finish out this year with fewer posts, writing only when I feel emotionally capable of doing so without throwing a thin veil of melancholy over every paragraph; ain't nobody got time for reading that bullshit.

And, eventually, I'll get back to our regular programming of blythe optimism with a bit of raunchy humor thrown in for good measure.

In the meantime, I'm going to wallow in the sads while seeking joy, because I know that this, too, shall pass.

Seek and ye shall find...eventually.

Seasons Greetings

This year's holiday cards were a labor of love that, for once, I was not required to labor over alone. Instead, the whole family got involved and I have the pictures to prove it.

We borrowed the driveway at Mom's neighbor's house during Thanksgiving break, grabbed as much green sidewalk chalk as I could find (not an easy task in November, in case you ever attempt something similar), and encouraged the teenagers to tap into their inner child when creating a scene for the pictures and, I think they did a great job.

I managed not to fall off a ladder when taking the pictures, which is a victory all on its own, and, another Christmas card photo went into the record books.

It goes without saying that I am grateful for the opportunity to photograph my kids together again, and, I think it's also pretty obvious that these two have missed living together.

Of course, now that The Teenager is home for an extended holiday break, I give them a week before they are at each other's throats.

You know, like normal.