Day Two of a New Year

If I were to spend the next year as I have the last two days, I would:

• wake up early to ride my new bike
• bake yummy breads
• drink sangria with friends while dancing to Elvis in a living room filled with children
• Oooh and Aaaah at the skies over Harahan
• listen to Ana's compositions and songs on Elliot's new guitar (Your heart is delicious as a blueberry. Oh yea. It's true. This one was a strange bedfellow to accompany my latest teen pulp craze, the Twilight series).
• kiss my love just because "it's time."
• smile through gritted teeth at my daughter's apparent accident
• explain the calendar for the fourth time
• talk with Oliver and enjoy every coo and twinkle and now, guffaw.
• take the ferry with old friends (xoxo Niki and Sage)
• watch street performers in the quarter
• clean up another mucusy throw-up from Elliot (ENT second opinion coming).
• stare at the swirling Mississippi with bits of a Langston Hughes poem rattling in my head
• eat crab rangoon in our pjs
• get Elliot from under the house (again)
• start new traditions (does two years running a tradition make?). New Years at Renee's house in Harahan is so much fun!

I could deal with some more of that (except for the obvious frustrations), but these are some of the things I'd like to do in the new year:

1. Write thoughtfully. My blog is, generally speaking, a collection of first drafts, and acts as a journal for me. I'm very comfortable composing in type, and rarely even rewrite before I hit "publish post." Often, as I write, my word use or sentence structure isn't exactly what I'd like, but I suppress those voices to just get it out on paper in my limited time. I don't expect that to change, but I'm going to try.

The second part of this goal is to write a book. I'm hesitant to put that here, but Kevin and I have been talking for the last year about what makes us happy, and what do we want from this life. We are both working on making a plan that will enable to spend our days the way we want to, even if we always do the work we do and live in this city. I have always loved telling children stories (orally) and love spinning yarns. There are several stories that I would like to share of my own life, of my mother's, of my husband's too. So I don't know what will come out of this focused attention on what I'd like to get out there. But I have purchased a small notebook for the purpose of writing down ideas. And I have approached one friend who is an artist about a possible collaboration (with a plan to approach two other artist-friends). I'm curious to see if something comes of this.

2. Get active, physically and civicly. Well, I'm hoping to carve out regular time for exercise. I just feel happier. And even though I quit my board position with a local merchant's group (it felt good to say NO, eo), I need to learn more about the rights of children with special needs and what I should expect of my child's educational experience. I need some schooling. I plan to attend several Families Helping Families seminars to learn more.

3. Make time with Kevin. I love my husband. I want to connect with him more.

4. Say thank you. In the last few years, I've become bad at sending thank you notes (and ironically, have had more to thank folks for than ever). Sometimes they get written and put in a pile, only to be discovered months later. Sometimes, I mentally kick myself for months every time I see the person. Sometimes, I think about it so much I'm pretty sure months later that I sent the note out. If you fall into this last category, please forgive me. But I'm starting fresh, and hope to become really efficient. (I need to stock up on some supplies). It's not because it's a burden to write these quick notes...and this should have come first (but I never edit)...I feel very blessed for each random act of love that comes our way, for the amazing place I work, for the thoughtfulness of friends, for the value of relationship...and more of my time should be spent reflecting on this richness and acknowledging it.

So there they are. Just a few. I'm wishing each of you a healthy, happy new year full of belly laughs!