New Year's Eve

Why am I blogging at 1:50 am EST on January 1, 2007?   Shouldn't I be dancing the night away or cuddling with that someone special?  I will just say I have been transported to Florida to care for my mother and visit with my sister and nephew for the next several weeks.  Thankfully, my laptop and my DSL make it possible for me to feel at least virtually connected to a world that is pulsating with fascination for my every thought and whim.  

 

At 11:53pm I sat with my very strong eggnog with the vintage red plastic stirrer topped with a miniscule jockey on a miniscule horse framed by a tiny horseshoe (looked like a nice little symbol to bring good luck and a good man into my new year), with my yellow noise maker, and my cell phone with a very special potential 'jockey' on the line as I tried to get my mother and nephew to complete their writing assignment;  five good things that happened in 2006 and five resolutions for 2007.  They were struggling.  The clock counted down and I tried to make it all as festive as possible.  Being on my second eggnog (after wine with dinner), I figured being loud and trying to have three conversations at once would  create an illusion of New Year's Eve festiveness.  

 

Prior to all this wild celebration (yes, I know, how do I do it!?), I jotted down a few blessings of the past year and a few intentions for the new.  Here they are, made public in case I later try to insist how pathetic and insufferable my life is, or try to avoid making anything of the new year:

 

The blessings of 2006 (in no particular ranking or order):

• Mom is still alive
• Trips to NYC and Seattle
• My senior classes
• Students who told me I am a good teacher
• Senior blogs
• Headstands and handstands
• Yoga and my yoginis
• Choir (Arian and Delores), O Magnum
• My birthday party
• Christmas Party
• Reconnecting with old friends
• Joshua Tree, hot tubs and hot springs
• Costa Rica
• Nov. 9th
• Motorcycles (and friends with motorcycle jackets)
• Meeting challenges at work with colleagues
• Carpooling
• The Writing Project
• My blog
• Dancing
• My home
• All my friends:  old, new, those who are still with me and those whom I lost touch with

 

My 2007 intentions:

• Read 24 books (not counting work stuff)
• Continue writing
• Start grad school
• Continue yoga
• Stay healthy, be healthier
• Believe in and invest in myself
• Learn to love and be loved
• Foster Compassion
• Be professional
• Be daring and bold
• Create new adventures
• Meditate daily
• Sing like a soloist
• Volunteer
• Plan money management
• Keep away clutter
• Celebrate friends
• Welcome new friends
• Create balance
• Stop worrying
• Break bad habits
• Forgive
• Live now
• Be present in each moment
• Practice Being
• Intentional and random acts of kindness
• Recycle