EVERY YEAR A NEW BEGINNING

The New Year, as readers of this blog know, is one of my favorite times.  A fresh new page on which I'm ready to write my future.  With great excitement I start each year with a Grand Plan.  Over time I've learned and now even anticipate that the beginnings and ends of years can look quite different from each other.  The Grand Plan is becoming more and more a flexible structure.  

I've been retired a full three years now, and thus far my philosophy has been "Say YES!"  "Do it all!"  "Jump right off the Deep End!"  I've done that, and enjoyed every minute and every activity I've explored.  Now, I'm ready to become a little more discriminating.  There are some activities I've had on the back burner the whole three years I've been retired, and it's time to give them some priority.  That requires choices.  That requires NOT doing something else.  Uh-oh.  But I like them ALL!  

 

Besides taking some things off the back burner, another impetus for ratcheting back was an unexpected consequence of the "Say YES!" philosophy.  I got myself pretty over-YES!'d this past summer, and found my body can't really tell the difference between work-stress and fun-stress. It manifested as a several-months-long bout of TMJ syndrome.  I've not had any trouble with it for years, but have no doubt it was a clear sign that it was time to make some changes.  I slowly effected relief through treatment and some immediate adjustments to my too-enthusiastic schedule. 

 2016, then, is the year in which I'll  decide which activities are most dear to me.  As I make choices, I expect to find that some things are relatively easily given up; they in fact don't have enough qualities to satisfy me for the long haul. Or I've been doing them for a long time and they can go to make room for something new.  Some activities may lend themselves to intermittent participation very satisfactorily.  It's in me to make all these decisions and choices on January 1.  Go in swinging and let the chips fall where they may.  The more reasonable path is to take the time to explore each activity in a considered way and see what satisfies me most deeply.  Yeah, I think that's what I'll do.

"We will open the book.

 Its pages are blank. 

We are going to put words on them ourselves.

 The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day."
Edith Lovejoy Pierce

WELCOME 2016!

 

Ron and I wish our family and friends a HAPPY NEW YEAR,

with wishes for a fantastic 2016.

DELIGHTFUL DECEMBER

The Snow Report: 

A couple of storms with not too much snow.  Being careful what I wish for:  WHERE'S EL NINO???  Guess it's skipping over us for the middle of the country.  I surely don't want what they're getting! 

The Movie Report:

A very satisfying ending to this series.  After a long struggle with significant losses, Good triumphed over Evil.  I have to say Katniss looked more natural with a bow and arrow than the baby she was holding at the end!

An interesting take on the Moby Dick saga.  Reviews said too much special effects & not enough human drama.  We begged to differ.

 The Theater Report:

A very cool adaptation of the Dickens classic.  

The Excursion Report:

Located in Scottsdale, this museum is FANTASTIC!  From the website:

"The Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) was founded by Robert J. Ulrich, former CEO and chairman emeritus of Target Corporation. An avid collector of African art and a world museum enthusiast, Ulrich and his friend Marc Felix originated the idea for MIM after a visit to the Musical Instruments Museum in Brussels, Belgium. Their unique vision was to create a museum and collection that afford equal representation to the musical instruments and music of every country in the world. Using state-of-the-art audiovisual technology to show musical instruments being played in their original cultural context and delivering the sound of these instruments through high-quality headphones, MIM provides a one-of-a-kind experience to museum guests."

The variety and quantity of musical instruments is overwhelming.  We alloted the four hours that was recommended and could have used a couple more. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

 

Ron wanted to visit his favorite store for his Christmas gifts, so we enjoyed Cabela's  in Glendale.  Scored on the gifts, too.

The Music Report:

My violin teacher has at least two recitals a year for her students.  For this one, I had the privilege of being accompanied by a pianist.  Usually I'm the pianist doing the accompanying, so this was a treat.  

My teacher also sets up various venues for String Caroling in December, and I joined the group who played at the preschool her two daughters attend.

 

The Holiday Report:

Ron and I had another wonderful Christmas.  We enjoyed our traditional breakfast of Sourdough Waffles (from scratch by Yours Truly), an abundance of gifts, and a great dinner with our neighbors.

My best gift was a new camera!  I'd had several conversations with Ron about upgrading my very serviceable point-and-shoot with something that had more lens power, especially for the stunning landscapes of our travels.  In a wonderful coincidence, he happened upon a used version of his very camera at the local used book & etc store.  He loves his camera, and I couldn't ask for a better source to answer any questions that might arise.  The price was right, it functioned, we bought it.  Here's my first photograph, Christmas Day.

New Year's Eve we enjoyed what might have to become another traditional meal:  Buffalo wings, fries, carrot & celery sticks with ranch dressing.   I hadn't made wings for years, and we had the pleasure of being reminded how delicious they are made at home.  

Snowflakes

by Linda A. Copp

Snowflakes spill from heaven's hand
Lovely and chaste like smooth white sand.
A veil of wonder laced in light
Falling Gently on a winters night.

Graceful beauty raining down
Giving magic to the lifeless ground.
Each snowflake like a falling star
Smiling beauty that's spun afar.

Till earth is dressed in a robe of white
Unspoken poem the hush of night.