2019 Is Already 10 Days Old!

I'm not ashamed to admit that the New Year is my favorite time of year.  Even though it's only the turning of a day, the new number is fresh and full of potential.

I'm not ashamed to admit, either, that I really enjoy the Extravaganza of Planning that happens at the New Year.  As promised, I spent the whole of January 1 doing just that.  I no longer call it Resolutions, because even though there are things I want to improve upon, try & add (until I'm dead!) mostly it's a guide or framework for the coming year.  And even that is flexible, as Life Happens and can have its way with even flexible plans.

Here are a few of the things that came up during the Extravaganza of Planning:

Fitness is always at the top.  This year is a revisit of Tai Chi.

 

 
My hiking friends Sue and Donna and I originally met while participating as members of the local Taoist Tai Chi Society.  For various reasons we stopped attending classes and practicing.  Sue has been interested in getting together to do just the Tai Chi set for some time.  Performing the set takes a certain amount of space.  It can be done outdoors, but hey!  It's winter here!  Turns out Donna's house has the space, with only minimal moving around of furniture.  So last Friday we had our first 3-person Tai Chi session.  HAHAHAHAH!  I haven't done a bit of Tai Chi since I stopped.....maybe 3 years ago.  And believe me, my brain has been plenty busy since then.  Thank goodness both Sue and Donna remember quite a bit.  We also have resources:  Donna has the official instruction book; I have the list of 108 moves; the set is on YouTube in various forms; from the founder Master Moy doing a demonstrating to various clubs & individuals.  We'll be able to come up with enough to refresh ourselves.  Even though I bumbled, I loved it!  I was reminded that I stopped Tai Chi because of time constraints, not because I didn't like it.  It's gonna be fun!!!!

Music retains its place high on the list.

On-going violin and piano lessons and practice will continue.  I have on-going anxiety about playing violin publicly for the usual reason:  I'm not very good!   The Frozen Shoulder episode got me out of a couple of years of performances, since I was only working with bowing.  However, I'm back to full capacity on that front.  My teacher Emily schedules String Caroling each Christmas at various venues-Assisted Living, the local hospital, the local used bookstore, Bookman's.  Whoever is available shows up and plays; private students, high school students she teaches at Basis, members of the local community orchestra.  Though I initially didn't plan to play, she asked very nicely if I could play at JUST ONE event, so I agreed.  Yeah, still don't like it.  Still not very good.  I can't change the not good part-I am where I am.  However, I have an idea to work with the anxiety part.  It's a direct steal from NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts:  Tiny Deck Concerts.

This is a winter view of my Tiny Deck

  
Come summer, at some time of day when not many people will be listening, I'll go out on the little deck outside the loft and play a few tunes.  Just to get the sound out there in the larger world.  Good, not so good, it will be good enough!


Cooking  I've been thinking & talking about adding to my cooking repertoire for awhile, and this is the year.  As it turns out, I do a lot of cooking & food preparation since I retired.  Ron and I both prefer to eat at home.  We live far enough out of Flagstaff that spontaneous eating out doesn't happen.  Cost is somewhat of a factor, as is health relative to food additives and portion size.  So, home cookin'.  I'm a good enough home cook, but it's been trial and error and following recipes.  Since I'm going to be cooking anyway, I've decided to give myself a little boost and learn or improve my skills.  Here are some I don't have:  Choosing the right pan! Knife skills!  Steam, boil, saute, braise, roast!  Flavors and seasoning!   There doesn't appear to be much locally as far as classes; the only one I'd want to do in person is Knife Skills.  Need I say there is no end of free on-line information & classes?  That'll be my starting place.  First up doesn't require a class, though.   Ron and I recently ate dinner with friends Bob and Mary, and Mary served some delicious roasted green beans.  I've had them at a restaurant and loved them, but didn't have the gumption to try them at home.  I asked her about them:  easy peasy she said, and told me how to do it.  Coming up this week!   

Yoga and Meditation Challenge 

You know the 21/90 rule:  it takes 21 days to create a habit/90 days to create a lifestyle.  I tried the 21 day challenge twice in December.  Fail x 2!   This month I'm going to try it again.  Starting tomorrow (really!).  I've given myself 10 days to settle in to the New Year; 21 days will take me to the end of the month.   A question I've asked myself is:  if I'm resisting it, why bother?  I don't HAVE to do either one. Well, it's because I have found that even minimal amounts of either of these practices are of immediate benefit in ways I can easily identify.  That makes me certain they'll also be of benefit in ways I don't know.

So, that's my Intro to 2019.  Whatever you're up to for the New Year, have fun!

 The Year

What can be said in New Year rhymes,
That’s not been said a thousand times?
The new years come, the old years go,
We know we dream, we dream we know.
We rise up laughing with the light,
We lie down weeping with the night.
We hug the world until it stings,
We curse it then and sigh for wings.
We live, we love, we woo, we wed,
We wreathe our brides, we sheet our dead.
We laugh, we weep, we hope, we fear,
And that’s the burden of the year.

                                                                                 ---Ella Wheeler Wilcox