It’s not quite New Year’s yet, but I’m already thinking about my 2008 New Year’s resolutions. One of them is to document my west coast life in this blog more often. My track record is dismal so far, but I have faith that I can be better in the coming year. A few other resolutions (not necessarily in this order):
Stay in better touch with friends and family
Exercise to feel good (and to be in better shape)
Destress: through yoga, meditation, or something else spiritual
Keep up on my new 5-year journal
Read more books
Cook more
Allocate retirement money
Take better care of myself
Take vitamins regularly
That’s the list so far, but I’m sure there are more to add. I worry that maybe it’s a bad idea to have such a long list. Might that hinder the success of the items I’m actually hoping to improve upon? But then, I’m thinking that maybe by posting my resolutions on this website for all to see, I will be more resolute about sticking to them. Here’s hoping!
Christmas was wonderful this year. In addition to having my mom in from Connecticut, I had the pleasure of being greeted by two little kitties on Christmas morning. I succumbed to my persistent desire to house animals, and decided I would foster two cats my aunt rescued through her animal rescue program, Hopalong. I was smitten with the black one (I’ve decided to call her Fiona), but the tabby one was plenty cute (I’ve called her Violet).
Stay in better touch with friends and family
Exercise to feel good (and to be in better shape)
Destress: through yoga, meditation, or something else spiritual
Keep up on my new 5-year journal
Read more books
Cook more
Allocate retirement money
Take better care of myself
Take vitamins regularly
That’s the list so far, but I’m sure there are more to add. I worry that maybe it’s a bad idea to have such a long list. Might that hinder the success of the items I’m actually hoping to improve upon? But then, I’m thinking that maybe by posting my resolutions on this website for all to see, I will be more resolute about sticking to them. Here’s hoping!
Christmas was wonderful this year. In addition to having my mom in from Connecticut, I had the pleasure of being greeted by two little kitties on Christmas morning. I succumbed to my persistent desire to house animals, and decided I would foster two cats my aunt rescued through her animal rescue program, Hopalong. I was smitten with the black one (I’ve decided to call her Fiona), but the tabby one was plenty cute (I’ve called her Violet).
My aunt thought that fostering would be a great, pressue-free way to determine whether I might like to adopt them. I think a part of me knew it already, but I can definitely say they have won over my heart. They are so full of love, so smart, and so playful. It’s pretty hard to be down when you have two purring machines curled up on your lap. I knew I could only keep one (my lease stipulates one cat only), so I was delighted when Matt told me today that he would be willing to adopt Violet. Now I know she’ll be going to a good home, and I can still see her. Plus, the kitties can even visit each other every once in awhile (that’s the one thing I’m sad about…the fact that they will inevitably be separated).
As I was saying, the kitties (and my mother) greeted me on Christmas morning, and my mom and I took our sweet time getting around the present-opening. Two of the most wonderful gifts she gave me were cds of New England Christmastide 1 & 2, which we’ve been listening to on cassette every year since I was about ten. I’m very much about tradition and nostalgia, and I like to celebrate in the same tried and true ways. Call me boring…but it makes me really happy. I experience feelings of sublimity when I recall happy memories like that. So now I have my own Christmastide to play year in and year out. Later in the morning, Matt came over after dropping his parents off at BART (they went to Hawaii…I feel just awful for them). Matt, my mom, and I exchanged more gifts, and then we began the cooking extravaganza.
This Christmas was my very first experience hosting a holiday dinner. Who would have thought it possible that I could fit five people into my little studio apartment for dinner?! But fit them I did. My mom, Matt, and my new west coast (also from the east coast) friends, Mary and Andy, came over.
Dinner menu:
hors d’oeuvres—white radishes, brie and tablewater crackers, smoked almonds
dinner—yummy salad a la Mary, apple and onion stuffed Cornish game hens, sweet potato risotto (with mascarpone cheese), cranberry sauce, and rainbow chard
dessert—chocolate chip cookies a la Mary and Andy
beverages—wine, wine, and champagne
Can I just say yum? Aside from the fact that I was frantically running around the kitchen trying to keep a million things cooking at once, and aside from the fact that the stupid risotto cooked for what felt like eons but remained slightly crunchy, I would say the meal was a success! The cuisine was delicious, the ambience mellow and comfortable, and the company merry. A very nice way to celebrate indeed!
And now here I sit pondering what next year has in store for me, and everyone I know. I can’t believe how many things have happened in 2007. I moved into my own place, I met some new friends, one of my oldest friends got married, another friend is about to give birth, I’ve got two, new, sweet kittens to adore…life is good indeed.
