A Very Brand New Year.

“Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us.” Hal Borland

I sort of lost sense of myself at the end of the last one. Not writing makes me sad. It wasn’t just that I failed to update this space for months, I neglected to write anything other than a text message or a trivial e-mail during that time as well. I uploaded some snippets to twitter, so…that counts, no? No. I need to be truer to myself this year. How long can someone go around casting off their laziness as sheer writer’s block? Whether it has been laziness or me simply avoiding the time to sit, think and type, a healthy dose of self-discipline should do the trick. I like taking photos. I like cooking and writing and meditating with a milky cup of coffee in the morning. I derive pleasure in reading and learning new things. Walks outside provide sanctuary. While strict resolutions don’t quite work for me, reflection does. Like most, my goals are emphatically set and stuck to for some time and then the enthusiasm wears. I prefer to take January to evaluate and realign.

With that, I will recount my own New Year’s celebration…which was world’s different than last year’s.

My sister and niece stayed with us over the holidays. Freezing outside and caring for a toddler, we thought it best to stay indoors, have a mini dance party and watch Disney movies to celebrate.

We also ate. A lot.

Dates stuffed with goat cheese and then wrapped in thick slices of applewood smoked bacon.

Mussels cooked in white wine and garlic butter with parsley. With these, we regretted not picking up fresh bread for dipping.

We got Reiley involved, helping us dress the heirloom tomato caprese salad with basil and a sweet balsamic glaze.

Then, there was a thick steak and some delicious ( but really odd so I’ve forgotten the name) variety of mushroom tossed with a fresh angel-hair pasta.

No drunken photos or hangovers the next day. Rather, we picked up some poppers and shiny beads at the store and at the stroke of midnight showed Reiley how to pull the strings on the poppers and make them go ‘BOOM!’. It was perfect.

Here is to a wonderful year.