Of age old wisdom

H sent me these flowers from 3000 miles away. (The flowers were picked closer to home, it's tulip season!)

If my heart was always filled with fondness, could I do away with the absence?

Flowers that make me smile and frown all at once.

Resolute Resolutions?

I just realized that 2009 has gone by (no, I’m not slow, let me finish!) and my blog posts can quickly be viewed to reveal 2009’s resolutions! Maybe “write more” should have been at the top. Oh well, a good start to 2010’s resolutions no doubt.

I think I’ve done mighty well in 2009. Let’s recap shall we? Ok, you don’t really care but since this is my space (yeah, facebook is too impersonal) I get to harp on anything I like, so without further ado lets return to my favorites …

Community Involvement improved big time. I dabbled in mentoring, child advocacy, the senior citizen community (and no, not just by turning 30!) My fortitude has been tested and I’ve undergone strength conditioning of a whole new kind.

Who knew the psyche needed “working out” as well?

Rendering recycling in a new way came really easy. I joined the “Green Team” at work and became the go-to person for all things rubbish. Ok, I better rearticulate that! Not-so-singlehandedly, we setup a composting program at work. Our contribution to landfills decreased by 70%!

On the other hand, the dubious smells in the kitchen increased by 50%. Oh well, nothing like a smelly kitchen to suppress the appetite. Diet goals? Check!

Artsy antics fell into my lap this year. The highlight was a 2-in-1 deal when I helped edit a Tom Sawyer play. And culture you ask? The people and food of Egypt made a lasting impression on my mind and palate.

Reliving my upbringing was never better. Let’s put aside the fact that the picket fence fell over the leading actor’s foot! Or that the heat at Giza made me think that the Sphinx was actually moving away from us …

Vigor was never a question to be answered this year. It was more of a beckoning force as summer came prematurely and stayed late. Backpacking the forests in the Cascades or the valleys of Hawai’i- my gluteus maximus’ have never recovered quite so fast.

The winter proved tricky at first. But ‘hand made’ snow slides called for shoveling. Not to mention a hyper dog that might just have a secret fantasy of being a road runner to the Wiley coyotes of the North West!

And there you go. I think the secret to attainable resolutions is knowing yourself in the present. I didn’t try to change my ways in 2009, yet I’ve rediscovered facets of myself. It simplifies and complicates things all at once.

It’s simple because it helps me appreciate the little things and complex for I recognize there is so much more to existence than just ‘doing’ (and not living).

Happy New (ok, belated) Year!

H(e)a(r)ting Winter

I’ve been harping on about seasons for a while now. This may be attributed to the simple fact that we’ve had a good long summer here in the North West. Almost 5 months of it! The downside of this being- temperatures have zoomed to the nether regions so quick, shocking people and trees alike. It’s a very windy fall- the leaves barely had the chance to change color before they dropped unceremoniously down to the gutters. There is no nonsense as in autumns past where leaves of varied hues partake in a flirtatious dance with gravity.

And so it goes …

Winter beckons. Nature resists for as long as she can with occasional sun bursts that are deceptive to our senses. We *think* we don’t need the wooly scarves and soft fleece! A couple steps outside and our raw noses beg to be doused in the warmth of a steaming cup of tea. It is a done deal. We accept the inevitable- can ice and rain be far behind? (Sometime it is but one, the frozen equivalent of a downpour- the hailstone.)

But we have some time yet before we need to dust off those warm winter coats and luxurious sweaters. Take a damp rag to the suede boots- forgotten in the rush to welcome spring. Umm, love those boots- maybe this year I’ll get one in a richer color and a jewel toned coat to go with it!

Speaking of rich, it’s time to stock up on drinking chocolate- the kind that leaves dregs of liqueur laced cacao bits at the bottom of the cup. Ooh and time to clean up the fireplace for those evenings where you are coiled up with an adoring dog at your foot and a book taking all the attention.

Some of us can’t hate winter with all our heart.

Seasons on a roll

A hibernating existence through the frenzied events of winter
Memories of friends linger through the fog of the psyche
Festivals make for joyous revelry- always alike but never quite consistent.

The holiday season beckons with flaming zeal
For the pursuit of gifts so perfect, a singular exploit
At the crack of dawn or into the wee hours of the night- bows glitter and bindings crinkle.

A flurry of snowfall is exhilarating at first- slippery sidewalks get old very soon
The lacks of shielding gloves lead to frost bitten fingers,
While throwing snowballs at animated puppy-like dog.

Blossoms bloom like their end is near
Putting on a show that’s captured in media
Spring has sprung- in a manner of speaking

Flower disintegrate before one’s eyes
The oohs and aahs breathe their last amid vanishing wildflowers
A trek in the mountains become all about the foliage (and calorific value!)

A look forward towards summer gets the heart pumping
Wishes for warmth get tetchy when the mercury soars
As reflection creeps in on this cyclical progression

The ‘surprises’ winter could bring are around the bend

Currently broadending my mind: Eat, Pray and Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.

The answer to, "Why arent you blogging much these days?"

Get Started!

This year I resolve to GET more! Not in a way of being greedy but ...

Get-
Involved in my community- both at work and life.
Do not confuse work with life!

Get-
People to start recycling right!
Most restuarant food cartons cannot be tossed in the 'green' bin people!

Get-
In touch with my lost loves
I'm not that big on people for this one. Think art and cultures

Get-
Fit(ter)
I can brag. I've lost and kept it off! Err maybe this should read; keep diabetes at bay?

We did it!

For the people who cheered when I placed a blue bumper sticker
For those who told me to direct my energies elsewhere (as they've decided to vote for Obama already!)
For the woman who asked me whether her daughter would be home for Christmas (from the war)
For all of them who believed in a time for change

Thank you. I'm humbled by the power of the people.

There's always a flip side:

For the people who jeered at me for supporting a black candidate
For those who told me not to waste their time and slammed the phone on my face
For the man who asked me whether Obama was a terrorist and a muslim
For all of them who believed in segregation and war

Here's your answer.