Adios

Time to say goodbye to 2011. To think about what went well and what could be better. Better settle in, this could take a while...

At our house this year we're welcoming the new year with a combination of contemplative and convivial rituals. A humble meal, music and the company of our dear friends. At midnight, we can count on Lucia to get up and open the back door to usher out the old year. She'll then go to the front door to welcome in the new. I love this simple ritual. We can also count on Phil and Terry to share a song or two, and next year at this time I plan to play along.

On New Year's Day I'll prepare a meal that resembles my grandma's traditional fare designed to bring good luck and prosperity our way. We'll have greens (symbolizing paper money), pigeon peas (symbolizing coins) and ham hocks. I've heard that pigs symbolize progress, but I'm guessing that ham was a part of grandma's meal because what proper southern cook wouldn't include some healthy amount of fat-laden salty pork product in their important celebrations!

And now for the dreaded resolutions...I hate New Year's resolutions with a passion. I'll just put that right out there here and now. I've never had any luck sticking to them and they just serve to lower my self-confidence and inflame any guilt and self-loathing I've harbored over the years. But don't get me wrong, I do love a good fresh start and a chance to formally wipe the slate clean!

I prefer to honor the past by formally saying goodbye to it. For me this is a much more appealing activity than thinking of all the ways I fell short and turning them into resolutions. This year as in years past we'll write down what we'd like to cast off and then put it straight into the fire and let it all go. Done. Gone. Buh bye. This symbolic releasing is so satisfying. Being a devoted list-maker at heart though, I can't resist revealing some rambling thoughts about what I'd like to welcome in for 2012...

• When I show up, I'd like to pay attention more and not to be so bloody attached to the outcome

• I'd love to invest far more money in experiences as opposed to material things

Other key words for the year...

Persist
Take action
Follow through

Unplug
Read more books
Pet the cats

Sit in silence
Elevate the ordinary
Tell the truth and above all...
Remember to relax, because the truth is time is on my side

Welcome 2012. I think I'm ready for you.

Screech...

Whoa, what just happened? The whole surgery thing just moved from an abstract, in the future kind of thing to something that's definitely going to happen now.

• Blood drawn - check (six BIG vials)

• Blood pressure - elevated a bit (just a little stressed are we?)

• Weight taken - check, and while we're at it let's just not go there shall we? (unless you want to hear all of the creative ways I'm managing my stress by cooking and eating, and cooking and eating some more)

• EKG - check

• Chest X-ray - check

This morning I passed my pre-op testing with flying colors and now I'm physically approved to go through with it. Now if I could just wrap my mind around the idea that it will all be okay. I'll be honest, spending the morning at the hospital today scared the begeezes out of me. There's something so odd and disingenuous about being asked "How are WE today?" by a hospital medical technician right before they stick you with a gigantic needle. Especially when it's delivered in that annoyingly chipper tone of voice. I mean come on, I'm here in the hospital having PRE-OP testing done, as in PRE-OPERATIVE, as in surgery, get it? How do you think I am? And while we're at it, here's what else I would like to know - who's this we you're referring to anyway? Let's cut all the sweetness and light crap and just get on with it. We are "fine". We are having surgery. We are scared and We just want it all to be over and done with as soon as possible so life can return to normal.

And no, I don't think I'll be liking you on facebook when I get home.
Now, anything else you'd like to know about me?

Perfectly Wonderful

We had a quiet and cozy Christmas eve dinner with friends and family this year. There's been no sign of any proper snow yet but the temps have dropped enough to keep a fire going. Mom's had plenty of kitty company to keep her occupied and to keep her from missing her Max too much.

This year Santa brought me a brand new patio and a gorgeous white pergola. Ken got the same thing in his stocking too. Funny thing about that... After foisting the world's largest hunk of prime rib into the oven we spent the day in front of the fire hanging out reading.

Lexi, Frank, mom and Lisa joined us later for the feast.

I'm so glad to be home now and to have time to really catch up to myself. There's lots of course prep on my plate right now but also time for long afternoon naps, reading, movies and hanging out with my sweetie. It's been a perfectly wonderful holiday so far and I feel the most relaxed I've felt in months. I love the last week of the year. No need to rush and plan or think about the clock. The holidays are over and our schedules are free from the usual obligations and distractions and I'm contemplating the coming year. Hopes are high.

Ready (or not...)

Mom arrives on Friday and Christmas is less than a week away. As in all previous years I'm no where near ready but it'll simply have to do! We've got a little tree and some lights hung.

Cue cozy. This is as ready as we're gonna get!

This month is really flying by so before it slips away completely, here's a recap...

On the fourth we said goodbye to our sweet friend Donald. A man who's heart was as big as his smile, who lived life on his own terms and who always (and I do mean always) made me feel that I was beautiful no matter how much I weighed, how straggly my hair looked or how bad my shoes were on any given day.

Donald was truly one of a kind and I really miss him.

Solstice celebration took place this past Saturday night, complete with roaring bon fire, magnificent pot luck meal and time to actually catch up with dear friends.

For sure the Fall semester wouldn't be complete without the annual Secret Santa studio party. This year's was one of the best with lots of thoughtful, creative and funny gifts. I'd say that the mustaches were the big hit of the evening this year!

I've got a fun, sweet and lively bunch this year!

Christmas arrives ready or not and this year I aim to enjoy every second of it.

Woes (but not all bad!)

Oh poor, poor, pitiful me...I've got computer woes again. As usual I have more photos on my computer than I have room for and if I don't do something soon I risk yet another crash. My only problem is that iPhoto won't let me access its trash can. Being basically resourceful, but lacking any real computer knowledge I muster up a strategy.

• First, consult the great google. No luck.

• Second, consult with my in-home on-call resident computer guru Ken. No luck there either (but in his defense he did say he'd look at it tonight).

• Third solution? Eat a cupcake. And let me just say, this is not just any cupcake either. This was a Thomas the train cupcake left over from Rep Class last night and it was my favorite flavor - yellow cake with chocolate frosting. Sadly eating it didn't automagically solve the problem. Now Pippa has positioned herself on my hands while I'm typing this post. Perhaps I should put her to work finding a solution.

Lately I just don't have time to post here at Newfield Knews. Oh woe is me. Obviously without enough time I just don't have much interesting to say either, though there is some newsy-news. Here 'tis:

• I'm finished with teaching for the term and have only juries, post-jury appointments and grading left to do. Then I'm done-done.
  

• Mom arrives on the 23rd for two weeks. I'm really looking forward to her visit but I'm not ready (oh woe is me again). We have no Christmas tree and not a shred of decorating done in the house unless you count the Halloween lights that are still up. Also we've done no shopping...zero, zip, zilch. The dining room table is covered (every inch of it) with last week's purchases for FOUND. Perhaps I should go shopping there...now there's the first bright thought I've had all week!!

• Surgery on my neck is three weeks from today. YIKES. My stomach just flipped over about ninety times. I know I need it and that it will fix most of the issues I've been having but that doesn't mean I'm not still scared. Any and all good thoughts you have to send my way would be warmly welcomed.

So that the latest news from this end. How 'bout you and yours?