New Year's Meme

I got these off the blog of a Facebook friend. Since I am still having trouble writing about my actual life, here's some generic answers to questions, and a nice photo of Beccano and Rose, Jeff's mother, when we went to visit her in her new west Austin condo for the elderly. She is doing MUCH better.

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?
Voiceovers for online training courses.

2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
No, I just keep trying to learn.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Two of my knitting friends.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Lee's sister died, though I didn't know her. And George, my dad's best friend, died.

5. What countries did you visit?
New Mexico. Ha ha.

6. What would you like to have in 2010 which you lacked in 2009?
A job with benefits. That has been the wish since 2006.

7. What date from 2009 will remain etched in your memory, and why?
I am not clear on the date, but I will never forget the day I dropped Tuba Boy off for college. I was happy for him, but felt a huge loss.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I coped with an organization changing into something I didn't like much in a productive, proactive way. And I did not take it personally. I gained a new skill and made a positive contribution to my community. I wish I had managed that with the Dysfunctional Nonprofit Organization.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Did not get a job I really, really wanted and thought I was very qualified for. I regret not getting to work with the interesting people and topics.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I managed to get through the years of no insurance without going bankrupt! No major illnesses or injuries!

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Either my beautiful Dell Studio 17-inch computer or the two pieces of gorgeous, heavy Mexican turquoise jewelry I got for Lee and myself at the Yulefest.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
I have been very impressed with the behavior of the members of the Diamond Dachshund Rescue. They save a lot of puppy mill dogs and have been incredibly kind to animals. I don't really know any of these people, but admire their dedication.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
All hate mongers (deleted a list of names) and politicians who FLAUNT that they are controlled by businesses and not the interest of the people they represent.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Things that broke (air conditioners, cars, water heaters...blah blah).

15. What did you get really excited about?
Marching band, knitting, politics, learning my job

16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
Carol of the Bells (kid played it in band)

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: Happier or sadder? Thinner or fatter? Richer or poorer?
Neither happier nor sadder, a bit fatter, probably richer but the work keeps going away.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Traveled with Lee and the kids.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Applying for jobs.

20. How did you spend New Year’s Eve 2009?
Went to church friend Janet's house, as I have done most years since 1998. We ate and talked and didn't do anything embarrassing. Had a bit of fun, then came home.

21. Did you fall in love in 2009?
Still in love with the husband. Loved a few different yarns.

22. What was your favorite TV program?
Fringe.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
I'm not a big hater. But I grew to dislike some Fox News personnel more than I did before. And my disappointment in some former friends/colleagues of mine deepened greatly.

24. What was the best book you read?
I Am a Strange Loop, by Douglas Hoffstadter, which I am still reading.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Animal Collective

26. What did you want and get?
A job with nice, fun, and interesting coworkers.

27. What did you want and not get?
A permanent position with benefits.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
Star Trek (didn't see a lot this year)

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old did you turn?
I turned 51. I don't remember what I did. I looked back at this blog (back when I actually wrote stuff!) and see that we went to a Spanish restaurant with Beccano and Parker, and listened to Jeff's band play. Too bad that band never took off.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
That elusive job. I am not obsessed about that, just it is a priority--the economy is bad enough, and the instability is really hard on my issues. Hence, few blog posts.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
I am back to wearing a nice top and jeans, often with something I knitted. I guess I am slightly funky casual.

32. What kept you sane?
Lee, Beccano, accepting friends, knitting.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Fancy...Jon Stewart, I guess.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
Health care reform. Affects me so much.

35. Whom did you miss?
Lydia. Tuba Boy. Dad (haven't seen him since our wedding).

36. Who was the best new person (people) you met?
My coworkers.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.
You'll get by, but you probably won't get ahead.


38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

I've been chasing grace, but grace ain't so easily found.

--New Year's greetings to those of you still following.

Resolved to Participate in Another Year

So far all I got for 2009 is new hair...and that's just temporary. We had a busy but mostly uneventful New Year's Eve, unlike the usual not much going on. We were invited to TWO parties, plus the kids had a few friends over, so we made sure we were home before midnight to toast with them.

This hair photo commemorates yet another successful straightening. I still can't do it myself, so Former Lovely Girlfriend, who showed up and laughed a lot, was kind enough to wrestle my hair into a straighter shape using the straightening thing I got the kids but they never used. I am just not talented with hair.

We left FLG and Parker (who was here because apparently her family is even more boring than ours) entertaining the boys, and headed off to the traditional party of our church friends. It was not bad at all, and featured Austin's delicious eggnog (literally the best, most delicious, most calorie-filled and most alcoholic eggnog on earth) and a few amusing and interesting folks. But we had to leave...

...and we went to the party of our former boss at ALE, which was at her sister's house. We enjoyed looking at their home renovations and talking about home improvement with some folks who live near us and are band parents, too, but we didn't stay too long. We didn't want to be driving scary back roads with people lighting fireworks all over them. Which we ended up doing anyway.

Back at home, FLG had gone to some trendier party, no doubt, and was replaced by the Two Debate Guys. They were amusing as usual, though not to Parker and Beccano who left them to watch television upstairs. I don't know WHY watching guys play Magic isn't fascinating...but we arrived in time to toast the new year with sparkling cider and spumante (man, those kids really chugged that cider). So, it was an OK start to a new year that I hope brings more stability to our lives.

And yesterday I knitted a lot, and made the delicously traditional black-eyed peas, collards, rice and cornbread for me. For Lee there was his dad's salad and a lovely herbed roast he made. The kids at it all most heartily.

Resolutions? My hope is that my new feeling of peace and calm will last a while. I noticed that I have stopped just trying to get through the next week, month or season, and am actually enjoying the present again. Even though challenge remain, it seems like our lives have stabilized and that we enjoy each other and can move forward. Having work will always be an issue, but we are now handling that better, too. So, for 2009 I just want to resolve to hunker down and ride out the economic troubles by enjoying the time spent with my family and friends, making music, cooking, talking, knitting and laughing.

I am glad for the friends I've made this year, and for the old ones who remain (like Elisabeth, who I talked to for the longest time last night--ahhh, that was good). I wish you all good food, friends and fun.

Near Pea Crisis Averted!

As you probably know, I am originally from the Deep South in the US (scenic Gainesville, Florida, as I like to remind folks). My parents were full of southern traditions, and one of those was to have a delicious New Year’s meal of black-eyed peas, rice, collard greens and cornbread each year. Yes, tradition holds that the beans and greens bring you bucks and also some luck, but my main reason to do it is that I just LOVE this meal. (I looked it up on Wikipedia (source of the photo at left) and discovered that eating the black-eyed-peas started ages ago, and as recorded in the Talmud in 500 BCE. So it’s also a Jewish tradition. Well, what do you know?

Of course, I intended to honor this tradition this year. We headed out to the grocery store last night after work, intending to get those lovely fresh peas they always have. There weren’t any. But I did get some pre-cleaned collard greens, even though that’s cheating. I really am willing to spend a half hour chopping and de-veining greens. So, off we went to the dried bean department. Um. There were about 6 dozen packs of navy beans, some green peas, some lentils and some dried garbanzos. NO black-eyed-peas. I was not pleased. I do NOT want to eat canned peas, even those ones that claim they are oh-so-traditionally done. They put stuff in them that may not be what I want to put in MY peas. I warily bought some dried baby lima beans. Not the same.

We came home (after stocking up on 50% off Christmas candy to stock my candy bowl at work for the next couple of months) and I cautiously approached the pantry, fingers crossed. Would there just possibly be a bag of dried black-eyed-peas there? It’s hard to find anything in there, with the interesting collection of things that now dwells on the floor, but, I stumbled to the bean section and, lo and behold, my heart filled with joy. A bag of fine looking black-eyed-peas greeted me. I’ll put them on to soak tonight!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

PS: One thing I am very grateful for is that all my family will eat black-eyed peas. I do make them a pork roast to go with it, since the men-folk seem to think that a ham hock in the peas does not constitute the “meat” portion of a “balanced meal.”

Resolute

This time of year everyone publishes resolutions or "challenges" to themselves.

I resolve only to try to get a reasonable job that has benefits, but I won't berate myself if I can't. I will just do the best I can.

It's just too much pressure to try to force myself to knit a hundred socks or do a random act of kindness a day or give a thousand bucks or whatever. I have enough self-imposed pressure. Perhaps asking myself to do the very best I can, and be gentle with myself if I don't live up to my own standards would be the best thing for me this year.
The pictures today are our New Year's photos, taken when Lee and I got back from the quiet celebration we had with friends (thankfully the bad behavior and "too much fun" days are long gone in that social circle). I wore my new scarf and the vest that my dad had gotten me for Christmas, and Lee wore his ever-popular camel-hair jacket, which is so much fun to pet. The leis were party decorations from the big champagne and horn blowing at midnight.

While we were out, Beccano had been busy. He made himself a festive New Year's pirate mask from the vast expanse of black cloth he recently had us buy for him. Soon I will teach him how to cut cloth in a straight line, which I wish I had thought of before he tore into his 3 yards of black cloth!

No photo of Tuba Boy, who was at his friend's house with the other Debate Boys and associates. He came home at quite a reasonable hour, however.

We spent New Year's Day relatively quietly. I knitted, talked to my parents and Jeff (still in Florida with his mother), cooked the black eyed peas, collards and such, and started taking down Christmas decorations. That, and looking for work, are the big plans for today. I am ready for the phone to start ringing and the email to begin. I simply EXUDE positive energy, regardless of the dismal tarot cards I keep drawing!