I'm not one who normally gets all resolutiony at the New Year. It's an arbitrary day that doesn't even line up with a logical astronomical event (as explained in excruciating detail by the Bad Astronomer). Me? I'd put the New Year starting the day after the shortest day of the year. That's what makes sense to my mind. Or the day the first spring plant catalog arrives in my mailbox. That's when I start thinking ahead.
But I guess January 1 works. At least it's after all the Christmas hullabaloo, when things are starting to get back to normal (unfortunately it also marks the beginning of the 'you aren't thin enough' season).
This year, for a change, I am making resolutions. Not the typical 'I'll cut back my caffeine intake' (I have to do that in between semesters every year - seems my caffeine intake goes up as the semester progresses), or 'I'll work out more' (that'll come during warm weather when I can get out in to the garden).
Nope. This year I am going to break free of the funk I've been in since my dad was diagnosed with cancer in 2012.
Dammit.
When my dad got sick I was so busy running back and forth to visit I began to neglect My Life. And after he died I continued to pull in to myself and avoid the Real World. I was starting to come out of all this when The Husband had his really, really bad Gall Bladder Incident last summer (included as a free bonus - two middle of the night trips to the ER, complications from surgery and a week in a hospital nearly an hours drive from home!).
So basically the last two years sucked, I neglected my friends, got out of my work out routine and didn't get to spend as much time in the garden or on this blog as I would have liked.
And now, here it is, IN WRITING. I'm done with it. I'm going to grab my bootstraps and pull myself out of my funk, reconnect with my friends and spend more time in the garden this year.
Resolved.
The Flower of Resolve - a reblooming (and very funky) iris
Purchased from Rainbow Iris Farms but I forget which variety
First, sorry about your dad. I had a couple of years at the end of my dad's life (cancer got him too) where care for him kinda became the most important thing in my life -- despite a husband, 2 kids, and a job -- but I hope you're feeling as I do now: all the effort was worth it b/c he got to leave this plane of existence knowing his daughter cared deeply for him.
ReplyDeleteSecond, hear, hear for pulling up bootstraps! Sometimes that's just what's called for.
Third, don't you just love Bad Astronomer? The other day he posted some incredible pictures of clouds over Denver.
So welcome back to blogging, and I hope 2014 is a better year for you. I'm just outside Washington, DC, and the temperature is dropped fast -- we're looking at possibly 7 degrees tonight, but my sister, who lives in far, far western Maryland, is facing -20 tonight so 7 sounds positively balmy. Since you're near the ocean you might escape the below-zero temps.
Happy New Year!