Moving On

Good Riddance Day

December 29, 2009

On the Today show this morning, I learned that yesterday was the third annual Good Riddance Day, organized by the Times Square Alliance in New York City. From 12 to 1 p.m. a large industrial shredder was set up and more than 200 New Yorkers and tourists participated, according to www.nypost.com. A dumpster and a sledgehammer were also provided for unshreddable items.

What a great idea! Take your bad memories, your troubles and difficulties, the sadnesses and frustrations of 2009 and just…annihilate them.

But what about those of us who don’t live in New York? (For that matter, what about those of us who heard about Good Riddance Day the day AFTER it occurred?) Have your own Good Riddance Day right where you live. If there’s something from 2009 you’d like to put behind you, find a picture of it or write it down and SHRED it. Or tear it into itty bitty pieces by hand. Or burn it (safely, of course).

Sometimes it’s good to have a ceremony to rid ourselves of unwanted baggage. Sometimes we can’t move forward because our past mistakes, or the wrongs done to us, are clinging to our ankles like lead weights. Sometimes we need to do a little personal shredding in order to move on with life.

I plan to make a little visit to my shredder tonight. How about you?

Holidays

Merry and Bright

December 24, 2009

Help me

The family is here visiting. My mother-in-law is in the kitchen making pecan pie and I’m about to run out to the store to pick up last minute items.

My people are crazy

This morning instead of cranberry orange scone with my coffee, I enjoyed homemade almond biscotti, brought to us by my visiting sister- and brother-in-law. It’s beautifully sunny and not too hot—a perfect day!

Do I LOOK like a reindeer?!?

Wishing you a perfect Christmas, whatever that may mean for you.


Fantasy

Sweet Escapes

December 21, 2009

Some women are addicted to Facebook or online shopping…or reading blogs (ahem). Thanks to the magic of the internet, here are three of my favorite ways to brighten a boring day with a little G-rated online escapism.

When I was looking for my horse a few years ago, I had a list of Web sites I trolled daily looking for an appropriate mount. I spent hours on Horsequest.com and Dreamhorse.com, where I ultimately found Tank. My guilty little secret (don’t tell Tank) is that I still periodically peruse horse classified ad Web sites. I don’t need or want another horse, but I still like to look.

Dreamhorse Tank
'Round about August (and sometimes December when it’s still 85 degrees and humid), I fantasize about moving. But where? Twenty-acre horse farm in NC? Ocean view home on the Olympic peninsula? Colorado mountain home? Thanks to real estate Web sites like washingtonwaterfronts.com, I can see pictures of beautiful homes and dream.

And speaking of dreaming, did you know that you can rent a historic cottage in the Cotswolds from the National Trust in England? You can also rent an apartment in New York City through Craigslist or a timeshare week someplace exotic through redweek.com. Vacation rental Web sites have given me many a happy hour of harmless fantasizing.

Craigslist rental, NYC


So now you know what I’m doing (sometimes) when I should be checking my e-mail or folding the laundry or…. Just hang on a minute while I check out this villa for rent on the Amalfi coast…

Simple pleasures

I Hear It's Winter Somewhere

December 18, 2009


Sometimes it’s hard to get into the Christmas spirit when it’s 85 degrees and humid—it's felt more like June than December this past week. (Bah, humbug!) But this morning when I went out to walk the dog, it was raining. Behind this rain, they say, is a cold front, my two favorite weather words here in Florida. Much better than “hurricane watch,” for sure.

In the meantime, I use my snowman mug (snow woman, really) for my morning coffee, and decorate my house with little things that remind me that it is, somewhere, winter. Sure, I’m grateful that I don’t have to shovel snow, or de-ice my car. But right about now I’m real tired of wearing shorts and sweating every time I set foot outside my house. I’m ready for some winter weather, for a chance to wear jeans and my one jacket comfortably. To make soup for dinner and have a fire in the fireplace—all the cozy, autumn/winter things that mark the changing of the seasons.

Embracing the transitions of life—whether it’s something as simple as the changing seasons, or something more weighty, like a new job or a new relationship—can be one of life’s simple pleasures. Take things slowly. Enjoy the moment. Watch life unfold in all its mystery and beauty. I’m as guilty as anyone of rushing through my life without noticing what’s happening. And I'm also not a big fan of change!  In the coming year, I’m going to make an effort to stop that—to enjoy my life and its transitions and changes, even when we move back from winter to summer, when my son grows ever taller and my parents grow older. Each stage has its own value. It’s up to me to find it.

Books

More Book Talk

December 14, 2009

Time for more book discussion! After the Publishers Weekly flap, I revisited the list of books I read this year. Most of them weren’t published in 2009, though they were written by women. I’m not a book reviewer; I read for my own enjoyment and enlightenment. If you’re a reader too, what follows is a list of a few of the books I read this year that I found the most interesting/inspirational/enjoyable, etc. You might like them too.

This Is Not How I Thought It Would Be. Kristin Maschka tackles the issues that surround combining parenting (not just mothering) and work. I’ve read quite a few books on this subject, and this one summed up the issues involved very well, and offers suggestions for how mothers and fathers can make things better.

What the Dead Know. Laura Lippman’s stand-alone suspense novel kept me turning pages all the way to the end.

The Wishing Year. Noelle Oxenhandler chronicles a year of determining whether or not wishing has any real power, as she wishes for a man, a house of her own, and spiritual healing.

A Broom of One’s Own. Nancy Peacock’s delightful essays about her experiences as a writer/house cleaner. This is how some writers who aren’t Dan Brown get by.

War Within and Without. I’ve read all of Anne Morrow Lindbergh’s collections of diaries and letters, and feel a great affinity for her. The struggles she had combining motherhood, marriage to a famous (and rather demanding) husband and her own creative work speak to all women who want to be there for their families, but also use their creative talents.

Anne of Green Gables books—by L.M. Montgomery. They were written for children, but they are comfort reading for me when I’m feeling down or overwhelmed.

Die for You. Lisa Unger is a new author for me, and I loved this novel. I’m now reading Beautiful Lies.

Excuses Begone! Not Dr. Wayne W. Dyer’s best book, in my opinion, but one I needed to read. I’m a champion excuse maker.

Refuse to Choose! by Barbara Sher. Hello, “Scanner” personality! This book put a name to how I act, and showed me some ways to direct myself so that I accomplish more and don’t get so frustrated and scattered.

I love to read, and this list could easily be 30 books long, but I took pity on you. I’d love to hear about your favorite books of the year. Please share! And happy reading!