The New Year's Post

So after days of family togetherness, we are spending this last day of break doing a whole lotta nothing and mourning how fast the time went. Tomorrow it's back to real life but in the meantime today I have some new novels I'm reading, one of which is set in England and has prompted me to make multiple cups of tea to have at my side in order to evoke the proper mood. The boys are watching football. The girls are doing a lot of running around and giggling. Seems they are already bored with their new stuff. Sigh.

Later I'm making a traditional southern New Year's meal, which includes some form of pork, greens, & black eyed peas as its main ingredients. Each food has a meaning: pork (health), greens (wealth) and black eyes peas (luck). We figure we can always use all three of those things so we take part in the tradition. I have added that dessert must be served with this meal so your new year will be sweet! This year I'm making pork roast, rice and gravy, black eyed peas, field greens salad, and cornbread. We seem to vary what the "green" item is each year as none of us are fans of collard greens. I'm also making apple pies (we have to have two for this crowd) with vanilla bean ice cream.

We rang in the new year last night with old friends, making it all the way to midnight, which is a feat for us. I like new years because they provide us with a chance to pause and evaluate. What's going well? What could be better? What changes could be made? But sometimes all the areas of change that could be initiated get overwhelming. If the idea of making a bunch of resolutions has grown old for you, I invite you to check out my friend Rachel Olsen's book My One Word, a wonderful alternative concept in which you choose just one word as a theme for your year. It simplifies things so much. I've done it for several years running and I will tell you it's been a meaningful way to mark each year. The word I have chosen has always shown up in amazing ways throughout the year, taking on meanings and ramifications I never expected. If this intrigues you, Rachel and her pastor, Mike Ashcraft have explained it all in their book so pick up a copy from your favorite bookseller or load it on that new ereader you got for Christmas. Read a chapter each morning for the month of January and you will feel better equipped to take on 2013. What's my word for this year? I haven't quite decided yet, but there's one I'm leaning towards. I'll share it once I'm sure.

And now it's back to my novel and more hot tea. I'll share about my reading in a few days, letting you know how my goals for 2012 turned out and what I'm planning for 2013. Yes I do set reading goals each year. What can I say? I'm a firstborn.