…and all through my house
The only creature stirring
Is my cat chasing a new catnip mouse.
It’s been a good time this year. While we weren’t precisely drowning in luxury items, we had enough to go around and enough left over to spread a bit of cheer to others. In the days to come, we will enjoy the leftover food and the thoughtful gifts…and probably chuckle a little bit at the ones that mystify us. We’ll snuggle close and appreciate the time Mr. Twistie has off from work and the fact that my writing career allows me to be flexible in my scheduling. The aforementioned cat will be blissfully spoilt with all the tandem petting we will give him.
Then it’s time to turn our thoughts to 2010.
People tend to make grand resolutions in the week or so before New Year’s Eve…and break most of them before Groundhog Day. Admittedly, I love that movie, but even if I didn’t, I still wouldn’t want to break its heart by lying to it (Query: How many Surrealists does it take to screw in a lightbulb? Answer: Fish.).
So it is that I approach the whole notion of resolutions with a bit of trepidation. And yet it really does seem to be expected of one. I thought I might get mine written down a bit ahead of schedule. What? My mother had me so terrified of being late as a child that I was regularly half an hour early to nearly every function. I’ve relaxed a bit as an adult. Now I consider ten minutes early sufficient in a pinch. For major events like an entire change of calendar, I like to be Johnny-on-the-spot three or four days before anyone else.
So here, without further ado, are my New Year resolutions:
1: I resolve to fly my freak flag high. I love bright colors, bold styles, big jewelry, hats, and loud classic rock. Anyone who has a problem with this, or any other aspect of my personality is cordially invited to suck it. I am a (mostly) gentle soul and I’m not hurting anyone, so how I dress or what I love is between me, myself and I. I do not apologize. I do not slink. I do not have to explain to anyone in the world what a grown woman is doing with a rubber duckie collection or what a fat woman is doing wearing orange.
2: I resolve to do good for my community. It’s easy to remember to give to good causes at Christmas and the New Year. There’s a Santa with a donation bucket or a Good Soul coming to your door or a reminder from your favorite cause everywhere you turn at this time of year. When I shopped at Borders, I threw in a stuffed panda bear for an abused child. When I got some coffee at Peet’s, I donated a couple bucks to the local shelter for victims of domestic violence. I love it that giving is made so very easy at this time of year, but I need to remember to do more in the other eleven months. I’ll be clearing some older, but still perfectly wearable clothes out of my closet in the next month or two. Luckily, I remembered to take some literature on that shelter so I can contact them to see if they can use anything. And I’ll keep being a good neighbor. They need someone to look after their cat sometimes. I’m happy to do that. Maybe I can do…no, scratch that. I definitely can do more. It’s time to make it happen.
3: I resolve to take better care of myself this coming year. Over the last few months I’ve been a bit cavalier about my own welfare. I stay up into the wee hours, rise when Mr. Twistie starts getting ready for work, pour myself a massive mug of coffee and remember to have breakfast slightly after noon. There have been reasons for this personal neglect, but it’s time to stop and pull myself together. Regular sleep and regular meals are important. I deserve them. And since my mommy has been dead for nearly twenty years, it’s kind of my job these days to make sure I get them.
4: I resolve to rediscover my own creativity. Again, there have been reasons I haven’t pulled down my lace pillow or written a short story in longer than I care to think about. But those reasons are no longer there to stop me. My life has changed for the better and I’m about to bloom again. Watch out world!
I think that’s enough to be getting on with. What about all of you? Are you making any resolutions this year? Tell me about them.
I’m going to continue one of the resolutions I made last year – to be more outspoken politically/more politically active.
My new one for this year is to improve my eating habits (less takeout/fried) and try to exercise more. We’ll see how well that one goes.
Comment by dr nic — December 26, 2009 @ 1:13 pm
Best for the shelter: all those extra travel size shampoos, conditioners, lotions, soaps, etc that come home with you from hotels. And toss in some other feminine products. Helps them a lot. Helps me too, because even though I travel half as much as I used to for work, I still seem to have a ton of that stuff. I think it breeds in the suitcase.
Comment by Phyllis — December 26, 2009 @ 1:16 pm
1.For my wonderful husband’s sake, as he is the one caught in the middle on this because I would not pee on his father if he were on fire, I am going to make an effort to stop complaining about his parents, even in anonymous comments in safe places like this. No matter how awesomely funny/horrible the stories are. I will, however, be taking notes for the book to be written after they are dead. Watch for me on Oprah in (I hope) a year or two. OK. Now I’m really done. Really.
2. I will obsess less about my weight. My husband thinks I look more than fine. Most of my clothes fit. I like to cook. We both like to eat. It’s cold here + it’s expensive to heat the house = it’s far more practical to keep a small Milwaukee roll on me than to stress about losing weight.
Comment by class factotum — December 26, 2009 @ 3:18 pm
I had a TV Guide collection so I don’t hate on your rubber duckie collection. :-)
My New Year’s Resolution is to take at least one hour a week to reconnect with my inner-self and spirituality by reading the bible or the self-help book recommended by my psychiatrist. I also want to work on my self-esteem because soon my husband and I are going to be the same weight. (He’s losing, I’m not gaining.)
My second, less important resolution is to buy something with an animal print on it. QVC has some snakeskin jeans on sale for $13. Payless Shoes has some cute lepoard print flats for $20. I’ve got low self esteem, and I feel like wearing something out of the ordinary will force me to walk taller.
Comment by BrooklynShoeBabe — December 26, 2009 @ 3:36 pm
I’m going to jump on the activism bandwagon, and I’m THRILLED to see how many other ladies are also targeting their effort toward ending domestic violence and aiding survivors. If this is something you’d like to motivate yourself to do, I invite you to do what my cast of the Vagina Monologues will be doing next month to remind yourself of what’s really important–if there are transition shelters for survivors in your area, call one and ask if they need volunteers to help with preparing meals or, depending on the shelter size, if you could make a meal and share it with the current residents. Sometimes when we jump into something this complicated we want to engage directly with people but we don’t know how to deal with the very thing that has brought you all to that place. Sharing a meal, nourishing bodies and souls, is a level I think we can all get on.
My other goals? I want our TVM production and associated events to raise $10,000 for fighting sexual and relationship violence. I want to get A’s in all my classes for my doctoral program. I want to learn to be kinder, how to lose an argument gracefully, and how to show people in my life how much they are appreciated. I want to start doing yoga again, twice a week–a busy schedule is no fair exchange for the resulting pain I get from not doing it. Some big goals, but I think doable ones.
Also, Brooklyn–holla. It will make you feel awesome and sexy cause you ARE awesome and sexy, and I share your need for some spectacular animal print shoes. Although I’m thinking maybe some python heels.
Comment by Leah — December 26, 2009 @ 4:14 pm
I may need to borrow your resolution list verbatim … is that like copying homework or is it following a great example? I mean, I’d have to start my own rubber ducky collection – but that sounds awesome, so why not?
PS – some shelters get overwhelmed with donations of half-used travel shampoos, which aren’t always helpful. Always ask the shelter what they need, and remember: If you would be kind of appalled that someone gave it to you – IT’S NOT A GOOD DONATION. (the shelter I worked at would get grease-encrusted, broken cookware and dirty underwear from people looking for a tax write-off for their garbage, grr)
Comment by Monkeyparts — December 27, 2009 @ 11:43 am
More activism! More feminism! Less global warming!
Comment by Margo — December 27, 2009 @ 12:59 pm
I’m excited about the new year!!!! But not as excited for each new day that I get. I’m not doing resolutions this year. But I’m doing something a little different. Hope things work out.
-Denise
Comment by All Women Stalker — December 28, 2009 @ 7:12 am
I don’t usually do resolutions, but this year there is a real need.
I am going to try very hard to be kinder to myself in 2010. Mentally, emotionally, physically, just give myself a break, a chance to just be me without self criticism. This is not easy for me at a time in my life when I feel I have made so many mistakes, but it is so very necessary for me to be able to grow and find happiness.
Comment by jstar — December 28, 2009 @ 5:35 pm