Judging by the heavy breathing of the curtains through the open window in the early hours of this morning, 2013 came dancing in on a Wellington wind with a twirl and a shudder. I can’t tell for sure as I was deep asleep avoiding the whole midnight New Year yahoo thing. For sure the wind is whipping up a storm for the New Year’s Day which is becoming a bit of a New Year tradition in these parts.
At start the new year, I feel the Taurean inside me rising up to bring a sense of determination and sense of anticipation about what can be achieved. One glance of my 2012 project blackboard tells it’s own darker story, one littered with incompletion and procrastination. Or perhaps it’s just a to do list that is wildly ambitious and wishful thinking.
If I’ve learned one thing this year it is that you never know what curve balls life is going to throw at you. I started 2012 in a culinary flurry wishing to perfect my baking skills and bring tasty and wholesome bread to the table and I’m ending it in a similar flurry except that it’s nut bread I’m seeking to conquer. The culinary bombshell of 2012 isn’t quite the disaster I had initially thought as we end the year 10kg lighter and cholesterol levels plummeting. I have much still to learn about what constitutes a healthy diet since opinions are varied and as you’d expect pretty polarised so for now we focus on what is works for us.
All year I felt blighted by creative constipation and my inspiration for photography has been lacking. At the heart of this creative slump was another Taurean tendency to be intellectually lazy and avoid taking risks, both of which are essential ingredients for being creative. No point waiting for my muse to pop up from behind the raspberry canes I’ve got to create the conditions for inspiration to strike.
2012 had some real highs, especially our travel to Queenstown in April, San Francisco, London, Oxford and Tokyo. Not to mention my faithful basset hounds that continue to frustrate and amuse me in equal measure. I’m excited about what 2013 will bring but resisting temptation to announce any bold goals and big leaps I’m aiming for this year.
For me this coming year is about less wishful thinking and more recalibrating and refocusing . I hope that whatever your hopes and dreams are for 2013 that they are blanketed with good health, happiness and a sprinkle of good luck.
“Or perhaps it’s just a to do list that is wildly ambitious and wishful thinking.” LOL yeah, that’s me!! I just put a decal on the back of my car, it was still in the original envelope in which it arrived. I check the postal date on said envelope, it was dated Nov. 12 2011 LOL that’s how long it’s been sitting around, waiting for me to plaster it to the back of my van!! I’m the queen of procrastination!!
Odd that you’ve already woken to a new year and I have yet to celebrate mine, which will be done with a few scary movies and perhaps a solitary drink.. I hope the new year loosens up that creative constipation, that must be an awful feeling 😉 Look for inspiration around you, the garden, the home, that scrumptious bread and of course those 2 hounds!!
Happy New Year!!
Happy New Year to you too Liz. Hope you didn’t scare yourself into the new year with those movies. I love the fact that NZ sees New Year first. We can the follow everyone else’s celebrations at they happen.
I love your perspective! Despite how the past year may not have always followed the path we may have wished for ourselves, we can still declare with gusto what was good and that our hopes for 2013 are buoyed by eternal optimism. I like to think for you, it has something to do with the baking or maybe the bassets 😉 Happy New Year!
Hi Sabrina – I’ve come to learn there is no point looking back with wistful regret. I don’t know why I feel so optimistic for 2013 so I’m just going to go with the flow and see what happens. Have a few fun things planned already for the year so looking forward to that. Hope that this year brings you continued success with the Rear Curtain and your other photographic adventures.
Great outlook for 2013. I have yet to allow myself a moment to ‘think’ about it too much – perhaps I’m better going with the flow anyway.
All your trips and travels this year have been wonderful. Wishing you a very happy & healthy 2013 xxx
I am pretty confident that whatever life throws at you Sarah you’ll be making the most of it all. Looking forward to following your adventures for another year.
That’s a grand looking loaf and a great way to start the year! Nothing beats bread baking not even my choclate cake :0)
I do miss the “real bread” but for now we must keep on track with the regime. As a special treat we are now making spelt pizza and I so want to try a spelt loaf soon.
I love the feeling at this time of year – the relief of being able to let the old year go and move on, coupled with looking forward to the new year with joyful anticipation. I try to make the most of it before the first flush of disappointments begin to set in, which this year I intend to focus on as being opportunities rather than disappointments.
Happy New Year to you, Julie – hope it’s a good one.
xo
You are so right Sue about giving yourself permission to let go of disappointments of the past and look forward to new opportunities. It is easier said than done sometimes but nevertheless a good thing to do. Hope 2013 brings all you wish for and more.