Walking the Wall

I finished up my list of books I’ve read for the year, there are some gaps so I know the final total of 51 is on the light side, but I did fairly well at keeping track of them.  I’m starting the year off partway into three books that I’ll try and finish up before moving on to my pile of “to read” books on the bottom shelf of my book case: Lady of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley, A Personal Matter by Kenzaburo Oe, and The Master & Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov.

I’m satisfied with my attempt at taking a picture a day last year. It started to unravel in September when school and work and health issues with Michael took their toll, but I learned valuable lessons. I started it in order to look at life with a better eye for finding hidden beauty, and I feel I accomplished that and then some. I certainly want to continue to challenge my photography in some way this year.

I have always loved new year resolutions and, to be honest, I’m usually pretty good at keeping them. This year I haven’t given them a great deal of thought as the new year seemed to sneak up on me, but in general I’m resolving to:

• Focus on compassion and graciousness and mindfulness at home. I find it is very easy for me to think about compassion and patience to the world at large or in the abstract–but practicing them on a daily basis with myself, my immediate family, and current activities sometimes gets shortchanged as life gets busy.
• Meditate, Qigong, Yoga. Like the above (notice the pattern emerging), I am excellent at the abstract studying of things and getting to the root of how important they are–but I often fall short on the practicing them on a consistent, put the book down and just do it, way. I feel better when I am doing some variation or combination of these things. I am more centered and I am more balanced.
• Stolen from a vegetarian magazine I have, I’m resolving to put the VEG back in Vegetarian this year. I eat veggies in things, but I’ve slacked off on veggies being a main component of my meals. It is very easy to just grab a soy meat substitute or a regular meal minus the meat, but I’ve been slacking on the large quantities of steamed veggies that I used to eat. I’m also resolved to broaden my vegetarian meals and start cooking some of the delicious recipes that are out there.
• And as always, and for every single year of my life, I will continue to try to reduce my procrastination which then reduces my stress.

This is going to be a big year, my little sister is getting married in the beginning of April, I’ll finally be graduating in the end of April barring any complications, I’ll hopefully be moving on to graduate school in fall, and I’m sure a few other things that aren’t coming directly to mind. I look forward to a year of growth, learning, joy, I’m sure a few sorrows on the way, moments of peace–eternities of living in small snaps of time.  I wish everyone a wonderful new year to come! Namaste.