Resolved

Happy new year! In case you were wondering, we did not stay up to ring in 2012...the new year is going to happen whether we are awake or not, so why go to the trouble of staying up late and feeling tired all the next day?

New Year's Day is one of my favorite days of the whole year. It starts with the annual viewing of The Tournament of Roses Parade (on HGTV - no pesky commericials!) and is followed by nonstop college football bowl games. It is one of only two days in the year where eating in front of the television is permitted in our house; the Super Bowl is the other occasion. I always prepare some kind of pork roast or chops along with Hoppin' John, which is black-eyed peas and rice; go to this page on Epicurious.com if you want to know the symbolism of eating those two food items on the first day of the year.

I was not a happy camper when I learned that The Powers That Be decided that the parade and the bowl games should not take place on a Sunday. I have heard two reasons for it, one being that Sunday is dedicated to the NFL games and the second being that the parade and games are just Never On Sunday. I think both reasons are stupid and I hate it when people mess with my holiday traditions. We will eat the pork and the black-eyed peas, but no parade or bowl games. Harumph.

Instead of being happily ensconced in front of the television in a bowl game coma, I am tidying up a bit, baking bread, planning knitting projects and contemplating new year's resolutions. I don't like resolutions because they seem flimsy and destined to fail; in past years, I have chosen to set goals for the year, sort of a yearly "to do" list. But even calling them goals hasn't worked well for me, mainly because sometime in early February I completely forgot what I resolved to do in the year.

So I am going to try something a little different this year. Instead of making resolutions for the year, I am going to make a resolution (or resolutions) for the month ahead, something that I want or need to accomplish. By putting it on my calendar as a "to do" item for that month, I have a very good chance of actually accomplishing it.

My resolution for January is to finish the bleepity-bleep ribbon vest that I have been knitting for my mother for months. While I am flattered that Mom asked me to make it for her, I hate the ribbon "yarn" with a deep passion. I am so very close to finishing, it is ridiculous, and yet I continue to avoid it. I showed Mom the pieces when she was here for Christmas and she was thrilled, which made me feel a little bit better about it. I told her then I would have it to her by the end of January, and I will. I have said it out loud, it's on my "to do" list and It. Shall. Be. Done.