Happy New Year to You

This bouquet is one I loved at the Pike Street Market in Seattle when I visited there with my friend a few months ago.  It has nothing to do with New Year's or anything else on my mind but I wanted to include a  picture in my post, and sending a bouquet to you at the start of our new year seems a good way to greet a friend.  I wish they were a real bouquet on your doorstep!  (Isn't it a great combination?  I love those baby cabbagey-looking things).

 I started blogging one year ago.  My first one was Jan. 3, 2009.  I didn't realize that I had passed my anniversay date until just now.  I have sent 59 blogs; can't believe it.  I started out with nothing in particular to say but wanting to communicate ideas and send pictures to family members and friends far away.  Then one day someone else's blog hopped onto my screen (I realize now I must have hit "Next Blog") and I discovered someone who had spent her weekend the same way I had, only in the Netherlands.  Then I got to meet her friends through her list of favorite blogs, and I found so many kindred spirits all around the world.   Who knew that there were so many of us?  

But I just do bits and pieces of things.  I am not an all-out gardener, though I love those first  buds of springtime, and glory in a successful planting.  I am not a big party-giver, though I do enjoy those blogs with 'tablescapes' and all kinds of ideas for centerpieces.  I am not a frequent antique shopper, but I love to see and hear about finds from the GW and HomeGoods stores, and I especially like to see the transformations of old and used articles to another purpose.  Just this week I saw how a broken glass compote dish was saved by being coupled with an old silver candle-holder and became a lovely vintage something-or-other in a stunning grouping.  But I digress.  I do love the vintage fabrics I see especially in the blogs from my new acquaintances in England.  Their vintage stuff is so much more charming than our vintage stuff.  Why is that?  Sorry, I digress. 

So what I am saying is that while I started out intending to say to myself and the world what I am all about, I have become aware that I am  fascinated with what other people are about--gardens, artists who blog, tablescapes, front porches and food and sharing good times and improving one's home, one's garden, one's decorating--and I may have lost my own voice while being captivated by all these great influences.  I don't really mind; I just said that in case anyone was wondering what my blog is about.  I wish I were more wholeheartedly into participating in these venture, such as GoodWilling, or cooking, or sketching, but not to the exclusion of everything else.  So here I am, just a little bit of this and a little bit of that.  I really would like to go more toward the philosophical side of things but it's hard when you're as susceptible to silver compotes as I am.  

On another subject altogether I will say that I felt quite sad on Monday morning this week when I had to go back to work.  My job is fine and satisfying but I just wasn't ready.  I still had vacation goals to meet.  I hadn't cleaned the basement or organized my room or done the writing and reading I planned to do.  When I woke up Monday morning hearing the rain thumping on the roof, it was all I could do not to howl!  I expect I shall go kicking and screaming into Heaven someday because my projects still aren't done.

 The week was Normal with a vegeance.  Back to normal : Elder's meeting, Music Team, my writing group, me speaking to the women's Bible study group today.  And work as usual.  I still need to drive across town tonight to deliver a package to a girl who is flying tomorrow to Tunisia, who will deliver it to my daughter and son-in-law.  So the day is not done yet.  But in a sense it felt marvelously done at 11:30 this morning when the stress of speaking was over and I could breathe deeply again.  It's quite a weight of responsibility talking about the Bible; that's one thing you don't want to mess up!  When God has said it in the first place, there's a high priority on interpreting and explaining it correctly.  So even though I was not thrilled with my delivery I was glad that I had passed the climax of my week.  Now it's just downhill to Saturday, where once again I will attempt to clean the basement and organize my room.  And perhaps spare a few moments for preparing next week's message.