The Days Ahead After All of the Good Cheer...

Well, here we are! For most of us, the gifts are opened, the food is "partially" eaten, we have loads of goodies and sweets left that we know we do not need to eat' but just can't resist! The tree is looking rather "bare" with no gifts under it, and the stockings are just a bit down and out. Alas they are empty of all of their fruit, nuts, candy canes and small surprises.
Family is still visiting for some. For others, they are preparing for their trips home. Whether flying, driving, or otherwise, much of the country is not really a great place to be traveling in. for some of us we had somewhat of a "white" Christmas. Even here in our town about 30 miles South of Dallas, we had some snowflakes yesterday afternoon. Of course nothing that was going o stick, but it was enough to give you that special kind of feeling that we did also have a bit of a snowy holiday!
The kids are about to drive you nuts with all of their new toys, or wanting to go outside in the cold and play. Or, they are now "bored" and are looking for something to do. Give them a couple of boxes and tell them to make them a "fort" or a "house", or something creative and constructive to keep them busy for the next few days. For most, school will be out until after the New Year holiday.
Some of us are now planning our party for New Year's Eve. For some, that means another house full of family and friends, probably more on the all adult side, with drinks, music, party hats, and "auld lang syne." Others are planning to go out on the town and live it up in their sequined gowns, and formal attire. Others are preparing for a quiet evening, watching the ball from New York drop as it always does at Time Square, wishing everyone Happy 2013 and off to bed at 5 minutes after midnight... (sounds like us IF we CAN make it to MIDNIGHT)!
Hopefully those that don't hold their liquor well, or don't know when to stop, will drop their car keys off at the door, and spend the night or call a taxi, if they have had a couple of drinks.  There will be some with fire works going off, which in much of the nation is dangerous due to so many states in a drought situation. We certainly don't want anyone beginning the New Year with a burned down home from firecrackers thus I hope those are maintained by the professional people at shows on that level.
Many of us are back off to work today. We are wondering how the holiday, that took SO long to get ready for, is now over, done, and all that is left is the mess, left over food, and kind of an almost "empty" feeling inside. So many spend months before preparing for these holidays, and once they arrive, they are here and gone before we can blink an eye, thus we wonder even why we go through all of the effort. But, it means at least one day of family, friends, happiness, hope and faith. So, for that all of that planning and preparation, no matter how quickly it seems to fly by, was worth that effort.
Many of us are preparing our "New Years 2012 New Years Resolutions". It seems to b a huge tradition in this country. I am not sure where it came from, but before I continue I think I will look it up to see, so I can explain. It seems that this tradition of making Resolutions has been going on even back into the Medieval Times, when Knights would "renew" their commitment to their honor of  "chivalry" in a "peacock vow" each Christmas. Other types of Resolutions actually come from some "religious" beliefs, from "Lent" to Christian vows of doing better or being a creed of "self-improvement." So, our traditions of these New Years Resolutions have been going on for the ages, that people see the "New Year" as a fresh start, a time of reflection to be a better person, or do something a better way. From statistics it appears about 52% make of those who make these "good faith" Resolutions annually (in a study in 2007 of 3000 people), and about 88% actually fail at them.  It seems the more  "specific" the "goal" the much more difficult it is to keep for those who make them. OF course that makes total sense. We usually begin the New Year with lots of hope, faith, good will, and in the realms that things will be so much better this bright and shiny starting fresh. Yet, as we go along, things happen, we lose tract of or sight of, those things that we were so positive about that first part of the New Year. But, don't dismay, many of us keep a few of our resolutions! So, you can always be in that 22% that do!
I was reflecting back just a day ago on my own for "2012". I discovered that I did keep several of mine, although not all of them, keeping about 50% of those I made felt like an accomplishment. With hope that I maybe able to keep 70% or more this brand new up and coming 2013!
So, in a few days we will be "ringing" in 2012 with music, champagne, horns, singing, and for many another tradition of eating black-eyed peas for good luck in the new year. I gather that must be more of a "Southern" tradition. When I lived in Seattle most people there had never even heard of it, and you did not find black-eyed peas up there, even in a can very much. So, even in different part of our nation, we tend to have different little "quirks" we do to celebrate.
Of course, with all of the "goodness" and cheer for January, comes all of the worrisome tasks of, paying home and land taxes, for many paying house and car insurance, or like us our car registration also comes due about this time. Then now, depending on what happens with this "fiscal" not just a cliff but a "mountain" we may fall off of, if Congress does not get their butts together, some are concerned about their "tax" refunds that they may not get. Those that really depend  on those "refund checks" may watch them melt away if all of what has been in the past like the "Bush era" tax cuts happen to come to a quick halt. My person feeling on this is that they (Congress) WILL finally come to a decision. IT will probably happen at the very last hour, so they can keep everyone sitting on sharp tax "literally" and biting their nails! But, I have a very good feeling many of them sitting like "fat cats" up their and looking for their re-election in a couple of years, will be acting in order to gain the voters attention. IF they don't there will many that will be "retiring" from their Federal post in Congress for sure. I think Americans as a whole are more than FED UP! WE are sick and tired of the political fall out we get over their stupid  Congressional games! After all WE elect them, WE pay THEIR SALARIES, and then they DO AS THEY WANT!  I feel that the majority of us have had more than we are willing to take of that any longer.
So, in 10 days or so, kids will be back in school, trees and decorations put away for another year, celebrations and parties over with, and the cold of Winter finally settling in many of our parts of the country. We will be back to our routines, jobs, homes, cleaning, cooking, losing that "holiday poundage" we put in from too much of Granny's fruitcake, and settling down to make the New Year all it can be.
For now, it seems kind of sad for me. Even though I am also looking forward to keeping many of my own "resolutions", and have lots of work ahead of me, I feel like mine will be put between all of the other 1,001 things it seems like there always is to do. New Years' never mean "reprieve" from the other things, like laundry, cleaning, cooking, paying bills, and running errands. Resolutions and New Years' come in, but they don't stop illness, emergencies, and all of the ways we get "detained" for one reason or the other. I know my list is quite long, and quite full of many things as far as my 2013 Resolutions. I want to try and "make up", play a catch up game from the several previous years of illness, surgeries, sickness, and those things that truly did detain me from "living" my life on a semi-some kind of normal time frame. I catch myself putting "finishing my 2nd Poetry book and getting it published" in 6 months, as well as having my "book-book" as I still call it (I do have what I believe it a name now for it but have not revealed it yet) by the end of the year. It won't b publication ready I don't think but I would like to have it close to the place of publication for the beginning of 2014. Just those two alone are tall orders. Then I have the usual lose some weight, exercise a little more, eat a little healthier, etc. I also have others like practice my drums several times a week, along with the keyboard and be writing lyrics and singing again. I also would love to start sewing again and make another quilt, this one for our bed, which is queen sized. So, in between hopefully any of my doctors visits, which I hope and pray will be few and far between for 2013, and NO SURGERIES!, few tests I pray (I realize I may already have to go through a couple of minor tests), and I so pray that the Lord will show me the way to keep the Lupus, RA, pain, and other chronic illnesses in check enough that my time is much more about the things I WANT TO DO, and NOT ILLNESS! Those are my "main" goals, resolutions, or whatever you may call them in your neck of the woods.
Well, as you can see, by this post, I certainly have NOT made a resolution to "cut-down" my post and their sizes....:) With much respect, honor, and truly a Hope for Peace and Great Health for All, Rhia  Happy Up and Coming 2013!