New Year

Winter Rose

photo by Bgrace

There is just something about reading poetry in the morning. My mood turns reflective. I got up early because Sarah woke me up. She wanted to watch Caio. She always does. I changed her diaper and turned her video on. Since I slept in yesterday, I got dressed quietly so as not to wake Matt and made my way downstairs. Em was up watching Saturday morning cartoons in the basement (probably since the wee hours, she's such an early bird) and Grace was still sleeping.

I picked up Winter Hours, my new Mary Oliver book that I got for Christmas, and went over to the stove to make myself some tea. Lady Grey. It's my morning drink of choice right now. And I thought about it. I thought about how different that is. How things have changed. How I've changed in so many ways. How this year is going to be so different.

I'm not drinking coffee for a year. Not a bit, not even in chocolate cake. (The best chocolate cakes have coffee in them.) And now I go to the gym almost every day. But it's for such different reasons than I ever tried to go before. I mean, sure, it will be nice to lose the 5 lbs of holiday weight I've gained, but not because I feel heavy. I do want to fit more comfortably back in my clothes. But even that isn't why I go. It's about my heart. And it's about breathing. Plus Dad says I can't climb Mount Katadin unless I can run 10 miles. I'm halfway there Dad...

I like to cook. I've always liked to, but now I'm more interested in preparing food more naturally. Oh, I'm not on an organic kick or anything, I'm too cheap for that. But I love the idea of learning to cook foods more naturally. It's hard to describe, I'm learning not so much what to cook as how to cook. I love to use fresh ingredients and natural seasonings and to make things from scratch as much as is possible. To do it all in a low cost manner, simply, deliciously, and beautifully. Cooking for people is one way I like to bless them. It's one of the ways I show my love. I love it when the girls help me in the kitchen. Grace made the corn muffins we had last night with very little help from me. We served them with butter and honey and they were delicious with our homemade ham and split pea soup (even the girls like it) and blue cheese apple raisin salad. I got a couple cookbooks for Christmas, my favorites are Back to Basics (Barefoot Contessa) and Jaime at home.

And of course, there's taking pictures. Funny how a year ago I never had any interest in photography. Now my camera is a huge part of my life. I take pictures for the sheer joy of it. And it's all about discovery. I learn so much looking through the lens. And it returns the favor by teaching me...about what I see through it, and the one behind it as well.

And I have a funny feeling this year will bring about many more changes in my life.

So much is different and yet in so many ways I'm still the same.

Perhaps in the ways that are most important.

How have you changed this year?