2011: Hit Me With Your Best Shot

New Years.

I've rang in 33 of these bad boys in my lifetime, and although I get the stink eye from folks when I talk about how old I feel, I think being able to say that I really don't know where time has gone constitutes me as being old enough to call myself old.  (And before any of you nice people hurl whips and daggers in my direction, no, I'm not saying anything or implying anything about your own age and youth deprivation.  Y'all are very young.  It's me who's old.)

2010 was a wild ride of a year.  I traveled places that I'd never been before.  I almost died.  I was scared out of my mind, and more excited than I've ever been.  I gained 20 pounds, lost it, then gained it back again.  I hired a personal trainer, went to boot camp, and then resorted to just sticking out my tongue at the gym as I slurped ice cream cones at the coldstone place across the street...all within 3 months.  I watched lots of movies that haunted my thoughts for months on end, and watched lots that I will never remember again.  I watched one of my sons come within a baseball bat's length of being part of a State Championship Little League team.  And I spent more hours at football fields and baseball fields cheering on all three of my rascals than I did at home.  We finished up our first year of homeschooling and started our second, and I'm still floundering in a sea of What-Have-I-Done about it.  I witnessed Broadway magic with my bestie when we went and saw WICKED.  And I was exposed to true friendship by three of the most amazing women I've ever met in my life (wink.wink.and.another.wink...you know who you are).

And I could go on and on.

But 2010 is over.

Calendars have been flipped to 2011, and clean slates are laid before us.  But I don't know if I want a clean slate.  2010 was pretty great....and 2011 has huge shoes to fill.

But I suppose it's up the challenge.

I don't like resolutions for the New Year, because I have commitment issues, and I realize that I'm just setting myself up for failure...

BUT....

I do have a few goals.

• I want to draw closer to my Jesus, so that if 2011 happens to thrill my socks off, I know exactly who to praise for it.  But even more than that, I want to draw closer to the One who made me, so that if 2011 holds tragedy and heartbreak or just days that stink like socks....I will recognize the One who will carry me through.
• I want to spend time building relationships that matter.  That have faces.  That will go the distance.  I want to leave soured laundry in the washing machine and sit with a friend to drink coffee instead.  I want to put down my cell phone's texting plan and call someone.  I want to turn the tv off and listen to my children talk about nothing and everything all at the same time.
• I want to dive into the Word.  Not to finish reading it, but to glean life's blood from it.
• I want to journal more.  Because in my journaling, I find recollection and memories and therapy.

I also have a goal for this World O'Blog of which I breathe its air from time to time.  And it's going to help me meet my journaling goal, too.  A two birds with one stone kinda deal.... 

My goal is this:

• Take a picture every day.  Maybe 2.  Or 6.  Or 348.  But at least one.  And cell phone cameras are totally legit.  I know this because I made the rules.
• Then I'm going to post AT LEAST that picture everyday.  Hopefully, my writing mojo will flood back to me in this year of newness, but if not, at least there will be something for me to attach my thoughts and reactions and memories to.
• Just one picture.
• I can totally rock that.

And if I fall off the wagon....

Well, then my January 1st post of 2012 will tell you about how 2011 was the year that I could not even keep one measly goal of snapping one measly picture a day.

We shall see.
We shall see.

Happy New Year, friends.  May God rain down so much pureness in joy onto your 2011.

~~~~~~~~~~

It would only be fair to start this year off right.  And wouldn't you know it, I'm going to start it off as a big ole' cheater.  Because my picture for today wasn't even taken today.  It was actually taken about 4 days ago, but I'm so impressed that we could get all 5 of us gene-sharers to look at the camera at the same time, that it would be simply criminal to not post it....

PROJECT PHOTO #1:


December 29, 2010