Saturday, December 31, 2011

New Year's Eve

If I did nothing else today I had to write the final blog of 2011. New Year's Eve to me is like a religious festival. Having got past the age of wild parties and, although it would be nice to spend the evening with good friends, having entered the phase of staying at home with a young child, I use tonight to do all those introspective, contemplative things that I also do on the eve of my birthday and Rosh Hashana (The Jewish New Year).

In previous years I've opened a bottle of wine and ordered a pizza (the last one ever of course, as there's always a diet starting on January 1st). This year I'm too tired to indulge in the wine and the pizza is a total waste of money when I can do grilled cheese on toast with ketchup to similar effect.

I always write my list of New Year's resolutions - some of them have been on the list and remain not done for 30 years. Others have only recently (within the past five years) joined the list but, nevertheless, remain not done. So I could, in theory, just write: All the usual, and leave it at that. But I won't because I love the anticipation and hope that this year, despite the evidence of past experience, I just might be able to become the accomplished person I'd like to be with the self-discipline that I crave.

With two hours to go (I live in GMT+2 which is a small country just east of Europe) I have finally got DD to bed (though not to sleep) and I can give my full attention to the twelve months that lie clean and unspoiled, like a new carpet, before me. This year is an important one as it's the year I turn 50 so in fact I'd like to have myself all ship-shaped and perfected by September. This is the year I prepare myself for the second half of my life (assuming I'm going to live to 100 and why not?). This is the year my DD becomes old enough to start learning how to live her life from my role modelling (now that is scary enough to whip me into action!).

However, contrary to the impression I've given so far in this post, I'm not stupid. I'm not going to be speaking perfect Hebrew and French, playing the piano, have written a novel and a cookery book, lost #kg (mind your own business), and have kept the house sparkling clean, my feet pedicured and my body toned... all by September, or even next New Year's Eve. So my clever plan this year is to activate my Day Zero Project (101 things to accomplish in 1001 days - which is about 2 3/4 years) to start on January 1st 2012, in about one hour's time. Sorted.

Happy New Year to everyone everywhere and may all your resolutions, goals, manifestoes, no-pressure vague ideas, dogmatic anti-New Year's non-resolutions, etc... come true (haha would that it were so easy) be accomplished with much pride and smugness.

All illustrations are from Google images except the happy New Year badge below from We Don't Eat Anything With A Face who's hosting a New Year Resolutions Blog Hop.


22 comments:

  1. love it!
    Happy 2012!
    Hope its a wonderful year for all of us, especially those of us turning 50!!!

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  2. Thanks Liz, as my Dad once said, turning 50 is better than the alternative.... Happy New Year!

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  3. That's an excellent picture, the ocean washing away 2011, not yet touching 2012. A beaut read. Very positive :) N'n.

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  4. By the way I didn't mean to be anonymous, it's just that I couldn't tick any of the other "identity" boxes! I am Noeleen -
    Happy New Year! :)

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  5. Glad to see someone else doing a 101 list, I'm about halfway through mine now. If you like you can link up on my blog, there are several of us doing it. http://emsyjo.blogspot.com/p/101-in-1001.html


    Happy New Year!

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  6. Hi Noleen, nice to meet you and Happy New Year. I will follow your link later today, after work.

    Emma - I will link to you and I'm also part of another group doing it - I didn't have time to do all the linking last night but I'll get to it later. Thanks.

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  7. Happy New Year to you and DD. I too have an ever increasing list.. why is that? Tomorrow I shall start that diet, and get back to my Welsh revision, and start running again. Sigh.

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  8. Thanks for commentikng Lin - why do we do it? Actually I know why, because it's another chance to be better. Good luck with yours and happy New Year!.

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  9. Dear Midlife Singlemum

    I very much enjoy reading your blogs as we grew up together in the same place (although a couple of years apart) and interesting enough, still live just a few minutes walk away from one another.

    All the best for you + DD for a happy, healthy and successful year 2012, bivracha, Mikey

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  10. Thank you for your lovely comment Mikey - I actually didn't realize that you lived in Jm. David Granny and I also share that down the road in London and down the road here thing. It's nice.

    Happy New Year to you and your family. I'm going to find out more from you via fb :)

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  11. Wishing you both a very very happy 2012! Looking forward to reading all about it! Emma :)

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  12. Thank you Bavarian Emma (as opposed to Cypriot Emma and Scottish Emma). I'm wondering if publishing for all to see will make it easier to be more disciplined this year. We'll see. Happy New Year and a great 2012 to you too.

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  13. Happy New Year to you may 2012 bring with it whatever we hope for xxx

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  14. Amen to that sarah. Thanks for commenting anf Happy New Year to you too.

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  15. Happy New Year...hope 2012 is a good one for you xx

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  16. Thank you faceless - I hope to become more faceless myself, if you get my meaning ;) Happy New Year to you too!

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  17. Happy New Year and glad I'm facing turning 50 in such good company x

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  18. Blue Sky - very good company. I see that there are a few of us. We should start a group of some sort.

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  19. Happy New Year! Thanks for all your support and comments last year - much appreciated (particularly during NaBloPoMo!) Good luck with the Day Zero Project - sounds interesting - I'll have to check it out when I get time. Thanks for the Blog hop tip, I've linked up mine too (although I suspect everyone's fed up with reading resolutions now) xx

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  20. Thanks Nikki, it's been an absolute pleasure reading your blog and I look forward to more in 2012. HNY!

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  21. I absolutely loved reading this post - and by the way the word 'stupid' never once entered my mind... I see a woman who knows what she wants and is very realistic about how to achieve it;. A woman who likes tradition and is loyal to her culture and beliefs; A woman who does not jump hoops to please others, but sets realistic targets to enjoy and preserve a happy life; A woman who will, because she feels she deserves to, achieve those goals and feel the satisfaction of acheiving it all at a pace she could appreciate each acheivement.

    I felt very much inspired by your post and it reminded me that you can't buid Rome in a day and despite having a long list of things I'd like to achieve myself - I can achieve them and will if I allow myself the space and time to do so. Thank you and a Happy New Year to You and your lovely little girl :o

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  22. Wow, Honiebuk what a lovely comment. Thank you so much and I'm chuffedx to think I inspired you. Let's hope we both follow through and have a wonderfully fulfilling year. xxx

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