New Year @ MindSay

For your listening pleasure - All Souls Night, Loreena McKennitt

Figures of cornstalks bend in the shadows
Held up tall as the flames leap high
The green knight holds the holly bush
To mark where the old year passes by.

I know, I know, wrong new year, but I've had the song in my head.  Squeak got a CD alarm clock for Christmas, and since she doesn't have any of her own CDs yet, she's been listening to mine.  I introduced her to Ms. McKennitt, and it's about all she listens to right now.  She makes occasional breaks for Brian Setzer, and a mix CD that we used to listen to in the car all the time.

The missing packages from Christmas finally arrived today.  The presents from my mom, and The Boy's mom, were finally opened and handed out.  This made for two very happy children, a reasonably happy Boy, and an extremely happy me.  Feeling so cut off from home, I needed the package from my mom, full of pictures and her little notes.  I miss her a lot.  I knew I would, but I also thought I'd be more relieved not to have her around so much.  Funny how that turned out.

Our tree is pretty dern dead.  We'll be taking it down tomorrow and cutting it up for firewood.  Cause we have a fireplace now.  And it has been neglected.

I'm not sure of my expectations for 2009.  My feelings for 2008 can be summed up as "it was hard, but several awesome things happened".  The biggest one of course being that The Boy and I are finally living together.  Hee hee - I have a tungsten carbide ring that says he's mine.  When he gave me the ring, he said "I offer you the strongest metal known, in the strongest shape in nature, to symbolize the strength of my love".  Geektastic, and yet poetic - I know I smiled like an idiot.  He is my dork, and I loves him.

I do plan on doing something about my weight, though.  No, I don't really know what just yet.  My original brilliant plan for getting in shape once I moved out here was kind of hampered by the fact that public transit from Snohomish County down into King County kind of blows.  Once you're in King County, it's brilliant, the problem is getting there.  Ah well.  I will give serious thought to my brilliant plan, and see how it can be revised.  I'm already walking more than I was before I moved, but it's not enough to encourage weight loss.

I can't believe it's 2009.  My mind is still trying to wrap itself around it.  I've been lost in the Twilight saga books, practically reading them around the clock.  I haven't gotten this excited about vampires since The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice.

 

It's inspiring. 

 

I'm keeping a new offline journal.  Just a little book full of one sentences and paragraphs.  I think writing my books is now possible, and possibly just as engaging as Twilight. 

 

I have a lot of work ahead of me.

Happy new year!

As I am thinking about the past year I am remembering so many things. Some of it feels so long ago, and some feels like yesterday. So many new experiences and changes I went through this year. I am remembering mostly the things that taught me something, good or bad.

My first happy memory is starting school with my wonderful friends. Shima, Rach, Jaana, Tiffany, and Amber are amazing girls and classmates and I dont think I could get through school without them.. they keep me sane. I remember being so excited to see them again! Especially Tiff, it is so so great to live with her, we have grown incredibly close this past year. Even though we have known each other since 13, being roommates and classmates has really made me appreciate her and our friendship so much.

I started the year dating Kyle, that didnt last long.. He was just a bad decision, not really anyones fault, just not right for each other. I am happy to say we are still friends.. but I dont ever want to go back to anything more. Shortly after was the whole mess with JT, and yes, it was in fact a mess. Possibly the first time I have ever cried over a guy.. I dont think he broke my heart, I didnt love him, but he hurt and betrayed me on a level I have never experienced. He backed me into a corner with his lies and my promises. I dont know how it ever got to such a place. But I am determined never to go back there.. It was an awful time for me and I am not proud of my actions. But Ive got amazing friends who helped me pull through, and I am thankful for that. And I have let go of it all, I can talk about it, it doesnt hurt me anymore, I am okay with JT and I dont have any feelings against him. Thats the best part, I think.

I spent my birthday with my amazing family, went to NYC, got to see some of my favorite bands ever perform at the bamboozle, and brought my sister home with me. It was so great to spend the summer with Kel. We had soooo much fun and I think we are even better friends than before. I am so excited to see what adulthood/graduating has in store for her. I hope it brings her here, but whatever the case I know she will do awesome things.

I also re-ignited some friendships, the biggest being with Chris. He is such a great guy and an awesome friend. I am working to be a better friend to a few others that I have drifted from.. It gets hard when both people are busy, but I miss these friends, I want to have those relationships back. I am so thankful for my BEST friend, Liz. She is amazing and has been my best friend since age 8. And will be until age 80 and beyond. I am always amazed at how we help each other and teach each other, still manage to make each other laugh until we cry/pee, and constantly support each other, even after 12 years. I am very happy to have Stephen back as well.. its hard after 2 years to come back and see how much life has changed without you, but Stephen is adjusting fine and he is a best friend I intend to keep for a long long time.

I am looking forward to 2009, so many great things are going to happen.
Two of my sisters will graduate, Liz, Tara, and I will all be turning 21, the end of spring semester (which marks my half way point through school!), Tara and I are taking our summer EUROPE TOUR which will last an incredible 35 days, I have friends coming to visit and friends I would like to visit, and most of all I am excited to see what comes that I am not expecting or planning on. I thrive on experience and therefore I am awaiting the unexpected.

I dont make New Years resolutions, because, lets face it, losing 10 lbs will only happen if I get the flu, but I do make plans and set goals. So here is a list for 2009. Hope every one of you has a very blessed year ahead of you.

Read 3 books for pleasure. (Last year's count.. 2, pathetic)
Eat more ice cream (you can never have too much!)
Stop spending so much money on smoothie king/sonic
Take a summer class
Have a wonderful trip with Tara
Visit PA and go to NYC and spend time with Sam
See Dave Matthews Band in April
Steal street signs with Chris
Roll houses with Marlena and Ryan.
Spend time with RAE and ASHLEY because I miss those ladies.
Paint
Illustrations
Play rock band A LOT with Dave
Watch movies with Josh
Dont miss church
Move up in my job, or to a different area, Id like to be a DT or cashier/curbside worker possibly
See lots of live music
Buy a keyboard
Play it
Write more
Blog more (HA)
Make a drive to Knoxvull to see Will
Play red rover
Take more pictures
Talk to a doctor about my back/neck stuff
Quit smoking
..only kidding, I dont smoke.

Holy. Fucking. Shit.

Sorry about the language, but my heart is racing. As the New Year began, I was talking to a cop.

So Shady and I were asleep, as is our New Year's tradition. There were two loud pops and that tinkle-y sound of raining glass. As I startled awake, I could feel something falling on me.

We got up and turned on the lights to find a hole in the oriental screen that sits in front of the window.
Here's a quick and dirty map so you know what I'm talking about:

tomorrow at sundown the Jewish New Year begins. 5769 is the year and these weeks are my favorite in the whole year. Non Jews know about new year's and maybe the day  of atonement? But do they understand what it means? Lesson number one:


The Jewish year is based on the moon and the first month is Tishrei. Each month begins with the new moon ( rosh chodesh) and each day begins at sundown as there was darkness before there was light. So Jews all over the world will go to synagogue at sundown in their time zones and do closely the same ritual all over the world no matter what kind of Judaism they practice. New Years is often celebrated  for two days because of the poor communications in ancient times. that way no one could miss out and use the excuse they did not hear. 

Traditional foods are apples  honey and round challah rather than the typical braided ones. and yes one spends a good part of the day in temple. or in the lobby gossiping.  A very nice custom is tashlich on the afternoon of Rosh (new) HaShanah( The year) in which one throws away ones sins in a body of living water ( it moves and has fish  so swimming pools are out)  Traditional jews use bread crumbs. Jim and I use torn up rice paper. we write the actions we regret and in tend to avoid in the coming year and then say some blessings at the river and toss the torn up paper into the water ( rice paper will dissolve).

Then on the tenth of Tishrei we begin the observance of the day of atonement (Yom Kippur) with a beautiful and somber service called Kol Nidre. Kol Nidre means "all vows" and is an ancient Aramaic prayer. It is sung or maybe played on a violin and then the entire congregation issues a group confession that exonerates them from religious edicts made under pressure ( as in forced conversions in the 1400's) 

Certainly catholic confession  evolved from these customs but one is not "off the hook" unless one actually turns from action and makes a change in their lives (I mention this as I had a catholic boyfriend in HS... we would have sex, he would go to confession,. say some hail marys and then later in the week we'd have some more sex. I never understood it. If sex was a need for confessional act  he shudda stopped ...no? ) but I digress.

then after YK comes a few days to prepare for Sukkot - the Fall harvest festival on which Thanksgiving and The Christian Tabernacles is based. I will no doubt be  featuring my sukkah here so I will stop with the lecture. but then two holidays that some Jews who are not very observant hardly know. Simchat Torah and Shemini Atzerat. More on those  later.

For now... have a  sweet new year. eat some apples in honey. say some blessings and make some New Year Resolutions of some weight and then KEEP THEM.............  It's so Jewish.