New Year's Day

Happy New Year My Darlings!

New Year...time to start over...

May 2011 bring you more blessings, more health, more happiness, and more time to enjoy the things and people you love.

We celebrated quietly last night with some dear friends that we often celebrate with. Just a lovely dinner and some wine and home just a little after midnight.

I did misbehave...but not with the wine...

It was the cheese. I had a cheese orgy. It was not pretty.

I really really really like cheese.

I guess I need to add it to the "kryptonite" list...

But it was soooooo worth it. Dimples will make me pay, I'm sure!

What did I have this love fest with?

An excellent white cheddar (mild) with sage and apples in it....mmmm....

A divine apple smoked mozzarella...yummy

A fig goat cheese...so good it hurt...

And homemade melba toasts...

That was followed by an incredible cabernet-marinated beef tenderloin, garlic mashed potoatoes (just a small spoonful for me) and a salad that I made that had everything but the kitchen sink (or pecans...no nuts for me) in it.

It was a lovely evening...except for the cheese...or at least what I know the cheese will do to all of my hard work.

I got on the scale this morning and it hadn't gone down...but it wasn't up either.

I took today off from exercise. I'm not sure when the last time I took a full day off so I figured if I couldn't recall the date...well, that has been too long.

I did go and see "The King's Speech" this afternoon with my friend KB and her daughter. It was EXCELLENT. I highly recommend it.

As I was going through my day I tried to recall past New Year's Eve nights and past New Year's days...

As a child I don't remember much about New Year's except a lot of football. I remember my father often not looking so chipper on New Year's Day. I need to ask some of my parents friends why that was but I think I can guess.

I remember going to some slumber parties when I was in elementary school and Junior High. We always watched "New Year's Rocking Eve" with Dick Clark. Last night as I watched Dick Clark on tv I was saddened by the damage the stroke did to him but applauded his bravery for continuing the tradition of being on ABC at midnight...and kissing his sweet wife for the camera as he always has done.

In high school I wasn't allowed "out" on New Year's Eve. I had an overprotective father who wouldn't allow it. So my sisters and I were stuck at home---with "New Year's Rocking Eve".

I have very little recollection of New Year's Eve in college.

I wonder why...

hmmmmmm....

I do recall once going with a group of friends to Laredo. We stayed at La Posada. We went into Nuevo Laredo...spent a LOT of time at the Cadillac Bar.

We met up with some friends there---a girl in their group announced she didn't like the ornaments hanging from the deer heads. Then she opened her purse and started to pull out a little tiny gun. I wish I was kidding about this. We told her to put it back. I asked if we could switch tables...

I think I will stop telling this story now because there is sooooo much more and I think that I have said enough...

But we had a helluva time...

Next...

My husband and I went to a few big New Year's blowouts downtown in our early marriage. They were fun but crowded. One year I went to Kerrville and we stayed at my Dad's house and watched "The Gods Must Be Crazy"...I have to say it was a truly great evening...

One year we went to dinner at Brennan's with another couple. Dinner took 3 hours. The bill...well, it was shameful...the other couple was embarrassed it cost so much because it was their suggestion. We didn't eat out for the rest of January...or February...

Now I much prefer to stay home or close to home and just enjoy the company of a few friends and a lovely dinner. Too many drunks out on the street for me to want to get out and about.

2010 was a great year...2011 will be even better...because each year I feel blessed to be alive, to love and be loved, to have friends and to be a friend, and to have my family and my health...and this year, more than I have been in a long time---I AM healthy.

So my resolutions?

To keep eating right and working out...and be a healthy fit, woman!

To keep working with Dimples and hit a 400 calorie burn...often...

To wear one of my mother's dresses...maybe more than one...

To put on a great Medieval Feast with my friend Athena Gal for Bacchus and the kids.

To look into getting my teaching certificate...and maybe just do it...

To help GOTT and TTG put on the best "Peter Pan" ever!

To not let the scale discourage me...and to let my clothes encourage me

To be able to run a mile without wanting to die...and maybe even try for 2 if my knees will let me. But I hate running...

To get control of my "bad toddler" (aka my new camera)and stop having to have Coach Sweetness tell me what to do every step of the way

To help Ke$ha Barbie get into a good college

To help Dimples get a bootcamp started (email me if you want to join us!)

To spend more time with my friends

To tell my friends how much I love them and appreciate them...more often!

To spend as much time with my children as they will allow me...they will be gone all too soon!

To decorate for Christmas...

To use more glitter and fairy dust (stealing this one from my friend V)...but I honestly love love love glitter and sparkle.

To pray more...and to thank God more...

To de-clutter my house...and learn that throwing away something that belonged to my mother does not mean I don't love her...it just means I don't need that thing...

To do things that scare me more often...to try new things...to push myself...

To get Oprah to notice me (well, I have to dream a little...)

To laugh more...

To write more...

To celebrate every day more...because every day is worth celebrating!

So what are you going to do with this year?

Inspiration Song: "New Year's Day" by U2...cliche I know...but it's the best I could do!

Bye Darlings...Happy 2011...make it your best year yet!