Monday, January 4, 2016

The Real New Year


This morning I opened my eyes to a dark sky looking like the inside of a stainless steel pan, trees naked of leaves and with limbs stretched out like a reaching witch’s fingers, and it was January cold. It was Monday…a new day, a new week, a new month, a new year…but it looked a lot like the old year. That is not all bad; there is comfort in the routine, in the familiar.

I put the kettle on, brewed up tea, and fed Miss Biscuit. I urged the furnace up a wee bit and she and went to my chair to read something, anything to postpone facing the real day. Finally, dug in the frig and found all the goodies for vegetable soup like my mom made. Its rich beef and tomato broth steamed up the windows. Eventually, I added healthy things like potatoes, carrots, corn, peas, okra, and kale. While it simmered, I did my exercises, deleted old files from the computer, and organized my writing folders.



The soup lunch was yummy and the whole house smelled inviting and comfy. The sun had come out, brightening the day through the windows and doors. Then I heard the weather forecast for much colder air this week and a touch of snow. Tomorrow the wind chill is to be near 10 degrees. Hum. I had postponed the post office trip, but Biscuit and I changed those plans to go while the sun was out. I had a submission that could only be mailed. So we took out and even stopped for some green bananas for the coming chilly days.

And so we are back to the way things are here….we move along like a stick thrown in the creek. I read over the holidays that time just goes on and we have no choice but to go with it. I think that is so true. And so today, I went with time and I can already feel tomorrow coming!


I hope you readers are all off to a good start on this first Monday.

"We do not think ourselves into new ways of living. We live ourselves into new ways of thinking" 
                                                                                Richard Rohr

7 comments:

rebecca said...

That soup sounds so delicious....
When I wasn't napping today, I was reading Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls. (I don't THINK I heard about it from you, but I think you'd enjoy reading it.) I'm very slow getting with the flow of 2016. I wish I was more on top of it. Guess that's why your last lines here speak to me :)

pat couch laster said...

Happy new year to you and yours. I began the new year with a mission trip (volunteer) to south Louisiana to the United Methodist Committee on Overseas Relief to work packing health kits for needs that arise or are asked for: hand towel, washcloth, comb, nail file OR clippers, bar of soap (except Jergens and Ivory: too much moisture), toothbrush, toothpaste and 6 bandaids--all packed tightly together and pushed into the bottom of a gallon baggie, with the air whooshed out and fastened. There are folks here from TX, TN, FL, GA and AR. I try to do it once a year, but this is the first time I've come the first week of the new year. Your descriptions are exquisite. xoxo

Elephant's Child said...

Still without a phone. Still (much more importantly) without a cooler. Otherwise this year looks much like last.
I do like a good soup in season, and you are right it makes the house smell sooooo inviting.
Stay warm.

Susan said...

Hello dear Claudia. Freezing temps here, too. Some of the windows look like paintings in some frozen art gallery. There are incredible designs in ice all over them, from pane to pane. The holidays were most beautiful but I certainly glad they are over and that the new year has begun! Thanks for your visits and your dear friendship. Susan

Linda O'Connell said...

You and I had the same idea about the soup. It was a good day for soup. It feels good to organize files at the beginning of a new year.
I am in the midst of doing that. Wishing you tremendous success in your writing endeavors. May this be your year! You've sure started off fine.

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