The White House

The White House

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Resolutions: Not A Recipe For Success

Is a "New Year" really a big deal?  Do you believe it is filled with hope and promise of good things to come providing one is willing to make the necessary changes to make it so?  Or is that just a bit of trickery designed to get us to better ourselves? Or at least think things are better? Or does it just set us up for disappointment because life is going to be what it is no matter what we do?

Seems to me to be just another day especially when the first few days of 2011 are going to be filled with stress and drama for my family.  Nothing fresh about that.  In fact, that's a lot of the same-old-same-old that we deal with day after day.

I don't think I'll be buying into the "New Year" hoopla, but I think I will hang onto that thin thread of  promise of a year better than the last.  A tiny bit of hope for improvement. We haven't figured out what we need to do differently as most of the angst comes from outside our home; maybe it is to just rely on one another even more than before and keep our doors shut.  One thing is for certain: our time of trial will end whether it be today, next month, next year or at death; it will eventually end.

So let's move on to more frivolous posting in the new year, because our reality is kind of depressing, isn't it?

How about those New Year's resolutions?  Did you keep the ones from last year or fail miserably as I did?  Please share and make me feel better about myself! :)

For 2010:
1. I will teach myself to crochet.  Sounds simple enough.  And I kind of did it.  I  mean, I followed the book, I crocheted a few rows and then I threw it away, deciding I really don't like crocheting.  I'll stick to knitting.
2. Complete scrapbook pages.  Epic failure two years in a row.  In 2010 I didn't do one single page.  That will not be on anymore resolution lists.
3. Read seven Jane Austin novels.  I read about four pages.  I doubt I'll read anymore.  I need more fluff in my reading.
4. Finish bedrooms.  Bad resolution as the building was really out-of-my-control and my husband lost interest three years ago when his son left him. When the supplies right down to the carpet sit untouched for that long you have to accept reality. I'll just have to be happy with what I have or learn to do it myself.
5. Training Roscoe.  That didn't work out so well either.  I tried, but I wasn't strong enough to control him so he went to a new home.  Training Millie is going very nicely, thank you.
6. Live in a no-drama zone.  That just kind of makes you laugh out loud, doesn't it?  As long as there are people who want to hurt us, we will have drama. The important thing is how we are going to deal with it.
7.  Teach Olivia to read.  Well, that would have been a warm and fuzzy thing to do, but it didn't happen.  Not that she isn't smart enough, but let's just say she doesn't require the maintenance her older siblings seem to take from us so those extras get pushed to the side.  She is in the beginning stages of reading despite me. :)
8. Go fishing twice.  Ya, right.
9. Finish sewing projects.  Nope to that as well.
10. Follow blogs from every state.  I believe I just suck at this resolution thing!


So what things will I promise to fail at this year?  Well, just about everything, I suppose, but despite the fact that I view them as  failures my kids will still continue to believe I rock. The one thing I learned from 2010 is that the more I screw up, the more my kids know their screw-ups are okay and the more respect I get.  It's all part of learning.  And the more people try to tear our family apart, the closer we become and what mom doesn't welcome a deeper relationship with their child?

And New Year's Eve?  Pretty laid back.  The kids didn't want to go to the fireworks so we hang out at home.  Elijah did some riding since it finally warmed up after a month of deep freeze and then was home to ring in the new year with the rest of us.  And that was that.



I did do this the last day of 2010.  The packages to Texas and Vermont have been waiting a year to be sent.  The DVDs have been sitting around for two years.  One is an October birthday present.  And one is a Christmas present so at least that one isn't TOO late.  I even got all the Christmas cards with school photos done. 
My resolution should be to take care of things right away, but I'm sure that would be a failure, too.

One thing I do promise.... to get back to sharing more photos of our world and less words. :)

Happy New Year.

8 comments:

Martha said...

Happy New Year. I hope all goes your way at court on the 5th.

I don't make resolutions anymore, I suck at keeping them.

I am BAD about getting to the post office too... I've got something that should have been sent before we left FL (18 months ago!)

stace41971 said...

My mail woman has it out for me....so I don't do the post office unless I absolutely have to...they scare me down there.

I don't make resolutions...I make goals. I know I need to work on my follow through and getting projects that I start finished...its something I've been trying to work on for awhile...and I used the new year to start a 365 photo blog...but I only started it on the 1st because it's a date I can't forget...and I thought that doing a public blog would help hold me accountable. We'll see.
Mostly I just hope that I keep breathing for the following year...and New Years means the end of the holiday season for me..it's a good wrap up so to speak :)
Ill be thinking of you this week...((HUGS))

RottenMom said...

Well I have to admit, I really wish you would have kept #8. One of my very favorite posts was the one where you went fishing for Salmon. I was all like, damn that girl is freakin' amazing getting all fishy like that.

As you know, I don't make resolutions either. Why bother?

I will be praying for things to go your way this week.


PS. When you go to the PO Box, I bet the gift card you won on my giveaway will be there!

Tara said...

I don't mind the words. I like to read what's going on...see the *real* I hope you feel comforted by all your loving friends here.

No...I don't typically buy it, but I'll tell you I've never been so happy to see a year move on! And I guess we kept our resolution, but that's just because it was a cop-out one. (you know...move closer to self-sustainability) I don't ever make super strict promises cuz I always disappoint myself. Guess we're 2 NY bums. LOL ;)

Love ya, Gayle and am praying/will be praying for the 5th.

Queen-Size funny bone said...

I think you put your heart and soul in everything you do and what can be better than that.

Gail said...

I have no great expectations for the new year...I hope we survive, intact, and are able to laugh now and then.

sue in mexico mo said...

Hang in there. Thinking good wishes for you.

Tink *~*~* said...

The only thing you can control about the drama is your reaction to it. Sweep YOUR side of the street clean, sweetie - and that's all you need to do. Much love coming your way <3 <3 <3

*~*~* <=== and pixie dust!