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| St Barbara's Branch cut and put in water on 4th Dec |
Apart from the usual corny wishes for Peace on Earth, Food and Shelter for all Mankind, Kindness and Consideration for the Planet and All Creatures, great and small, who dwell on it; in other words everything I have wished for for countless years, without much visible success, I would really like some peace and quiet for myself now, please.
Today was the last of the parties, the smartest, largest, most opulent of them all, held in a wonderful house in the hills; and Beloved and I never even went! We simply couldn't face yet another round of
"did-you-have-a-nice-christmas-where-with-whom--when-and-what-were-the-roads-like".
Instead, we got up late, had a leisurely breakfast, walked the dog, had an even more leisurely lunch, snoozed for a bit, and generally let the world go by without us lifting a finger to help it on its way.
I am not a great believer in New Year's Resolutions, I have never yet managed to keep one for more than a few days, so I no longer bother. Besides, if I haven't learned to live with myself by now, with all my faults, fantasies and foibles, I never will.
What I'd like for myself is the strength to continue standing on my own feet, with the occasional helping hand, offered and given, when the going gets rough, for me or others, and a sense of humour when yet another overly ambitious undertaking or plan comes to dust.
In the days to come
Let me be able to accept joy with simple gratitude
Pain and sorrow with fortitude and courage
Let there be a friend beside me on the path
Let my spirit be content with what I find ahead
Let a kind heart and hope be my companions along the way.
A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL MY DEAR BLOGGING FRIENDS sincerely, FRIKO |
A person can't ask for more than that in your last paragraph. And a wise woman would not.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year, and congratulations on having gotten through it. Now, settle in for the long calm of winter.
Just settling down to start supper and went to look up a recipe (pork loin en croute) on the internet. Then I thought "wonder if Friko has posted lately" so I checked and sure enough you had. I agree with June that is a lovely paragraph which I plan to print out and post on my bulletin board to inspire me when little things get me down. Thank you and all the best to you and "beloved" in 2011.
ReplyDeletefriko - i don't make resolutions either. i prefer to continue with the approach i have to life and the challenges and blessings that come my way regardless of what i might wish for! i wish you happiness and the continued fortune of a hand firmly and kindly held by the creative force. steven
ReplyDeleteI am another who never makes resolutions. I will carry on as before which is appreciating all that I have, all that there is in my world and to see the small things, not just the big.
ReplyDeleteMay you and your family have a wonderful year.
I, too, have always wished for the things in your first paragraph, to little or no avail, so now, if you don't mind, I'd like to adopt your last paragraph.
ReplyDelete-- K
Kay, Alberta, Canada
An Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travel
The kind heart you already have , and courage too . Hope cannot be far behind .
ReplyDeleteHave an excellent 2011 .
you comment on resolutions reminded me of this piece I recently read, on setting intentions vs. making self-loathing resolutions...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/1526?utm_source=MyYogaJournal&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=MyYogaJournal
I'm glad to have found your blog - best wishes in the new year and looking forward to more blogging :)
Beautiful and sound sentiments. Happy 2011 to you dear Friko.
ReplyDeleteAre there really people who make resolutions and stick to them? Maybe, but I bet there aren't many!
ReplyDeleteMay you have all of those things that you hope for, and then surely your new year will be a happy one.
Wishing you much deserved rest and relaxation!! My best to you! Cathy
ReplyDeleteCheers, kudos, and accolades
ReplyDeleteto you and your Beloved.
You are so "real", sans
frills and pretensions--
and imagine my delight
when I found the poetics
lurking boldly in your prose:
The First Day
We got up late, had a leisurely breakfast,
walked the dog, had an even more leisurely lunch,
snoozed for a bit, and generally let
the world go by
without us lifting a finger
to help it on its way.
I am not a great believer
in New Year's Resolutions,
I have never yet managed to keep one
for more than a few days,
so I no longer bother.
Besides, if I haven't learned to live
with myself by now,
with all my faults,
fantasies and foibles,
I never will.
In the days to come
Let me able to accept joy
with simple gratitude
Pain and sorrow
with fortitude and courage
Let there be a friend
beside me on the path
Let my spirit be content
with what I find ahead
Let a kind heart and hope
be my companions along the way.
Friko
And a very happy New Year to you too, Friko. (Only 358 days to go till Christmas!)
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year, Friko. May all good things be yours. Here's to traveling together along the cyberpath in 2011!
ReplyDeleteHere, here, Friko! I will raise my glass to what you have said, and I do so without even requiring that you come to my house for a new year's party. The best to you and your beloved — and Benno, of course.
ReplyDeleteYour last paragraph would make a lovely resolution. Think I will add it to mine. Yep, I still try. I am always the optimist that this year, I will do as I pledge. If not, there is always next year.
ReplyDeleteI resolve nothing more than to do, as Hamlet says, to be true to thine self...
ReplyDeleteall else will follow. Love this entry.
BlessYourHeart and Your New Year Will Shine
All good things to you Friko in 2011...we are at 0 degrees tonight and all I would ask for is an early spring in the northwoods...the seed catalogs are calling!
ReplyDeletehappy new year Friko - i hope this year all your wishes come true !
ReplyDeleteI just knew it - I knew that you were having that kind of day and I am very envious. Here it was a riot of noise, toys and cooking and I have to admit to longing for a quiet corner somewhere in my house.
ReplyDeleteI wish you many cosy and indulgent days just like this one.
ach, Du übertriffst Dich immer wieder! Deine Anschauungen zum Neuen Jahr sind besonders und Deine Gedanken so klar. Dein abschliessendes Gedicht trage ich mit mir mit, es ist sehr berührend, wirklich schön...
ReplyDeleteEinen schönen, ruhigen und glücklichen Tag wünsche ich Dir!
Renée
We're having a few battery-charging days, ourselves. And, the sun has just appeared this morning. Must be an omen.
ReplyDeleteDear Friko...I am back on your list. I had not realised that, when I lost my Blog, and my posts and followers, I was also erased from those I had been following. It has been a long and frustrating journey back, but am getting there.
ReplyDeleteEvery good wish to you and yours. May the sun warm your head and love warm your heart. XX
sounds like my day.
ReplyDeleteI won't call them resolutions because I don't know what that means, but it is important for me to have a few goals in mind to keep me focused. Have a wonderful year Friko and I will check in regularly to keep tabs on your blog. Keep on writing, please!! You are a joy and inspiration. Dianne
ReplyDeleteAnd back atcha, Friko. Your friendship means so much to me.
ReplyDeleteA wonderful post as always ... Happy New Year to you :o)
ReplyDeleteSounds like a plan to me!
ReplyDeleteDear Friko,
ReplyDeleteVery attractive header.
I wish I could weed through it, like you do. That "it" means every little thing. Wish my pussy cat personality would let me come right out and say it. I try but you do it in such a brilliant way.
So what have you got stashed in the back of the fridge for the New Year? Yummmm
Manzi x0 x0 x0
I am inspired and calmed by your lovely post.
ReplyDeleteMay your days continue to be blessed in the New Year.
Nothing more profound could be said.. a content spirit and a friend beside us to ease the way.
ReplyDeleteYour New Year's Day sounded like a little bit of heaven Friko! Yes I would really love to meet up with you again! - Shrewsbury in the New Year? Will send you an e-mail
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of living with my 'faults, fantasies and foibles.' I enjoyed your series very much.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you , great sentiment, Friko.
ReplyDeleteI love your closing poem/prayer/intension, whatever you chose to call it, it beautifully sums up my inner goal for this coming year.
ReplyDeleteI don’t like parties either. Is there any place to feel more alone than at a room full of people trying desperately to ‘have a good time’ and have some sort of connection? I much prefer a cup of tea with one friend at a time with the chance for real dialog. I hope your coming year brings you lots of peaceful moments, a bit easier for you to do with the gorgeous countryside outside your door and a faithful dog by your side. Thank you for your illuminating writing. It’s a joy to read. Best wishes, Kate
A Holiday Thought...
ReplyDeleteAren't humans amazing? They kill wildlife - birds, deer, all kinds of cats, coyotes, beavers, groundhogs, mice and foxes by the million in order to protect their domestic animals and their feed.
Then they kill domestic animals by the billion and eat them. This in turn kills people by the million, because eating all those animals leads to degenerative - and fatal - health conditions like heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and cancer.
So then humans spend billions of dollars torturing and killing millions more animals to look for cures for these diseases.
Elsewhere, millions of other human beings are being killed by hunger and malnutrition because food they could eat is being used to fatten domestic animals.
Meanwhile, few people recognize the absurdity of humans, who kill so easily and violently, and once a year send out cards praying for "Peace on Earth."
~Revised Preface to Old MacDonald's Factory Farm by C. David Coates~
_____________
Anyone can break this cycle of violence! Everyone has the power to choose compassion! Please visit these websites to align your core values with life affirming choices: http://veganvideo.org & http://tryveg.com
So many people say that Christmas is over and good riddance. It makes me sad. I am 70 now, and I still love Christmas, perhaps because I think of the time before Christmas as Advent. I do my nightly meditation on what is coming - the birth of the Child. In spite of the world around me, I do most of my Christmas decorating very late and the tree arrives on Christmas Eve, as it did when I was a wide-eyed child. This week is still part of my Christmas. I have invited friends to my home several of the last days or gone to their homes. We have re-connected, smiled, shared memories. My heart is happy this week, and I will be a little sad on Epiphany, when the Three Wise Men arrive at my nativity set; and I know that the time to go back to the ordinary world has come. I may be old-fashioned, but for me the days after Christmas are childhood- memory filled and lovely. I wish I could help the world experience that too but will have to be satisfied with my own joy and the Christmas tree's lights.
ReplyDeleteVery well said. Happy New Year to you Friko.
ReplyDelete