Bring on 2015!

I would like to wish everybody both near and dear to me, as well as those I may not ever have met, a wonderful beginning to another year. 

No matter what we may have faced in the past, we are all still here with a promise for the future.

So, Happy New Year, version 2015!

Great tree reflection

Anticipating a great meal

We personally spent our Eve participating in a group dinner with a bunch of church friends, all in French! 

While they all wished us the French Bonne Année with kisses to everyone at the ringing in of the changing calendar date, we wished them a Happy New Year in return. 

Happy hostess, great cook

We dined on polenta, which is a kind of cornmeal mush dish that's very Provençal, the French version of scalloped potatoes, and duck legs.  That was definitely a first for us!

However you spent yours, calmly and safely tucked into your own home, or out at some big private or public bash, I hope you enjoyed your own evening.  We should all start off new beginnings on a positive foot.

Has everybody made their traditional resolution list?  I find that a pointless tradition, because nobody ever keeps them.  However, it's always a good idea to aim for personal improvement, and the start of anything makes a good point in time.  There is the calendar year (the new year), a seasonal period (such as spring, the beginning of the plant rejuvenation cycle), a regular date (a birthday, the start of school, etc.)

Hills, hills, and more hills

I have chosen the beginning of this new year to attempt correcting some bad habits I've developed (mostly along the dietary lines), begin a walking program with Doc Leo to improve the too sedentary lives we've slid into (we live on a mountain, exercise is just out our front door!), and to make some major progress on a number of home and garden projects (beyond the constant maintenance) we've put off doing because there were more fun things in life to occupy our time. 

Early project start

I think what makes such challenges for me more effective is to be considering for some time in advance that I was going to attempt these activities.  So now that the year has actually changed, I'm hopefully mentally prepared to put them all into action.  I even got started on the garden aspect early with a Christmas project I was able to start and finish, and a continuing holiday project of doing some serious manipulation to our very neglected and discouraging entrance parking area.  Things are looking great; perhaps we can actually create something of beauty this year finally.

Currier & Ives 1876     Courtesy of The Stock Solution

I hope if you've created any goals for yourselves, you'll successfully follow through and end this year as positively as you may be starting it. 

I certainly have managed to create a more positive feeling for myself than I have in too many previous years!

All party pictures taken with the Doc's new phone, which apparently is leaving a lot to be desired!