Resolve...

I know, I know...it's resolution season...the moment before the calendar changes when we think of things we wish to improve about our existence, and we commit to work towards a goal...I've had a love/hate relationship with New Years resolutions...some years I have utterly cringed at the mention of them, others I have been sparked to commit to my own...in 2009, I am resolving to do many things, but I am optimistic that these things will not only lead to positive changes...they will also be refreshing for my spirit and soul...and so...I resolve....

1. Learn to Sew: I inherited my grandmother's sewing machine this year, and I am going to put it to good use...the ultimate goal is to sew my own clothes, to learn the ins and outs of sewing, to be able to make gifts for people using my newly learned craft...I've wanted to do this for a long time...this is the year...
2. Read 2 books a month: Now, for some of you this may sound like the easiest resolution ever...I learned this past semester that personal reading can quickly take a backseat when you are teaching literature and having to read so much of that on your own...I love to read and want to do more of it, reading what I desire to read...I'm starting with Hot, Flat and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution and How It Can Renew America...I got it for Christmas and it keeps calling my name...
3. Thomas and Teresa: Zac and I love making music and are in the beginnings of creating it together, just the two of us...we've aptly named our little duo "Thomas and Teresa" after two of our favorite Christian mystics (Thomas Merton and St. Teresa of Avila)...we've got the equipment...we've got the desire...we just need to make it a priority...stay tuned...
4. Write...and Write...and Write...: I'm committing to write SOMETHING everyday...to help, I'm working through a book of prompts by the glorious Natalie Goldberg, called Old Friend from Far Away: The Practice of Writing Memoir...I want to document every day of my life this year...because I have a sneaking suspicion that 2009 is going to be a beautiful mystery...

There you have it...I think I can honestly say that these goals are tangible...and for the first time in a long time, I am excited for a new beginning...2008 was full of so much life, bittersweetness, struggle, and change...I can't believe it's here...another year coming to a close...so this is the new year...