A New Year. A New Decade.

First and foremost.... HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The husband and I spent a quiet New Year's Eve together. He had fought a migraine for most of the day yesterday and the cold temps here in Lexington just made me back out of going downtown and enjoying all of the wonderfulness of counting down to a new decade as well as a New Year. I played it safe. I played it safe for myself as well as for my husband. Some would say this was quite thoughtful and very adult of me; others would say that I had lost my youthful exuberance for challenging everything and everyone to do what I want. I cannot, for the life of me, choose the best side to stand on as far as my actions are concerned. Yes, I was disappointed in not going downtown and dancing until I could not longer breathe. Yes, I wanted to enjoy bringing in a New Year with a lot of people who were hoping for something better like me. No, I was not willing to chance falling on ice and injuring myself for the beginning of the new year. No, I did not want to add to the stress of a post-migrained husband in a crowd of people with flashing lights and loud music.

Sadly, I even declined having people over because the husband wasn't up to it.

So, we quietly brought in the newness of the Year and Decade with video games, a kiss, and watching just a few minutes of Carson Daily and Rihanna in New York City where it was snowing and looked so cold. (Actually I felt quite sorry for Rihanna who was singing her heart out and wearing a belly-showing bustier with a short white fur-looking coat and riding pants and boots. I could almost feel her cold, especially since her band and back-up singers were bundled in several layers.) Then we went back to playing the video game - Conan for the XBox 360.

I actually ended up leaving the husband playing the game and took myself off to bed and didn't wake up or get up until 11:40 this morning (or what was left of the morning).

Friends are coming over tonight to enjoy ham hocks, black-eyed peas and pintos, with collard greens (or any greens I can put together) with some cornbread. A traditional mountain New Year's Day supper.

As far as New Year's Resolutions are concerned I have decided on the following:

1. I am going to be happy this year and as filled with peace as possible, even if I must depend on the use of some nerve pill here and there to help me along.
2. I am going to get out and do what I like and that makes me happy whether or not anyone approves, unless the thing I want to do puts me in danger.
3. I am going to correct as many of the "mistakes" my husband says I make where he is concerned as possible. The others I will note, and just keep on living my life and doing my best to please him as possible while understanding and accepting I am never really going to be able to do that on a constant basis because, let's face it, we're both humans and humans make mistakes and err and we just have to keep going forward with living.
4. The house will be better kept and I am going to encourage the husband to help clean up the messes he make- not two days later, but before going to bed.
5. I am going to move more and continue getting in better physical condition.
6. I am going to work as well as I can and keep my job for as long as possible.
7. I am going to move forward with the writing and the knitting because I am almost positive this is how I am going to get the extra money I need in order to keep up a good living condition, as well as keep myself in yarns, journals, and books.
8. I am going to organize, organize, organize.
9. I am going to follow the dictates of my faith.
10. I am going to prepare myself for death every single day from this point forward. Yes, it does sound a little morbid, but if I live every single day as if I am going to die at the end of it then perhaps I will be able to keep more joy in my life and everyone else around me as happy as possible.

These look simple, and even sound simple, but this is the most difficult New Year's Resolution list I have ever made for myself.