Thursday, December 28, 2006

BIG MONDAY


I love that 2007 is starting on a monday. I always like new things like diets and carefully schemed plans for world domination to begin on mondays -- it's kind of like starting a fresh notebook for a new idea. It's like an empty hallway to dance down, with nothing in your way. So: 2007. Hello! A monday. Perfect! I have a few more days to gather my wits before Big Monday. What will I scheme this year? My resolutions were the same for so long, and unfulfilled for so long I stopped making them out of shame. They were still there of course, like tiny little letters written on the ceiling you needed to climb a ladder and read with a magnifying glass** but I stopped announcing them, even to myself. And then, one year, I did the impossible. I accomplished them. A year ago today, I was riding the tail end of a year that had seen both of my resolutions accomplished. One was to write a novel. The other was. . . (you'll never have heard this one before) to lose weight.

I felt GREAT. Powerful. The year that followed, 2006, was a good year too. Exciting and full. I saw my book as an actual book for the first time. I got cracking on the next book. I had a little more money than I was accustomed to having. All good things, but nothing so resounding as finishing and selling my first novel AND losing weight! In fact, I gained some of the weight BACK. And here I am again, another New Year's, with my same old goals hanging over my head: finish a [different] novel, and lose [different] weight.

Why can't goals stay accomplished? Sigh. This time at least I know I can do it. And thank you, universe, for aligning to start the year out cleanly on a monday. I have many more thoughts and hopes about the coming year, and I will write more about them before Big Monday. I'm just easing myself into these thoughts about change, about habits and hopes for new accomplishments. A new year lying ahead is a beautiful thing. In my mind it is an oval, kind of like a racetrack, with summer and winter as the roundabouts, and fall and spring as the straightaways. I don't know why I see it that way, but I always have.

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. I did! And I have high hopes that the quality of photography on my blog is going to increase drastically, since Jim gave me a new camera for Christmas. Yaaayyy! Thanks, sweetie! I am deeply in love with it, oohing and aahing and wanting to take pictures of everything. And yes, I know Christmas isn't all about the gift giving. But still, what fun! The giving part and the receiving part. I am unashamed to say I love it all, and that for me Christmas isn't a religious occasion, but a reason to gather together and cook with my loved ones and laugh and eat cookies and give presents and yes, get presents! I love stuff and I won't pretend otherwise! Cake stands and felt purses, black dresses and Moroccan leather foot stools, dolls and silver pomegranates, wine and sharp knives and chandeliers that dangle blue beach glass. And books, lots of books! Beautiful, wonderful things!!! Now, of course, comes the part of figuring out where to put new things, which inevitably leads to craving a bigger house. Ha ha! Not this year!

**What's all that about tiny letters on a ceiling? It's nothing to do with anything, but I read somewhere how John Lennon and Yoko Ono met: he attended a gallery opening of hers which included an installation of a ladder you had to climb to use a magnifying glass to read a tiny word printed on the ceiling. The word was "yes." John Lennon later said that if the word had been, say, "no," he would not have made an effort to meet the artist. And how differently things would have gone! So: "yes!"


(Birthday roses, pic taken with my new camera!)

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'd never consciously realized this until I read your post...but I always like to start new ventures on Sundays...so I guess I've been feeling a bit bummed out that the year will start on a Monday. ;) Glad to hear you had a great holiday...it's not a religious occasion for me either, but I still love all the holiday goo-ga's.

Frida World said...

Yay for your new camera, that photo is gorgeous. I'm feeling all sorts of lovely little frissions of recognition as I read your posts. One of my adventures for the coming year is to get a better camera and learn how to capture more of the images that catch my eye here in Afghanistan. It's also finally time to stop being afraid of not being a good enough writer! Bring on Monday..

I have a friend from Portland coming to meet me on my next RnR in New Zealand. So I'm going to beg her to bring me one of Laini's ladies to brighten up my sad days here in this place of war and tragedy and remind me to grow wings. Do you recommend any special lady for such purposes (I promise to take good care of her!).

Susannah Conway said...

happy new year sweet pea - i love that it starts on a Monday too :-) xo

Deb R said...

I never knew that story about John Lennon - how cool!

What kind of camera did you get?

trowbridge chronicles said...

Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas! I wanted you to know that I just stumbled upon and have enjoyed reading through your blog. Many of our dreams are the same. I'm a writer and illustrator, and I just wrote my first juvenile fiction novel, Star Dude, but it's not published yet. I have had many of my children's stories published in magazines, but never in novel form. This coming New Years Eve marks the one year anniversary of my story blog, Trowbridge Chronicles. I have been amazed at how the Trowbridge audience has built in one year.

I'm just up the freeway from you...in Puyallup, Washington, near Tacoma. I'll continue to follow your blog and your other work. Best of everything in 2007.

jennifer said...

Happy 2007 Laini!

I hope this year is very fruitful for you!

I never seem to have New Year's resolutions.. just lots of "to- do" lists!

Your new camera takes great pix!

Jamie said...

I'm so glad you had a great holiday! And a new camera - woohoo! I love how you celebrate your love of stuff. This holiday really felt like a joyful celebration of abundance to me, so I'm with you! Wonderful!

I love new beginnings too. I always find the time between Christmas and New Years a time for self-reflection and dreaming. And I hadn't thought about the new year starting on a Monday - how auspicious! It must be time for particularly magnificent dreams to come to life! I wonder what we'll all get up to! I look forward to sharing our adventures in 2007!

PS I just love your table setting!

Amber said...

Oh yes! I "see" it as an oval, too!!! Only Winter and Fall and then Spring and Summer are all kind of on the straight away, with the months of June and December making the curves. I knew just what you meant! Funny.

I am always so inspired by you Laini. I can't wait to read your book.

I lost weight this year. About twenty-five pounds. I had surgery, and couldn't eat, so it just metled away! LOL. So go have surgery. It was almost worth the pain, to lose my ass fat. *snort*

And you are the first person to point out that the New year starts on a Monday. Wow! The Monday of all Mondays!


I know it will be a great one for you!

:)

Anonymous said...

Hi, I'm Frances, and I got here via Sunday Scribblings. And I got to Sunday Scribbling by Googling blog prompts. I just moved my blog to WP for the New Year - I needed a change - and I am looking forward to doing my first SS this weekend.
I really enjoyed your post.
Joyous Prosperous Wonderous New Year,
Frances

Anonymous said...

Wonderful post, Laini. I hadn't heard the story of the ladder and the magnifying glass. I like the idea of the year being like an oval - and it starting on Monday as well. You accomplished so many wonderful things in 2006 - hope 2007 is equally fabulous for you! xo

Deirdre said...

I haven't made resolutions for years - it seemed kind of pointless. But this year I have a cleaner slate to begin and may get some goals lined up. I love your energy in this post. It makes me want to accomplish something.

Alex S said...

That isn't a chandelier Toot! Thats a hat with candles! I know, its very fancy, almost too fancy for a hat but its from Ghana and thats how they wear them. As for the new year, I am certain you will keep inspiring yourself and everyone around you as you laep past goals and invent new ones! I wonder if I will even see you again this year?

Tinker said...

I've never been big on Mondays, but somehow it is a fitting start to the New Year. Loved the Lennon/Ono ladder story. Now I want to paint yes! somewhere on my ceiling.
Thanks for all the inspiration you've provided this year, Laini. Wishing you a happy, prosperous and productive New Year with a new book and new adventures unfolding before you!

HoBess said...

"Why can't goals stay accomplished?" Well, now there's a loaded question! I love Monday's, too. I didn't always, but, like you, I often find a supersource of energy on Mondays, so here's to the Big One! Congratulations on goals met and thanks for sharing your inspiration along the way.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

[a} said...

Hope your goals get accomplished

and stay that way (the second one)

:D

I'm working on the lose some weight thing too, and haven't missed a day at the gym!

[it's good to push yourself]

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