Random Wednesday musings

So I have two bright pink post-its on my computer reminding me of my most important New Year's resolution: to consume less. Turns out it's hard work! Though I do have all this free time now that I'm not buying stuff online. It's quite liberating, actually, but I admit it's a struggle.*

Anyway, I've come across this fun website, called Daily Routines, that catalogs the, well, daily routines of famous people, like Charles Darwin, Jasper Johns, and Emily Dickinson, to name a few. I particularly like Flaubert's careful routine:

Days were as unvaried as the notes of the cuckoo. Flaubert, a man of nocturnal habits, usually awoke at 10 a.m. and announced the event with his bell cord. Only then did people dare speak above a whisper. His valet, Narcisse, straightaway brought him water, filled his pipe, drew the curtains, and delivered the morning mail....At 11 a.m. he entered the dining room, where Mme Flaubert; Liline; her English governess, Isabel Hutton; and very often Uncle Parain would have gathered. Unable to work well on a full stomach, he ate lightly, or what passed for such in the Flaubert household, meaning that his first meal consisted of eggs, vegetables, cheese or fruit, and a cup of cold chocolate. The family then lounged on the terrace, unless foul weather kept them indoors, or climbed a steep path through woods...

My morning routine looks something like this:

Wake to the alarm clock at 7:15. Pretend not to hear it so husband has to get up and turn it off. Sleep until 8. Walk and feed the dog, or pretend to sleep so husband has to do it. Say to myself: "I have to get up, I'm going to be late for work." Repeat until I get up, eventually. Shower, dress, and generally waste time, despite needing to leave the house 5 minutes ago. Arrive at work, late, as usual.

Well, perhaps if I become a famous French novelist someday, I can wake at ten each morning and have my own valet bring me some chocolate. Ah, to dream.

*In the spirit of full disclosure, I did just buy a book. Oh, sue me.

Happy 2009

"And now let us welcome the new year, full of things that have never been."
~Rainer Maria Rilke

The holidays are over, 2008 is but a memory...and I, for one, am glad. Not that I don't enjoy the Christmas festivities - this Christmas was lovely, in fact - but I always looks forward to the fresh start that a new calendar year brings.

I managed to get through the holidays with a minimum amount of stress, amazingly. I didn't go overboard on gifts, got everything done early (including the wrapping - a first), and managed to enjoy several quiet nights at home with my husband and animals, in front of the fire, reading and watching movies. It was a quiet, peaceful season, all in all.

A post-Christmas trip to Colorado let us frolic in the snow with our dog, who, being a native Coloradan, loves the fluffy white stuff (pictures to come). He had more energy in the 10 degree weather than I've seen in a long time. Certainly more than me - I preferred the warmth of the fire!

New Year's Eve was quiet and we had to force ourselves to stay awake until midnight. (Perhaps that had something to do with the amount of champagne that was consumed early on in the night. Perhaps.) Regardless, it was celebratory and just what I needed.

So, here we are, 5 days into 2009, and I can tell it's going to be a good year (despite the rain and cold outside my window). This year, I resolve to find more peace in my life. I want to consume less - be grateful for the things I already have in my life, and be mindful of those who have far less, and not enough. I plan to clean out that spare bedroom full of junk, and organize the garage. I will feed the birds. I will simplify. I will be healthier, in mind, body and spirit.

Happy New Year, everyone. May good things come to you in 2009.

Comic strips just aren't the same without him...

In the spirit of the season, enjoy these works of art by our favorite comic strip 6-year-old Calvin*.











*by Bill Waterston

Meowy Christmas

Don't forget the animals this season - visit this website to give free food to homeless animals living in shelters across the country. A simple click goes a long way. Even better, add it to your Favorites list so you can click everyday.

The animals thank you.

These are a few of my favorite things

This is the first installment in a series of things I love, can't live without, have stumbled across and found interesting...

Sukie sticky notes

I found these at the MoMA store this past weekend. I love all office supplies, and these are particularly charming. Plus, there's an owl. And I love owls. Would make a great stocking stuffer or teacher gift.

Happy, Merry

I'm trying my hardest to get into the holiday spirit this year, but it's been tough. This past weekend's trip to NYC helped a bit - it was very cold, snowed a bit, and I finally got to see the tree at Rockefeller Center in person.

So on the Christmas note, here's my very favorite song of the season, by Sarah McLachlan.

Vote for the North Texas Food Bank!

Chicken of the Sea is having a "jingle jam" to find its new theme song. Exciting, right? That's not the reason I'm posting, though I do love me some sea chicken. Dallas' own Landon Austin has written a jingle, and if he wins, not only does he get a trip to Hollywood, but the North Texas Food Bank will receive $100,000 worth of food from Chicken of the Sea.

Click here to vote for Landon. You can vote up to three times a day until December 9 - next Tuesday. You don't even have to watch it three times to be able to vote.

Vote early, vote often, vote for the North Texas Food Bank - they need your help.