Hanabatake

Thoughts on the Holidays 2008 and Looking Forward 2009

 2008 went by in a flash. Of course, when you get older, each year seems to go by faster and faster.

This time of year always goes really fast for me. Halloween, then Thanksgiving, then Christmas, and New Years. And then my brithday. Boom! Another year older.

I feel like I’ve been blessed this year. My family is healthy and I have lots of friends and family that I love all around me.

I spent the last few nights wrapping gifts and making cookies. It’s nice because it’s what you expect to do. Very comforting.

It’s been exciting. Barack Obama will be our President very soon. Sadly Prop 8 passed in California, banning gay marriage. My thoughts have been consistent about this issue. Homosexual people cannot help but be as they are. Don’t they deserve to have love and marriage as anyone else does? My God is not about hate or denying others, but loving each other. Celebrating a little more love in this world can’t be a bad thing.

As to my personaly 2008, I felt as if my life was on pause this year. Mostly because I lost the ability to hang out with my friends in LA and was hindered by gas prices (and laziness) to go down to San Diego and hang out with my family.

The pattern of my life has changed so much from the constant buzz of working and living in Los Angeles to moving out here. With the horses. And the sheep.

But sometimes you need a change. And since I think I really was in the right place in the right time, I’m satisfied with the outcome of this year.

Of course, with 32 looming just a few weeks away, I have to revisit this topic when I’m less buzzed on egg nog.

So, my wishes for 2009?

Well, I want to win the lotto, of course. But since I don’t gamble and it’s easier to get struck by lightning, I think that’s going to be a bust.

I want to go back to writing. I had plans for National Novel Writing Month, but I got behind and gave up. 31 days goes really fast and when you are down with a cold for a few days, you can’t fight your way back.

I want to survive a wedding. My little sister getting married in October of 2009. Ann Marie and Jeff are now proud parents of a hamster. I hope that we can get through the planning relatively stress-free, but I am full of doubt. White weddings are a stress giving-tree. There’s always more.

I want to learn. I took a PHP class in 2008. I hope to take a few more classes in 2009. I like computers and love web stuff.

I want to see my friends. I sort of hybernated for 2008. I’m a nester by nature. Living in the boonies really does not encourage social interaction. I guess it would be a better wish to make friends out here. It was a goal for 2008, but I haven’t made much headway in that. But I love love my friends from college and work in LA. I miss them all dreadfully. 

Thankfully, the power of the internets lets me keep in touch. I have even played games via SKYPE video casting…. Oh, I even found bunches of my high school friends in Facebook. Sadly, they will be bombarded with my twitter/facebook status updates that I make through the day.

I want to hold a garage sale! I really, really need to get rid of A LOT of stuff in this house. Seriously, there are only 3 people here and it’s chock full to the gills. Need to get rid of furniture regulated to the garage. 

I want to make an office/library. I have books. A lot of books. And I have office stuff. And I have an extra room. I want to move the bed furniture out via above garage sale and reset my fungshui.

I want to be happy. Truthfully, I think everyone goes through phases of emotions. Lately, I’ve felt kind of stagnent and not motivated. As my friends and family know, I’m a pretty cheery person, so it’s an aborrent state for me. I’m trying my hardest to find the happy place. I hope to get there soon.

So now I’m off to clean up a bit. Tonight is Christmas Eve. I’m heading down to San Diego for a big fob party. Christmas Day, my brother and sisters will be up with their significant others to celebrate as a smaller unit.

I’m looking foward to hugging babies and waiting for Santa. 

And of course taking some time to think about the state of the world, God, and how humans collectively can make the world a better place. But each and every one of us is just like myself. Always thinking and NOT thinking. Always searching. Selfish and giving, happy and sad. Complex and simple. No wonder the world has so much trouble.

It would be all a better place if everyone just took one rule to heart.

Love one another as you love yourselves.

That’s all.

Ok, now I’m off to clean. It’s going to be a long day. And night.

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah everyone.