ring out, wild bells

A tip of the hat to Alfred Lord Tennyson. Ring out the old, ring in the new. Whether it is a human construct or not, the opportunity to leave old burdens behind and start afresh is a gift.

It is very possible that I, in my house whose population has dwindled to two (plus dogs) this evening, will not ring in the new year at midnight, but at the first light of the new year. There is so much sense in this. Take a look at this link to an article by Simon Winchester about New Year traditions. Great food for thought.

Here is a toast to high hopes for 2010.

near blue moon

Since the weather is full of alarm over two impending storms that will "make a mess of the northeast," I suspect that the rising moon I observed as the day was ending is the closest that I'll come to seeing the blue moon that is due tomorrow. Tonight's was a beauty.

It is not uncommon for me to be out at the end of the day, as the evening light layers into pastels behind the bare branches of trees bordering my yard (often because I want to get the goats fed before dark). It is a time of daily, quiet transition that always gives me pause. I'm looking forward to acquainting myself with the other end of the day.

I'm also looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow for the last time...

Here's a little poem about this project. I like the rhythm of the phrase, so it called for elaboration.

A Year of Getting Up to Meet the Day

A stagnant sense of stall was in my way.
I vainly searched for things to do and say.
The sight of hibernating trees,
the jolt of late December’s breeze,
gave brusque reply to inner pleas,
laid out a task to end ennuis:
a year of getting up to meet the day.

what's the big idea?

As I skied around our big backyard with three dogs on this snowy afternoon, the seed of an idea came to me. What if I make a pledge to be outdoors during the first light of day, every day for a full year, and write about it in my first blog?

This could serve several purposes:

1. My mother-in-law, widowed 3 years ago, has a sign on her bedroom wall: "Get up. Get dressed. And get going!" I think so many people face times in their lives when they find it difficult even to bother actively meeting the day. It is not always acute trauma that drags people down. There are many kinds of loss -- death, divorce, departures, dismissals -- all of which have the potential to create a kind of paralysis of will. And there are periods where there is no change, or promise of change; there may only be a general sense of aimlessness that saps the will to engage in life. It is my hope that other people who have experienced some form of apathy or despair might find a spark of inspiration in my experiment, and be encouraged to get up, get dressed, and get going.

2. Since I was a very small child I have known the transcendent power of the natural world. I spent hours outside when I was small, weeks in the mountains when I was young, but all too little time as an adult. Even a 10 minute walk in my back yard changes my outlook on the world and on my own life. Call this a new year's resolution to reconnect with that exterior world that offers so much peace and perspective. Plus, I have an amazingly beautiful, 13 acre back yard, and should see more of it.

3. I am a mother of four facing an empty nest in the year that's about to begin, 2010. Having been primarily a full time mother for 23 years, the daily reflection may be a helpful tool for finding my path into this new chapter of life.

4. In spite of several good publications and a book in progress, my career as a writer is still more of a concept than a consistent reality. Here is a challenge that impels me to write every day.

5. I am NOT an early bird. But - having arrived outdoors in the earliest hours of morning, I have never regretted it. This will be a huge challenge, but I have a competitive nature, and maybe I can succeed!

6. My dogs will love me!