Thursday, December 31, 2009

Happy New Year!




I revisited my post from last New Years Eve, and enjoyed the idea of leaving you (and 2009) with a questionnaire.

What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?
Visited Fallingwater, the country home of the Kaufman family designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Words cannot do it justice, you must simply visit it.

Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?As I mentioned last year, I don’t make New Year’s resolutions. I make commitments. One year I committed to master the fine art of bread-making. After several flat, lumpy or doughy loaves, with the help of Julia Child, I made one glorious, crusty peasant loaf and checked it off the list. This year’s commitments include taking many pictures and making many paintings. And I have a special creative project in the works.

What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?Like most people, I wear many hats. I’d like to streamline my life a little and find ways to get more out of every day.

What was the best thing you bought?I didn’t buy much this year; a black silk evening gown.

What did you get really, really, really excited about?Spending time with old friends, and making new ones. And being fortunate enough to attend the Art Ball. And as one of my Christmas gifts was a museum membership and tickets to ProMusica, I plan on having a very art-filled 2010.
What do you wish you'd done more of?Paint. And entertain.

What was the best book you read?Mrs. Dalloway. Virginia Woolf had a wonderful way of getting at the conversations we have with ourselves as we make our way through a single day. As the drama of a single day unfolds, the tragedies and victories of our past flit through the mind even as we’re working on the most mundane tasks.

What did you want and not get?Not a thing.

What did you do on your birthday?My husband and I drove to Cleveland to visit the West Side Market and the Cleveland Art Museum. It was sublime!

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.You can only control your own life, and even that is often left to fate. Worrying about situations that you can’t help or change is fruitless. Let others worry about being small, mean and petty; you have a life to live. Control only what you can, be quick to forgive, manage your expectations, and enjoy the rest.

What sums up this year?
I quote Erica Jong’s poem Autumn Perspective …
And we have plans that will not tolerate
our fears--a year laid out like rooms
in a new house--the dusty wine glasses
rinsed off, the vases filled, and bookshelves
sagging with heavy winter books.


I wish you all a healthy, prosperous and inspired New Year, friends! Thank you for sharing another year with me!

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