Chaos and Clarity

This is my last post of the year. There have been times this year when I've felt as if we've all fallen down the rabbit hole with Alice. But my own year -- when I've been able to shut out the rancor and craziness -- has been "not bad". In fact, it's ending on several high notes, with my first series poised to make a comeback and my other writing projects receiving encouragement. During the last couple of months, my publicist has more than earned her retainer by setting me up with great radio interviews. I have been doing a better than usual job of balancing the different aspects of my life. In fact, the chaos all around me has given me more clarity about my roles as a criminal justice professor. Seeking distractions, I've gone back to activities that I enjoy such as trying out new recipes and moving furniture around. I've tried Zumba and remembered that I love to dance -- exercise that I can enjoy doing.

One task remains before the year ends. I needed to dive into the clutter that has accumulated in one room in my house. For weeks, I've been shoving everything into that room. Yesterday, I discovered to my distress, I can no longer walk through that room. I have reached the point when glancing into that room causes me anxiety, when I close the door if company is coming, and left a note to my pet sitter explaining that it's my staging area as I prepare for a junk pick-up. Yesterday, I scheduled the pick-up because the idea of going into 2017 with that room messing with my feng shui was too scary to contemplate.

As the year ends, I want to tie up as many of the loose ends from 2016 as I can. I want to get graded student papers into their mailbox, finish the revisions I promised on an article, and get all of my odds and ends from projects organized, so that from January 2 until school begins I can get serious work done. In this respect, the end of 2016 is no different than the end of any other year. But I need to end this year with as much serenity as possible.

I wish you all joy and peace in the coming year. May we each find our own sense of clarity and calm in the midst of chaos. May we -- and the world -- find an exit out of the rabbit hole.

Harry, my own Cheshire Cat, who was undeterred by his dental appointment on Wednesday (four teeth removed and he was still hungry when he got home) sends his best to one and all. His advice for 2017 -- never miss a meal or the opportunity to curl up for a nap on any convenient surface.
 

Here's to 2017

Barbara here. I'm late, I'm late! My Wednesday post was due at midnight, and is now twelve hours late. Blame it on the surfeit of wine, turkey, latkes, company, and activities of the past week. When Hanukah and Christmas festivities come at the same time, my usual quiet life is turned upside down. There were six of us staying in my little house that I normally share with just two dogs. There were bodies (live) in every room, bed, sofa and chair, and the din of chatter from morning until bed. At every new sound, my big baby dog barked, prompting the other to add her trademark scream.

There were fourteen people and four dogs crowded into my cozy living room and around my dining room table (well, the dogs were underneath) for latkes and turkey at "Christmakah", and to give you a visual image of under the table, Eva was the smallest of the dogs at 40 pounds. The largest was a Golden the size of a polar bear.

It's been a chaotic week but in our busy day to day lives, it's wonderful to have this time to reconnect with family, to put aside the pressures and demands of our regular work and to spend time taking walks, going to movies and out to dinner, and catching up on the news and adventures of those we love.

My Work-in-Progress sat on the bookshelf in my bedroom completely ignored, although the occasional pang of guilt flitted through me as I bustled past it. It sits there still, but its beckoning call grows a little louder. Maybe tomorrow I will pick it up. I will have forgotten my place in it and my train of thought, but I hope this forced separation will usher in some new insights, a brilliant new plot twist or a fascinating character. All that wine and plum pudding should be good for something, right?

In his post yesterday, Rick did a good job of saying good bye and good riddance to 2016. Not humankind's finest year, and with climate denying billionaires in charge who are interested only in power and profits, with little professed concern for the public good or the health of the planet we all share, 2017 is not looking great. I won't add to the doomsaying, but will merely urge everyone to think of one or two small things they can do - a couple of reasonable, achievable resolutions they can keep - to try to stem the tide if not turn it. Many good deeds cost nothing. Smile at clerks and waiters and strangers in the street. Shovel an elderly neighbour's driveway. Carry a harried mother's grocery bags.

Donate to a charity or two. There are many trying to alleviate the suffering around the world. Even modest donations can add up to a real difference. Many of them allow you to pay a small monthly amount instead of a bigger lump sum.  Check the provenance of the goods and food you buy, and try to avoid companies that exploit workers, use forced labour, or damage the environment.

I could go on, but I need to get this blog up on the site. So I will end with one last resolution that I will try to keep. To remember my Wednesday blog before the actual day is half over, and to be as entertaining and informative as possible. Here's to good intentions!