A new year

[theatokos]

Before Bennett, we hosted Thanksgiving, threw a Solstice party, and celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve by wandering around San Francisco, going out to eat and catching a carol service. The next day was spent in jammies, lounging about eating Adam's homemade cinnamon rolls.

The new year feels like it is starting now, with the solstice. The wind down to this holiday, for me, usually starts at Thanksgiving. This year's Thanksgiving was amazing but came during a very difficult period. Last night was a Feast Bay and it was such a great way to spend the evening. Adam's parents were here for 24 hrs and so we had gift opening this morning, over strong coffee and oatmeal cooked in coconut milk. We will modify our Christmas Eve plans by taking Bennett and going in the afternoon, ending with dinner, so we can start our baby bed time routine at the normal hour. Christmas morning we will still have cinnamon rolls, but we might go for a long walk and find a morning carol service. New Year's involves making a collage of the year to come. This year I'll be in Australia for that. I really love Christmas/Solstice/New Year.

This year we are adding a special occasion: our trip to Chez Panisse on the 26th. Thankfully we have found a babysitter. A trial run with Ansel, the guy were are probably hiring as our nanny. It is very very weird to say that we will have a nanny. The word brings to mind privilege, people not interested in parenting, high powered careers, mousy 20-something women. All images not necessarily true. We have Ansel, the 20-something, vegan, gamelan playing, wants to be a farmer, possibly gay male, two days a week so I can go to work.

What new things will 2009 hold? I feel a little bit like our trip to Australia is a buffer between this long year past and the new one to come. I have some decisions to make and I hope the time abroad refreshes and revives me, allowing me some rest to recharge with the clarity and strength to keep setting fire to my life.

Comments

[hrafntinna.livejournal.com]

I like the idea of going to the Antipodes to between this year and the next. It appeals to my sense of reversals.

[ewigweibliche.livejournal.com]

A break is most certainly welcome.

[keypike.livejournal.com]

I love the idea of making a collage of the year to come on New Year's Eve. Chris and I have always celebrated NYE with a party (usually hosted by us), this year, we'll be on our own but I feel like I need to do something to mark the occasion - I think I'll steal your idea!

I hope things work well with Ansel. "Nanny" is just a word...I don't think there's any culture in the world in where a mother is expected to raise a child alone....a nanny is just one of the words we use to describe that help now. If Chris isn't able to stay home with Henry when his paternity leave ends, I hope we'll be able to have a nanny help us with Henry.

[ewigweibliche.livejournal.com]

I LOVE doing the collage. I've done it for several years now. It's quite like a magical spell. Seriously. Last New Years I found a beautiful picture of the Sydney Opera House and I thought it'd be great if our family could all get together..... low and behold. I love to look over the outgoing year's collage and see just how much came to pass.