I've been lucky enough to be off work for the last week and a half. I've been unlucky enough to be sick for the majority of that time off. That's life, I guess. Ups and downs, bad luck, good luck; it's all part of One Mixed Bag (which also happens to be one of my favorite blogs, shout-out, Bernie!).
We're starting our next year off the same way, too. Instead of eating a traditional Southern New Year's feast of black-eyed peas, greens, pork chops, and cornbread, we're substituting butter beans for the peas and mac-n-cheese for the meat. We can't ever do things quite like everyone else, after all. Plus, being so sick I haven't had a chance to get to the grocery store and get the items for our normal meal. I've come to terms with this...mostly. I'm Irish and pretty superstitious, so I struggled with the fact that the traditional luckiness of the black-eyed peas would be skipping us this year, but as superstitious as I am about a lot of things, I still believe that you make your own luck most of the time without any aid at all from legumes.
2011 was filled with its share of bad days and of good for the Ross family. I'm not particularly ready to bid it farewell, anymore than I've been about any year before it, but I'm not saddened to see it pass either. Like our meal today, a year is what you make it. It might be a cheesy theme song, but The Facts of Life had it right. "You take the good; you take the bad."
As 2011 comes to an end, I'm grateful for the love of family, the relative prosperity that surrounds us, the roof over our heads, and the simple things, like this blog and the wonderful friends it has brought me. I dream of a New Year that yields more writing opportunities, that sees my husband through college, that brings my parents a happy and peaceful retirement, that overwhelms my sister with happiness, that delivers improved health for loved ones. I hope for all of these things, all while remembering the things we already have, the things we're already grateful for.
In 2012, there will be more ups and down, more bad and good days; that's life for you. One Mixed Bag of joy and sorrow, happiness and regret, but I wouldn't trade my mixed bag for anything in the world.
Happy New Year!
What do you dream of for the New Year? Do you have any New Year's traditions like "peas and greens"?
We're starting our next year off the same way, too. Instead of eating a traditional Southern New Year's feast of black-eyed peas, greens, pork chops, and cornbread, we're substituting butter beans for the peas and mac-n-cheese for the meat. We can't ever do things quite like everyone else, after all. Plus, being so sick I haven't had a chance to get to the grocery store and get the items for our normal meal. I've come to terms with this...mostly. I'm Irish and pretty superstitious, so I struggled with the fact that the traditional luckiness of the black-eyed peas would be skipping us this year, but as superstitious as I am about a lot of things, I still believe that you make your own luck most of the time without any aid at all from legumes.
 |
| Not-So-Traditional |
As 2011 comes to an end, I'm grateful for the love of family, the relative prosperity that surrounds us, the roof over our heads, and the simple things, like this blog and the wonderful friends it has brought me. I dream of a New Year that yields more writing opportunities, that sees my husband through college, that brings my parents a happy and peaceful retirement, that overwhelms my sister with happiness, that delivers improved health for loved ones. I hope for all of these things, all while remembering the things we already have, the things we're already grateful for.
In 2012, there will be more ups and down, more bad and good days; that's life for you. One Mixed Bag of joy and sorrow, happiness and regret, but I wouldn't trade my mixed bag for anything in the world.
Happy New Year!
What do you dream of for the New Year? Do you have any New Year's traditions like "peas and greens"?
