Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

Did you empty all your bobbins and drop the drive band off your spinning wheel last night so the fairy witch of Scottish peasants a Nordic, named Gyre Carline could stop by and inspect your wheel?

You can look to her for skill in spinning and if you are lucky, she will grant it to you. But if you have left a partly-filled bobbin on the wheel, she will spin up the rest for you, but will mutter and curse you for being lazy. (boy, I have enough trouble with that as it is, don't need any fairy witch adding her curse to my life...) So Gyre Carline found my fiber life in order - maybe she'll grant me some extra skills....

When I write my blog, I really try hard to write about things that I think my readers might find interesting - the following is my New Year's editorial column from my church newsletter - I thought you might like to read it too -

"January is the traditional time to take stock - the first of a new year - it gives us a feeling that we can “start over. Get a new hair-do - show off those new Christmas clothes, whatever you like.

I’m going to begin the new year by reading Debbie Macomber’s new book “ One Simple Act: Discovering the Power of Generosity". Even something as simple as buying the coffee for the person in the car behind me changed the day for me last week - it made ME feel good to have done something surprising for someone - It really brightened the day of my barista - he kept saying “That’s so cool” and I don’t know about the guy whose coffee I bought, but I hope it inspired him to do something nice for someone - give a kind word for the clerk in the store, or sit and read a book for his child without thinking “I should be working (or calling my friend or watching that show on TV - you know the drill)

I will keep you posted on what Ms. Macomber suggests in her book, but I know for starters that she encourages people to keep a gratitude journal - keep a list of 5 things every day that you are grateful for. So many times that one simple act can help you see that your glass is not half empty, it is actually half full.

One of the things I have liked best about writing my blog is reading the other blogs that I come across. I have made some truly wonderful friends and have been treated to some very interesting ideas. Robert Fulghum, a well known UU writes a wonderful blog (www.robertfulghum.com/)(and, no, he’s not one of the friends I have made, but I do enjoy reading what he has to say….)

In a recent column he wrote: “Out of my own desire not to drown in the news of evil, I search for the good stuff in the world in my own life. I don’t want to miss it. And when I find it, I pass it on. Often it makes me laugh. We are all characters in a comic strip at times. And I say, over and over, in one way or another, ‘Meanwhile, don’t miss the good stuff. Pass it on.’ If I have a message, that’s pretty much it.”

Now, I don't’ mean to sound like a Pollyanna - but, I really do feel that we ingest way too much “negative stuff” these days - murder and mayhem on the TV - and recently in real life - even TV shows that are meant to be “comedy” are filled with people being rude or thoughtless to each other. Maybe the idea, as Fulghum puts it is to take a step in the other direction."



My gratitude journal will begin with the folks who spend a few minutes and leave me comments on my blog - Thanks for thinking about what I say and I hope everyone's New Year dreams come true.