Adieu Zolo, Hola 20!!

Oh I just love a good New Year’s mystery. Groom and I perambulated this afternoon with our cameras and these photos were taken today, the last of 2010. When we arrived at the post office, there was a package waiting for us. Inside was a book titled The Art of Good Living by Svevo Brooks.

The manila envelope displayed an unfamiliar address and no name, nor did it have any kind of a note. We have no idea who sent us the book, but we’d like to thank you. The interesting thing is that Groom and I were talking about the kind of year we’d like to create if 2011 came with no limits. We were discussing the “art of good living,” and then, as we walked back toward home, amazed by the mystery book, we saw God’s name written on the sidewalk.

I just wrote a couple of days ago about how quickly time flies, including a video of a cartwheeling clock, so I won’t spend any more words today concerning that aspect of the current year ending and the new one arriving.

To briefly recap, 2010 became known as Z0l0 when a friend misinterpreted my handwriting. Sad to see the year of Zolo passing, it occurred to me to give thanks for all the blessings that occurred within it and instead of giving 2011 the cold shoulder because it’s new and hasn’t proved itself yet, to actually set an intention to be more welcoming and anticipate the adventures that await.

Inspiration floated in the other day while considering the possibilities for 2011. Suddenly I saw its potential expressed as 20!! and have decided to spell it by substituting two exclamations at the end instead of using the traditional symbol for eleven. Coincidentally, the exclamation point and the number one is located on the same keyboard button, it just requires a simple shift.

Hmmm, a simple shift. Shift happens.

In our household, we don’t make resolutions. I mean, I could say that I’ll lose the extra 10-pounds, join a gym, promise to be a better human being (we heard a cockney accent pronounce it “hoo-man” the other day), and be more generous of spirit, but why lie?

I’ve discovered that starting out the year listing all my faults is not a good incentive for change; it just makes me feel bad. Instead, Groom and I started a new tradition last year and this evening we get to continue it.

A year ago on New Year’s Eve, we took some time by ourselves and wrote out a list of things we either wanted to achieve personally, see or experience. I don’t know what Groom wrote and vice versa. We agreed that a year from then, which is today, we’d pull out our lists that we kept in a very special place and take note of how many of them came to pass.

Then, we’ll write out another set of intentions and see how our lives grow, develop and expand by the end of 20!!

We hope all of us, you most definitely included, are here together next year. We extend our blessings that it is a year full of good health, safety, humor, fun, joy, bonding, prosperity and well-being.

Thank you ZoLo and we bid you adieu. Hello 20!! Welcome.

Happy New Year!