Brave New Year

Prosit Neujahr! May all of your resolutions be obtained, and if you didn't make resolutions, then blast you for your perfection and/or contentment! Just kidding... sort of.

I am a believer in resolutions, but not necessarily new year resolutions. It's certainly convenient to have a brand new year to start out with, though, don't you think? If I lived in a colder climate, I think I'd be even more enthused about the new year: every breath of cool, crisp air would fill me with hope and a sense of freshness. As it is, I'm fanning myself at my desk in the morning and afternoons and wrapping myself up in blankets (no snuggies, please) at night. But I digress.

I've made a few resolutions, but all of them fall under one category:

TREATING MYSELF BETTER

It's not that I was some masochistic maniac before, but I certainly lost sight of priorities. (What's panic attacks and high blood pressure when one can get straight As?) Now, however, I have resolved to treat myself like *I* matter, not just my academic output, if that makes sense.

Two mantras to help me that I discovered in the most shameful places (i.e- a Mary Engelbreit calander and PEOPLE magazine):

1. The world is full of cactus (no, not cacti) but you don't have to sit on it.

2. Nobody ever wins an argument.

Irrelevant bonus tip: If you're going to attempt Julia Child's Beouf Bourguignon, make sure to set aside at least SIX hours... This is especially important if you invite your aunt over at 5:00pm and she expects dinner at this time.

Second irrelevant bonus tip: Do not trust pumpkin pie recipes you find online if there are more than a few typos on the website... you will end up with a flavorless pumpkin quiche.

So, there you have it. Treat yourself well, don't sit on a cactus, don't try to win an argument, avoid pumpkin pie recipes with typos, and have a ________(insert fabulous adjective here) new year!

*Painting by Camilla Engman called "The Adventure"