The Year 2007

2007.  I remember when I was in high school and trying to figure out how old I'd be when the millennium came.  THAT was a scary thought.  Seeing that we're past that, and I'm a Nana now, with another on the way, the beginning of each year is alternatively scary and full of wonderment.  What will happen this year? What adventures will we be off on? What advances will my grandchildren make?  Will my two children in the Air force move to a different state, or a foreign land?  Will my youngest finish phlebotomy classes?

I have no control over my kids.  They are now of the age that they are on their own, with their own jobs, their own lives.  As to what will happen this year, I'm looking forward to a few things.  But I am firmly in control (ok, I think that's a joke!) of resolving to eat better, to do better in my life.

I'm inspired to do better by an ad I saw on line for the grocery Central Market, which is the HEB (a large grocery store chain in Texas) answer to Whole Foods.  Central Market is advertising 'Soon to come - Mindful Eating in 2007'.   Which led me to another article I read this morning in the Austin American Statesman by Eileen Flynn regarding a Buddhist Temple in South Austin, which held a en masse meditation for anyone, of any faith on New Year's Eve.  They had 1 simple requirement.  To be able to chant the three names of God: Hare, Ram and Krishna.  Easy.  I'm sure that in Austin, they had a huge crowd.   I could probably chant and eat too, if I tried.

Now, I've done the mindful thing before. And then I lost it.  Not just misplaced it, but totally lost it.  That was probably due to the huge amount of upheaval going on in my life a few years ago.  But I now recognize that I need to get back to that idea of being mindful, about breath, about being able to focus, and then let it go. When I was practicing meditation, I liked it.  It game me the chance to slow down, and gain a lot of personal insight.  Getting back to that point I believe won't be difficult, but maintaining that might be a challenge.  But like habits, I will make time for this practice, and with that, I hope that I will be able to do better as myself, do better for my S.O. (from Terri - Thanks!), do better for my kids, and do better for others. 

I've been doing alot of research lately on the 'net.  There is soooo much information out there.  Remember when most information was in the encyclopedia, and you had to by a new book every year to update the set you had? And most homes had a dictionary and a thesaurus.  Don't need that anymore, got the net.  Wow...how things have changed.

Also in today's Austin American Statesman, they covered the annual foray of the Austin Polar Bears into the Barton Springs Pool.  In my book, this SO doesn't count.  It was about 40 today at sunrise, when they took their plunge.  WIMPS!!! They need to go into Winnepausaukee when it's ice from Meredith Harbor to Alton Bay!  Then they might become Polar Bears!