Ready or not, It's a new year

Hello 2008.

Pleased to meet you. I've heard through the grapevine that you're a good egg. I'm just not sure I'm ready for you to replace 2007.

You see it was a pretty fine year and I'm not sure I want to let it go. I'm terrible at goodbyes, don't you know. Well how could you 2008, we just met. We don't know each other at all yet. Now do we? We're still in the exchanging pleasantries stage. Nice weather today, eh?

Last year and I, we had our good times. Think you can match that, 2008? I don't know. Don't be cocky. It was a pretty amazing year.

Sweets and I worked tremendously hard on our wedding. No planner for us. We chose just about every detail together and did so much to make it an event that was truly our own.  There were invitation packages that we designed, printed, hand deckled and stamped. Sweets made an amazing map of Philadelphia for our guests to use and then we used it on our mini-break holiday after the wedding. We nestled robin blue egg candies in birds nestsand hand tied over 100 bows on the favors. Cyndemouse, JPo, T-La, the best man, Jason, and our mothers helped with preparations, too. So much thought and time went into making sure almost all the materials we used were recycled or recyclable. Including the recycled paper, envelopes and favor boxes, the living terrarium centerpieces with thrifted bird figurines inside. The music we played, the poems that were read and even the flowers we used all had special meanings. The gathering of so many of the people that are truly special in our lives was amazing. We saw people from both of our lives intermingling, laughing, dancing and toasting our happiness. Standing there before all of them with Sweets during our marriage ceremony was profoundly emotional for me. My tears took me by surprise.

Since that day, we've tried to get settled in to all the things about being married that make your life slightly different than you expected before taking your vows. It's as if before we were the two halves of an Oreo cookie. The same for the most part. Living in the same box comfortably. But then we got the bright idea to join together with a creamy filling. Everyone knows what a perfect marriage an Oreo cookie has. We are now a slightly different version of our old selves, firmly bonded to each other ready to take sweet nibbles of life together or  a few dunkings in life's glass of milk from time to time.

Other good things that happened last year:
We made our home more energy efficient
We stopped using plastic bags in most cases
We grew our own tomatoes
I made the resolution to correspond more and kept it. I love writing letters and receiving them.
I was more mindful of my actions and the reasons behind them
My family ties grew stronger
I helped people when they needed it
I felt loved by many
I spent good times with my girlfriends
I did my job well even when other people didn't notice
We started some of our own traditions
I switched to compact flourescent bulbs
I connected with more people in "real" life and through blogging
I figured out how to set up an RSS feed all by myself
I started composting and reduced our garbage output by about 50%
I tested my boundaries and grew as a person
I found my passion

So, you see, 2008, you have some mighty big shoes to fill.

Let's take it slow and see what happens. It looks like we're stuck with each other. We might as well make the best of it. What do you say?

Comments

[janet]

I love reading accomplishments for the past year! Sounds like you accomplished such a lot.

All the best for 2008!

[Melissa]

I love to look back on accomplishments from the previous year. Puts so many things in perspective, and really makes one aware that the good almost always outweighs the bad. Thanks for makin me reflect too...

[PixieDust]

Love your letter to 2008, it is very courteous of you to be so up front. And very responsible of you to put him on notice!

;-)

Happy New Year!

[joan]

What a staggeringly beautiful and creative thing to do!!!
A letter to the closing year... I love it.

And so that you know, waiting for your Saturday post is leaving me biting my nails!!!

love to you!
joan

[jeanette]

Happy New Year! 2008 better it it's wheaties! Hope that you two liked the greens and the peas& rice. I'll be back Sat. too.

[caroline]

So happy to have 'met' you, love reading your posts! So touching to read about your wedding and the preparations and inspiring to see the things you've accomplished. Thank you!

[daisies]

what a wonderful letter to 2008 :) and how lovely to read about your wedding ~ i think 2008 is going to be an amazing year for you ... xox

[maomao]

I connected with more people in "real" life and through blogging