Do I need to lose weight? Yes. Add cardio to my weekly routines? Yes? Eat less sugar, reach out to friends more, read more? Yes, yes, and yes.
Not going there at the moment! This year I’ve landed on two discrete areas of learning — so discrete that I’m confident I can follow through. Are you ready?
Countries in Africa. It’s time I knew them and where they were.
I’ll be printing out this blank map as an aid.
Dog breeds. I don’t know why, I just want to be more conversant in the many types of dogs out there. This week: Brussels Griffon.
What can you commit to in the new year?
We are all, I imagine, spooked about what lies ahead in this pivotal year. When I woke this morning and heard “2024” in my head, I felt a distinct sense of dread. Ugh. Elections. So, in the realm of grounded optimism, I’ll be:
* continuing with my weekly “Seven Sisters” half-hour phone call;
* and with the same friends, continuing to show up for our monthly Healing Circle (with anti-racism focus);
* and writing POSTCARDS TO VOTERS. I topped 1,000 cards this past year (over several years, that is). I plan to write several hundred more in 2024 and to make it less tedious, to host a couple of parties. Sitting with two others at a table of pens and stamps and addresses is actually fun.
For the next little while, by way of annual review I’ll be scrolling through my photos and sharing some of 2023. Here are a couple of screenshots to start.
PS if you get the Boston Globe, be sure to read Dave Barry’s year-in-review in Sunday’s magazine section. He is so, so funny.
Hey Ho Dee…
Happy New Year!
Good goals for 24. I usually have lots but this year just a few. Most important is to force myself to stay positive. So far so good, 12 hours in.
Sending my best to you and yours for a great (positive) year ahead. Xo
On this first day of 2024, I looked at my calendar and saw the word, ACT written in green on my Calendar. That word refers to many things: continuing to help my husband regain his health, going in deeper with my Celtic reading and working on some new cloths, getting out more in the landscape to forage which I sorely need for my soul…AND, I think of what lies ahead, in how to deal with the coming political landscape:
A few answers came in the form of an email from one of my daughters this morning. She forwarded Robert Reich’s latest newsletter in which he offers 10 rules for the net 10 months and I will hold onto these as a workable framework: ( This is a long response Dee but I wanted to share all of his important points.)
” 1.. Become even more politically active. For some of us, this will mean taking more time out of our normal lives — up to and including getting out the vote in critical swing states. For others, it will mean phone banking, making political contributions, writing letters to editors, and calling friends and relations in key states.
2. Do not succumb to the tempting anesthesias of complacency or cynicism. The stakes are too high. Even if you cannot take much time out of your normal life for direct politics, you will need to organize, mobilize, and energize your friends, colleagues, and neighbors.
3. Counter lies with truth. When you hear someone repeating a Trump Republican lie, correct it. This will require that you prepare yourself with facts, logic, analysis, and sources.
4. Do not tolerate bigotry and hate. Call it out. Stand up to it. Denounce it. Demand that others denounce it, too.
5. Do not resort to name-calling, bullying, intimidation, violence, or any of the other tactics that Trump followers may be using. We cannot save democracy through anti-democratic means.
6. Be compassionate toward hardcore followers of Trump, but be firm in your opposition. Understand why someone might decide to support Trump, but don’t waste your time and energy trying to convert them. Use your time and energy on those who still have open minds.
7. Don’t waste your time commiserating with people who already agree with you. Don’t gripe, whine, wring your hands, and kvetch with other anti-Trumpers about how awful Trump and his Republican enablers are. Don’t snivel over or criticize Biden and the Democrats for failing to communicate more effectively how bad Trump and his Republican enablers are. None of this will get you anything except an upset stomach or worse.
8. Don’t decide to sit this election out or vote for a third-party candidate because you don’t especially like Biden and you’re tired of voting for the “lesser of two evils.” Biden may not be perfect, but he’s not the lesser of two evils. Trump is truly evil.
9. Demonstrate, but don’t confuse demonstrating for political action. You may find it gratifying to stand on a corner in Berkeley or Cambridge or any other liberal precinct with a sign asking drivers to “honk if you hate fascism” and elicit lots of honks. But this is as politically effectual as taking a warm shower. Organize people who don’t normally vote to vote for Biden. Mobilize get-out-the-vote efforts in your community. Get young people involved.
10. Don’t get distracted by the latest sensationalist post or story by or about Trump. Don’t let the media’s short-term attention span divert your eyes from the prize — the survival of American democracy during one of the greatest stress tests it has had to endure, organized by one of the worst demagogues in American history.”
Thanks Marti. I particularly needed to hear #7 and #9. I hope your Celtic journey is fruitful and that your husband continues in his recovery. I always love to see your cloth work, too.
So good for me to write down my goals here and now – thank you, Dee! and @Marti I’m taking a copy of this Robert Reich list, printing it and hanging it in some public placem, as well as on our fridge.
I plan to:
1) stay with AWA workshop!
1.5) stay with gym classes b/c I do nothing on my own.
2) oh, since I’m becoming so perfect (LOL) I’m going to blithely just schedule a few adjustments. I will clean the kitchen & bathrooms thoroughly every two weeks – as long as my housemate commits to vacuum LR, DR, BR and stairways on the alternate weeks. He’s already proven he can do it faster than me, and better.
3) Write postcards, me too, definitely. Already I found someone to partner with!
AND
4) Schedule/post “Mag: studio hours” on the family calendar for the first time in my life.
5) work for good people who pay well, part time.
Looking forward to more of your “2023 scroll”, and surviving 2024, in part because you and “AG” keep my spirits high.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
xo
M
Very happy to hear your plans to keep writing with AWA workshop! The cleaning schedule has a brightness and egalitarianism to it that is very appealing. Studio hours — yes!!
Dee~ Happy New Year. Great post, mostly because you have me thinking (positively?). My first thought was I can commit to one goal – survive. This is a big goal, for so many reasons. But then I read your two mini-goals and you made me smile. The map reminded me of when my children were school age and had to do “memory maps” in school. I could sure use a better geographic understanding. Oy.
And the dog…well, isn’t it just adorable! I used to watch that show “Which Woof’s For Me?” Pretty fun show. I think I’ve watched most of them.
https://m.imdb.com/title/tt11233882/episodes
Marti’s comment had me thinking too, especially #7-10…those I can for sure improve on.
Maybe I’ll consider more than this, maybe not. Maybe I should commit to the idea that ‘considering’ is not ‘doing’. Sigh.
Be well Dee and family
xo
Happy New year to you and yours too Nancy. Survive is no small thing. Here’s me raising my glass to that!! I found #7 and #9 very important reminders too. We have to keep our eyes on the ball.
NOTE: I meant # 7, 9, 10…we don’t sit out! But, I can see where some are just so weary.
Happy New Year, Dee to you and your family. I love your Africa plan and will join you in learning the names. Thank you for all you post. I rarely comment but so appreciate your voice of sanity in a world full of too much despair. I hope to commit myself to helping “lift the burdens” I see around me.
Glad to have you join in, Stephanie!
Not sure why I am anonymous above but this is Stephanie. 🙂
I haven’t read Dave Barry in years, so it was great to see that he still manages to pull laughter from the shit show that is our current reality … a good example that
Likewise, thanks to Marti for the suggestion to read Robert Reich …
My one resolution is to text a message to my tech-connected grandkids (4 out of 6) every day … giving them the option to unsubscribe at will … likewise to keep on blogging, although daily is not likely to happen
Wishing all the best to you and yours in the new year … fingers crossed
I love the intention to text your grandchildren! It’s such a nice way to stay in touch.