A Good Start

We had a nice time celebrating New Year's Day over at my SIL's place. We didn't sing this time, and there were no gifts, but it was a pleasant time with family and a good way to start a new year.

I was able to find some alone time during the day. I wasn't actually alone, just in the living room by myself, sitting in a very comfortable glider, and thinking. The floor plan at my SIL's is very open, so I could hear my kids downstairs, and I could hear the rest of the family in the dining room, and now and then I would comment on something they said, so I was not isolated. I just rocked back and forth in the glider, and sipped my cup of coffee, and thought.

I have many things I wish to write about, I found. Oh, I didn't have that many new ideas, but I did do a mental inventory of ideas for stories and articles that have been mixing it up in my brain for a long time. I couldn't think about one without it starting to write itself in my head. That's always a good sign.

And while doing this thinking, I felt relaxed. So often I've tried to shut the thinking out, to stop the noise. But this time it didn't sound like noise, but like a multichannel recording. All the different channels were coming in together, but they made music.

And that was a good way for me to start the year, with a sense of optimism, a sense of peace, and a plethora of ideas.