January Contemplations

Every January, on my personal Facebook page, I change my header image to something that looks like this one. In fact, this is the current one. When I posted it, I commented, "Sliding out of Christmas and through January. If you need me, I'll be here...reading and contemplating life."

Another year, it was this image.

Hubby queried, "Why are you using that picture? She looks dead."

I replied, "She's not dead. It's me. In January. Just resting."

He studied it again and pronounced, "She looks dead."

Sigh.

I feel like I run pretty much flat-out from February through December, with ever increasing speed as the year moves on. But January is my month. My birthday is in January. It snows. It's cold. After the busyness and indulgences of December, it's nice to quiet oneself and practice saying "no". But mostly, my body and soul crave the rest and restoration that happens by contemplating life for a whole, long, lingering month.

But January is rapidly coming to a close, and we're traveling (bam!) on February 1st. So tonight, during a long soak in the tub, I contemplated my contemplations. My mind has most been occupied with the following thoughts:

- last year's gratitude journal -

I kept a gratitude journal every single day of 2018.

It was an interesting exercise in being more cognizant of my blessings

and grateful to Him from whom they come.

It is intriguing to me that some of the things I was

most grateful for were predictable:

God

family

friends

health

And other things surprised me in how often they appeared...almost daily:

beauty

creativity

inspiration

the inspiration of strangers

- business changes - 

This has been at the forefront of all my thoughts this month.

Contemplating big, BIG changes.

Confronting all the questions: how, when, how soon, can I, am I brave enough?

Reading and studying and thinking yet more.

Gathering all my books and plan to spend the plane rides in active thought.

- Marie Kondo -

Quite frankly, I haven't even time to go there, because she lost me

at the 30 books bit. Slightly amused that this is a new craze, since it seems

to me that William Morris, back in the 19th century, said, 

"Have nothing in your homes that you do not know to be useful,

or believe to be beautiful." See. Nothing new under the sun.

It also seems to be embraced by people who haven't lived 

long enough to need to go buy again something they got rid of in a

fit of cleaning.

Not that we all can't declutter from time to time, BUT...30 books? Done.

- podcasts -

A little late to the game of discovering them, but better late than never.

Excellent company during lunch alone or while sewing.

I'm particularly enjoying those by Josephine Brooks on mentoring

and inspiring people with a side hustle.

- intention/intentional -

Those are certainly popular words these days.

But what DO they mean?

I'm starting to feel that they are used by people to validate a

complete lack of action,

so long as there was deep and meaningful thought.

Meanwhile, people who are actually intentional are out there

getting the job done.  

- and in no particular order -

dog training, theological bravery, moral courage, Virginia Woolf, epsom salts, gluten, vintage ski attire, winter sunsets, the future of history, gardening structure, how fascinating the expression of the human mind and how unique to each individual, British pubs, gold velvet ribbon, cheese fondue, color (always color!), small town connections, aging, the new season of Victoria, the Isle of Skye, the government shutdown, and ramen.

What about you? Do you find that January is a time to reflect? What's been on your mind this month?