No More Resolutions

I've let the year do all the resolving for myself in 2007. I eshewed my usual New Year's introspection and goal setting. I didn't want to think about it. I got the feeling like anything I chose to do would somehow be thwarted by fate. And indeed this is the case. This has turned out to be the year of movie watching and travel. So far I've already been to San Diego and I'll soon head to Japan, but last weekend I took a last minute trip to visit my grandparents in Dallas.

I made the most of it, reading, knitting and hanging around with the grandparents. I did my best to make up for all the years of being an obnoxious teenager and difficult child. I helped in the kitchen, I watched game shows, and I even went to church with grandma to meet all of her friends. It was very fulfilling to witness them in their routines and to see them with one another. It makes me wonder what Mr. G and I will be like when we're in our golden years. I feel like I know them better now than I did when I was a teenager and I didn't get that chance with my dad's parents. It's a good feeling. I also got to see some other family members that I don't get so see so often, cousins I knew when they were infants. Oh boy.

Aside from all the family stuff grandma did take me to the Shabby Sheep on Boll street, a cute little bungalow of a yarn shop. Very welcoming staff and an abundance of yarn falling from every nook and cranny. It took some serious self discipline not to take the whole shop with me. Instead I settled for two skeins of the Araucania hand dyed cotton. Hopefully I'll get another chance to visit the shop. I still have my eye on some beaded knitting needles there.... drool drool drool.

As a result of the Japan trip I'm also trying to learn some Japanese. There's nothing funnier to me than talking with a tape in Japanese in my car as I drive to and from work. koNeecheewaaaaa. Ahhhh Sasayamasan, KoNeeecheewaaaa. I have to practice for the wedding. I don't want to be an uncultutred American. Although I'm sure I'll do something very stupid American-like while I'm there. Needless to say, learning Japanese wasn't at the top of my list of things I thought I would do in '07, but I'm better for it. I kinda forgot how much I love languages.

I also got a chance to visit the Dallas Museum of Art, which is one of the best Art Museums in the US, in my humble opinion. When I'm there the art fatigue doesn't set in nearly as fast as in other institutions. The building in itself is so serene that you don't feel bombarded by design. This allows for the art to speak for itself and it doesn't compete with it's surrounds. As much as I enjoy the new De Young Museum in Golden Gate Park. It's so design-y that I get overwhelmed just entering the darn thing. It was certainly a treat to see the original sketch of Van Gogh's cafe painting. And I saw a couple of Gherhart Richter's paintings again. He's one of the few modern artists that's able to elicit an emotional response from my. When I see it's work it's like being reunited with an old friend. I pondered for a bit if I give assign paintings an emotional response associated with an experience. I like Ricter because he reminds me of being in Sydney. I like Van Gogh because he reminds me of France and of my husband. I love David because he reawakens my love of French history.

All this introspection now? Is this because I didn't do so much of it at the new year? The year of being, since it appears I'll be in many different places.

I feel more connected to the universe than I have in a long time. I feel like I'm seeing signs again, positive reinforcements from the world when I need it.

There are still surprises ahead. One of my millenium horoscopes said back in 1999 that in 2007 a dream would come true. I suppose the question now is. Which one?

GG