Happy New Year? I Sure Hope So!

Resolutions.

Yes, yes, it’s that time of year again. I’m not sure how this torture developed, this need to evaluate every bit of your life, pull it apart and make a half-hearted resolve to reassemble it so that it’s perfect in every way. Throw in the guilt that follows when you fail within the first 2 weeks and the torture is complete.

A Painting Every Week?!?

Yet, I do it, too. Every year. I put the diet together along with the schedule that includes every detail that I feel I need to include in my life to be whole. Time set aside to exercise every day, clean the house thoroughly every week, do a full painting each week, reorganize the basement, etc., etc. And, yes, every year, I fail.

I’m 99% sure that the failure rate is so high is because we believe the stuff with which the media crams our brains. We can be perfect. We can have the perfect body, the perfect house and yard, the perfect romance with our spouse, perfect children, the perfect job, the perfect fulfillment of your every dream and ambition. And you’ll still find time to sleep that 7 hours a night to maintain your perfectly youthful complexion and waistline!



...and Sing!

 Not gonna happen. And, this year, I’ve decided, that for me, that’s okay.

Take some time to Dance...

I am going to make resolutions, but not the usual ones. I’m going to resolve to accept reality and rebuff the nonsense of the world inside the tube. I’m not saying that I’m not going to do the things that need to be done. I am saying that I’m going to try to approach all of it with the right attitude.



 Instead of whining about how “fat” I’ve gotten the last 18 months, especially in front of the daughters, I’m going to try to get them and maybe some my friends involved with my exercise plans. It won’t be every day, but when I (or we) can make the time. And, I am not expecting the same body I had 10+ years ago.  I just want to feel better, not compete with a 30-year-old, or even a 40-year-old.

I want to spend more time with family, friends and neighbors, not the vacuum, not the weeds, not at work. I need to figure out what garden will be “sacrificed” this year to make that time. I want to spend more time in the kitchen learning some new dishes and techniques, not parked in front of the television watching another rehash or rerun.

I want to look at the rainbow and ignore the clouds as often as possible. If I gripe, I want to be able to laugh at myself for being such an Eeyore. If someone else gripes, I want to be their Tigger, and bounce them to the positive side.

I’ve got a good job, a nice “boss”, a pretty house, a decent car, really wonderful friends, great parents and other family, and the best husband. I’ll never win any beauty pageants, but I’ve never scared anyone either (I think!). I don’t want to tear my life to bits and create a new one. I just want to enjoy the one I have now a bit more.

Sweetie resolves to never leave white laundry white.

And, that’s my resolution for 2011.



Jaq resolves to never sleep in a boring position.

What's yours?


                                                                          *******

This past week, our family lost our oldest brother, Bob. Under the circumstances, he went peacefully. There was enough of an age difference between Mike and Bob that we never spent as much time with him and his lady, Jayne, as we would have liked. But he was always our brother, and we will always miss him. We just hope he's enjoying that toboggan run he wanted. We love you, Bob.


Santa's Bow Holder and Helper

Another reason to live well:  In the world we occupy now, there is too little time to waste on the wrong things. Dive into 2011 and dance every wave you can catch!

Remembering The Season

Still Smiling!

It’s been a long winter already in this part of the world. The sky has been spitting snow at us almost every day, the temperature is on vacation (somewhere warm, I’m guessing) and I think I’m ready to buy stock in windshield washer fluid.

Yet, it’s been a surprisingly pleasant season. Despite the irritations of the weather and legitimate fears about money this year, people have been, well, nice. Almost everyone has been talkative, sharing information and special finds at the stores. There have been smiles and laughter amongst strangers, often about the horrendous weather and lack of funds.

And Singing!

People have been looking other people in the eye and welcoming each other into their moments. Having worked in a mall setting for so many years, Mike and I have often experimented by trying to create eye contact with strangers. We’ve done this to find out if we could get people to smile. Our reason was simple: it makes the day better for not only us, but other people. It’s been a grand surprise to see this happening spontaneously for a change.

The last few days, though, I’ve been feeling a shift to the frantic. It’s even manifested itself in our own little world. The pressure of getting it all done is bearing down. 

The question that I force myself to face when this happens is, “Why does it all need to get done?”. Truly. It doesn’t.

Santa will get there one way...

Is your daughter really going to despise you if you don’t buy that huge curly ribbon for her gift? Is Aunt Martha really going to look at the top of the refrigerator and see the fine layer of dust? And, if she does, will she care? Don’t you feel, deep within your heart, that it’s better to spend the time with everyone, to share love and joy?

...or another!

So, take it easy on yourself this week. Life is too short. Relax, enjoy your loved ones, friends and, even, the people you meet when you’re out and about. You, and everyone else, will relish the wonderful, lingering feelings of the season longer than any gift you can purchase.

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Just a peek at some "traditions" in our home, past through not-so-long-ago past:



Santa in the far past...



...and Santa in the near past.





One Grandma's Collection...



...of Mr. & Mrs. Claus...



...and another Grandma's Home for them to live in.



Keep the spirit, this week, and every week. Try to live by the Golden Rule.

Merry Christmas!

From the Deuels, by blood & marriage, past, present and, hopefully, future!

A Winner Please?

I'm hoping it's because of the holiday rush and not because you don't like me any more, but the giveaway has been a bust.

I will be giving a print to Stephanie of Crystal Allure Handcrafted Jewelry. There have been a lot of pics she's admired so, unless she tells me otherwise, I'll pick one for her. I'm not telling her which one, but I have an idea of which one she might like best!

If you would like another try, Stephanie is offering a different giveaway of a lovely set of handpainted postcards at Crystal Allure Handcrafted Jewelry till December 21st. The cards were inspired by Stephanie's extensive support of transplant awareness. They are enclosed in a pretty handmade envelope as well.



One of the Postcards in the Giveaway



We'll try again in 2011 and hopefully, we'll get a better response at that time.

In the meantime, have a great Winter Solstice celebration, a merry Christmas and, always, a safe but enjoyable New Year Eve!

Only 3 Days Left to Win! Giveaway Deadline is December 15th!

Just a reminder, friends! I know it's a (hopefully, happily) busy time of the year, but I don't want you to miss out on the Giveaway announced last week!

If you leave me a heartfelt note of cheer, you'll be entered in a drawing to win an 8"x10" photo-quality print of any available piece shown on this blog. That includes any of Mike's photo-art pieces, too!


Simply click to leave a comment or contact me at bronsonhillarts [at] gmail [dot] com, write your note and let me know which item you'd like and to what address to send it. 

The winner will be drawn Wednesday night, the 15th, so sign up! 

Don't you just love a free gift?

Come On In! We're Open!

(And, We’ve Got a Welcoming Give-away Gift, Too!)

Just a quick note to everyone, friends, supporters, all:



Come On In! Join Us!

 Bronson Hill Arts is officially ready (and, happily, anticipating) to take your orders!!

I’ve posted some samples of the different types of custom art that I can create for you and your family and friends. With a little imagination, we can put something incredibly fun and unique together for any special person or occasion. We can make art from your world!

Unless otherwise indicated, prints of any of the existing pieces of work can also be yours in a variety of sizes. I will continue to add to the Designer Art Gallery to make finished pieces available to you over time.

We’ve given Mike his own page which is filled
with just some of the beautiful photographs he’s taken over the years. As I’ve mentioned before, all of his work is untouched. He considers “Photoshop” to be a dirty word. And, I agree. His work is also available as high-quality, photographic prints. Take a few minutes and check it out. Any one of his pictures would make a great Holiday Gift! And, there’s still plenty of time to ship it to you.

Three of his better creations...

 As a holiday bonus, there’ll be no shipping and handling charges for any non-custom order placed by 12/16/2010.

How to order and make payments is shown on the order page of this blog. If you have any questions or concerns, please leave me a note, and I’ll contact you.

But wait! There’s more!

Leave me an upbeat and joyful message at bronsonhillarts [at] gmail [dot] com or in the comment area following this blog page, and we’ll put you in the drawing for a free 8”x 10” print of your choice of any of the pieces (excluding items marked as NFS) on any of our pages!

We’ll randomly choose one of you wonderful people on Wednesday, 12/15/2010. When you leave your message for us, let us know which piece you would like a print from and the address you’d like us to ship it to.

If you miss this give-away, keep an eye open for another at the Crystal Allure Jewelry blog next week!

Thank you! We look forward to working for fun with you!

Plus Vs. Minus

Almost all things in life require a trade-off, one option to be selected over the other to gain something positive.



Some dawns you don't want to miss...

 Some are not difficult. You might want to choose between getting out of bed an hour earlier to do that entire exercise routine or to sleep. Since there is a lot of evidence, as of late, that indicates that both of these options are good for the waistline, it becomes a choice that befits your personality. Me? Oh, sleep, for certain!

Other decisions are not so easy. One of the hardest any pet owner has ever had to make is whether to euthanize a beloved furry friend or to hold out for that miracle you’ve been praying for to come through. Since a pet can’t communicate to you verbally, you’re assuming full responsibility for either choice. And, it’s rarely a black-or-white choice, but you’re trying to find the option that will be positive in result.  The trade-off is your loss versus a loved one’s comfort. Never simple, never easy.

Fortunately, most trade-offs just happen. They’re incidental to other choices made as life occurs. This point was brought to my consciousness by an innocuous exchange with a friend. She was teasing me, that where we grew up, we didn’t have to deal with that annoying winter snow-stuff. If I’d stayed there I wouldn’t have it to deal with this white stuff.

Living in upstate New York, you know it’s a toss-up which season is longer: winter or construction. No matter that the “construction season” covers almost two-thirds of the year, winter wins without contest.

Dealing with this fact-of-living was not an intentional choice. Through years of convolution, I became a “native” Upstater. The only part of the choice that was intentional was that I chose to marry a man whose life was centered in this part of the world. That was the trade-off: love won over the dread of winter. It wasn't a deliberate choice as there was nothing that would've stopped my marrying the love of my life. Winter-here I am!



Long Winter Ahead

 It is an entire season of plusses and minuses. There is a process to adapting to the wintertime. It just happens. You just have to look for the trade-offs.

• The first “significant snow events” (as they are referred to by our local weatherpeople) are a royal pain. The road crews never seem to be near any road you’re driving along. The people, who have lived under these conditions for a lifetime, seem to be lost as if they had never seen snow before and have no clue how to navigate through it.

The trade-off here is that it is so incredibly beautiful. The shapes and consistencies of the snow can shift from one stretch of land to another. The way the ultra-white crystals take the form of anything they alight on is, very simply, breath-taking.

• Slowly, people relearn their winter skills. They have to do that. Because, it never ends! It truly seems that the clouds just park overhead and won’t let any other weather pattern drive through our neighborhood. For about 3 months. Luckily, the third month is February, so it’s short. Yes, I realize that this is strictly a psych as the weather really has no obligation to follow the calendar. But, indulge me.

The Snowman designed for the Indoor Type: Small and Tidy

What’s the plus of this? You really have to look carefully, but it’s there. If you’re an outdoorsy person, there is so much to do. Skiing- downhill and cross-country-, sledding, snow-shoeing, or just wandering. If you’re more sedentary, there’s always hot chocolate by the gallon, fireplaces, books, and, time. Lots of time, which is itself a wonderful commodity.

• And, the best, and final stage of adaption is when we quietly anticipate winter's starting to hesitantly move out. The green starts to peep from beneath it’s now-whitish cover. The temperature soars to over 40 and it’s time to pull out the spring coat and let your winter boots dry thoroughly. A silent wave of relief comes over our shivering souls.

And the trade-off is, well, none! Except maybe a greater appreciation of all things becoming new again, of being alive another year.

So, as I watch my car get covered in another layer of the stuff, I can hold onto the positives. Maybe this upstate snow-stuff, like most things in life, really isn’t so bad after all.

**********



Lost Robin

I want to give a special thank you to my brother-in-law, Lou,aka, L.R. Deuel, for sharing some of his wonderful images with us. I'm thinking that the photographic talent runs in the family. What do you think?