New(ish) Beginnings

I'm not one for New Year's resolutions. I've never been particularly attached to the idea of New Year's Eve (something about being told that you must be festive is off-putting to me), so I suppose my ambivalence towards the other traditions surrounding the holiday is no surprise. It just doesn't seem natural to me to embark on new life-changing endeavors in the midst of the dark and the cold. Perhaps Easter would be a better time? The weather is certainly more encouraging and the holiday is, after all, premised on the idea of a rebirth.

However, there is something I like about the change from the old year to the new. The focus seems to change...we begin to look forward to spring rather than to holidays, we spend weeks reconnecting with friends that we have missed during the last few weeks of December and there is a feeling of purity of sorts that comes with writing the new year on documents and checks and such.

And although I'm in no mood for vast lifestyle changes, I do love the idea of slight tune-ups, which perhaps will engender effortless positive evolution in time. Sort of a "fake it 'til you make it" philosophy.

For instance, my lovely new coat will hopefully result in an effortlessly chic wardrobe,

my new delightfully warm gloves will perhaps encourage a renewed dedication to good grooming habits,

and my new grown-up version of a lunch box will presumably encourage healthy meals and more frequent visits to one of my absolute favorite stores, Kiosk, which carries this charming (Portguese, I'm told) contraption.

And so far my little scheme seems to be working. As I write this I'm sitting in a clean, organized apartment listening to the great growler Mr. Tom Waits with my beloved on a cozy winter's eve. And, after a restorative brunch with some long lost friends earlier today, I'm happily anticipating a robust pasta dinner. Delicious. All of it.