New Year (de)construction

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We've started this year by building something.
Yes we did! In our 500 sq. foot apartment, inspired by 2009 and with a new electric drill/screwdriver...
Yesterday on a whim we took a day trip to the Orlando IKEA . If you aren't familiar with it, they're a Swedish home furnishing superstore with a focus on design, functionality and affordability. It's pretty big in Spain and all over Europe. There are quite a few in the U.S. including 2 in Florida. We bought a big chest of drawers, 2 bedside tables and 2 big prints and spent most of today putting together the furniture. We actually had a lot of fun with the building process (these things can go either way) and today we finally have a place of our own to fold up our clothes and put them away. We have been living out of suitcases to some degree or another for over 2 years! Blessed be a bit a organization, clean smooth lines and the suitcases in the closet where they belong!

I am taking this successful construction as a sign that things are beginning to settle and root here, at least for a while. We were originally going to travel this weekend (escape escape!) to celebrate the New Year but in the end decided to stay here and put our energies into the house and town we currently call home. This was a good decision. We will begin the year here. Roots. Good.
New Years Eve we celebrating locally by going downtown to the First Night Festivities. We had excellent company -Reba came over from Tampa- and we saw some great shows. The highlights to me were a West African dancing/storytelling group, the happy strolling crowds and the fireworks at midnight. Before going downtown we had a spread of cheeses, Spanish Tortilla, my special guacamole, wine and a few other yummy things for dinner. Here are some pics:

And so, on this little wind of positive change, I'd like to proclaim my resolutions for 2009. Honestly, this past year was a bit tough- lots of big changes, paperwork woes, job-searching troubles, fleas, etc. I am grasping this New Year more tightly than usual as a pivot point for change.
Yes!
So here they are:
More time outdoors
Read more, Watch TV less
Morning Yoga, afternoon walks
Draw, write, Blog... give myself time to be creative
Keep the house neater (why is this so haaard for me?)
Dream again, feel my future open and rich with possibilities (find inspiration in linear time and the camino forward)
Be more aware of the seasons, the moon phases, sunrise and sunset
(The peace of circular time, patterns, cycles)

Here's to a fantastic 2009- the here and now!