New Yearizing

After the holidays, I was kind of relieved to find the TV shows I'd been following came to their season's end. It finally felt like I wasn't "missing" anything by watching Christmas classics or whatever struck my fancy...or nothing at all! I could finish those final episodes at my leisure and not feel anxious for the new season to start! Contrary, I'm sure, to what the networks hope I will feel. Hey! I've got better things to do than worry if your fictional characters will make it out alive! I'm pretty sure they will--or at least remain in mortal peril long enough for your bank account to bloat with royalties.

That feeling of closure is one of the only ways I can manage to take down my beloved Christmas decorations every January. The warm lights on the Christmas tree and house have welcomed me home, making these dark, winter nights a little less dreary. I hate to see the season of celebration end. But once I start putting a few things away here and there, it doesn't feel so bad. We celebrated well. And the thought of a fresh living room--not as cozy without a lit tree, but a little less "crowded"--makes me excited for the possibilities. I start organizing things I'd neglected over the holidays (like the shoes piling up in our coat closet). With all my Christmas crafting and gift-giving finished, I look forward to home decor projects and making my list of gift ideas for the coming year of birthdays, anniversaries, and special occasions. Forget new year resolutions. I'm just happy to feel motivated, even sporadically!

It's too early for "spring cleaning" and too late for "winterizing," so what do you call this phase? "New Yearizing!" The time when we send thank-yous for Christmas gifts, find homes for said gifts, and clean out a bunch of junk that's getting in the way! That's what I plan on doing over the next few weeks, whenever I get a spare moment. Unclutter a little bit of this. Deep clean a little bit of that. Get overwhelmed by how many of these we've got. Try to figure out which of those need to go... You get the picture. It seems that "New Yearizing" also means more meetings, social gatherings, and renewed commitments. None of these things are bad, just busying. Now that the "holiday drive" has lifted (that urge to plan, host, invite), it's almost like we go through withdrawals...so why not plan a party! :-) I'm all for it! I just have to figure out where I put that shiny new weekly planner of mine...