New Year’s resolutions – By Alanna Pass

A Joyful Hat

I was perusing downtown McMinnville last Friday as part of my weekly field trip habit to spark joy in 2023. I ducked into a new little shop on a side street full of an eclectic mix of candles, plants, clothing, artwork and the like when I spotted the hats. They were displayed on the wall in subdued colors of black, grey, and navy. The hats were wide brim with wire inside for personalized form with tops of a low, bent, wizard shape- not so high to be audacious but just high enough to evoke a bit of Gandalf or Harry Potter. Cool- but such dark colors.

Then in the next room, I spotted the red one perched on a coat rack above a trendy wrap. I placed it on my head. It was perfect. Now I am not one to buy conversation piece clothing but had to have this hat (aging gives you license to not care what people think.) It would be a bit of joy to parade around in and make me feel just a tad magical. Plus the wool blend and wide brim were a practical combination for the cold, rainy days of W. Oregon. It would also be a blank canvas for some pins I had collected with nowhere else to display.

I paid for my purchase and wore my red hat out of the store. People smiled. One lady called out from across the street, “I love your outfit!”

Maybe it is a magic hat.

Joy, my word for 2023

My swallow pin from Scotland and an Audubon heron pin

P.S.

When I looked for a poem that celebrated red hats I found the Red Hat Society, an Internatonal organization dedicated to women over 50 who want live life to the fullest. “The Red Hat Society is a worldwide membership society that encourages women in their quest to get the most out of life. We support women in the pursuit of Fun, Friendship, Freedom, Fitness and the Fulfillment of lifelong dreams.” On their outings they wear red hats and purple clothing.

This poem is from the Red Hats of Manitoba…

A Red Hat Poem
My hat I wear with great aplomb
It makes me feel so bolder
For though I’ve passed the “50” mark
I don’t feel any older
Than when I was a sweet young thing
Just barely out of my teens
And wearing out my platform shoes
And wide bell bottom jeans.
But now I have a purple frock
It really is a shocker
all finished off with “Big Red Hat”
With ostrich feather topper.
I know the colors really clash
To me, it does not matter
I’m proud to say, I’m in the club
I’m a “50” plus “Red Hatter”



Who knew it's a thing?  Perhaps I will join.  I've got the red hat.  All I need now is some purple clothing to go with it!

Tune into my other blog about sustainable living at onesweetearth.blog

Sparking Joy in 2023

Poetry, Uncategorized

Boganuary WordPress Challenge Jan. 1

The New Year 2023 Started with some good omens, sunshine for one- always welcome in my corner of NW Oregon at this time of year. The other was my 60 lb Cattle dog mix, Mars, jumped in the shower with me. Since I got him 2 ½ months ago he’s always seemed fascinated with the shower, sticking his head in and catching streams of hot water. This morning, thinking he really did want a hot shower, I said “come”, and he gleefully joined me. If you are a dog lover you would see the delight in that. Plus, it’s an easy way to wash your dog.

I gave up the New Year’s resolution tradition years back seeing it as a recipe for disappointment. Instead, I have a word (or words) of the year that can act as a guidepost for my annual journey. I keep them posted in my journal and day planner to deep up the intention. Last year’s were commitment, generosity, and focus (focus was a repeat from 2021). I am happy to report I had a decent outcome with those.

So without further adieu, drum roll, my new word of the year is JOY. After 3+ years of pandemic and political turmoil, a knee injury, and the passing of numerous friends and family, I’m ready for some. I have this saying, “ spend as much on yourself as you do your car and your house.” I’m so due for a little repair and maintenance. This includes…

Shopping for some new clothes and ditching my threadbare clothing
Monthly massage & chiropractic for my poor aching back
Artist’s dates, library dates, field trips, and other little self-care tidbits that put some spark back in my life.

Author and home organizer, Marie Kondo begs the question “does this spark joy?” That will be mine for the coming year. I hope you take some time for joy too in 2023.

A Toast for 2023

It’s the season of new

the Earth has spun through the heavens

and arrived at the place we call the beginning

a bookmark we humans have put in the order of things

the New Year, the first day of the first month of the 23rd year of the 21st century

All is new, yet all the same

a cycle in a continuum of millennia

yet a comfort that we have a fresh start in our minds

Shall we proceed then with our new slippers

virgin calendars full of exotic pictures

day planners devoid of marks

and forge on with gusto?

for we have been given another turn

a blank canvas to paint another 12 months upon

Let us mix up our palettes with new intentions

hope, faith and the unseen circumstances that will surely find us

stroke, splash, and drip with abandon

make your marks with love, touching others with color

bringing forth new memories

painting this Earth a brighter place

My Words for the New Year 2021

Poetry, The Creative Process

I don’t believe in New Year’s resolutions. That concept sounds so burdensome. Instead, I have a personal tradition of picking one or more words to aspire to live by for the coming year. I revisit these words from time to time and check in on how I’m doing. (Writing them on the bathroom mirror is a very effective strategy.)

My words for 2020 were acceptance and focus. I almost wore out the word acceptance with the pandemic and political matters and it’s unlikely I can ever truly accept the damage of the forest fires had here in Oregon this year. Climate change is unacceptable and is something I will always fight against. Thus it has been a mixed bag with that word. FOCUS has been an ongoing challenge for me but I am happy to report that I am BETTER! Being a creative soul I am forever distracted by my thoughts and every shiny thing that comes along in my day. Now though, I am more aware of my distractions and am honing a system to keep me on track.

This December I mulled over what my new words would be. I wait to see what will bubble up to my subconscious and pick the ones I resonate with the most. So drumroll.. my new words are:

Commitment– I allowed myself this year to go “fallow” and dabble in a lot of creative pursuits. Now I am ready to synthesize what I’ve learned into specific avenues.

Generosity– Give more of my time, talent, and money to others

Focus – This word remains on the list as I need more work with it.

Let the year unfold! What are your words for 2020?

and my poem for you this New Year…

A Toast for 2021

It’s the season of new

the Earth has spun through the heavens

and arrived at the place we call the beginning

a bookmark we humans have put in the order of things

the New Year, the first day of the first month of the 21^st year of the 21st century

All is new, yet all the same

a cycle in a continuum of millennia

yet a comfort that we have a fresh start in our minds

Shall we proceed then with our new slippers

virgin calendars full of exotic pictures

day planners devoid of marks

and forge on with gusto?

for we have been given another turn

a blank canvas to paint another 12 months upon

Let us mix up our palettes with new intentions

hope, faith and the unseen circumstances that will surely find us

stroke, splash, and drip with abandon

make your marks with love, touching others with color

bringing forth new memories

painting this Earth a brighter place

Check out my other blog onesweetearth.art.blog on sustainable living.

My Words for 2020

Poetry, Uncategorized

A good intention is like the seed of a tree whose fruit we do not know.

George Bernard Shaw

It’s become a personal tradition to rather than make a long list of resolutions to pick a word to live by for the year. Last New Year my word for the year was “courage.” Looking back I believe I did the word justice (to the point of perhaps overdoing it?) I put myself out of my comfort zone by making a new body of work, participating in the Art Harvest Studio Tour, completing a printmaking residency, traveling Scotland to walk with friends & then to Ireland solo to attend Craiccean a week-long bodhran (drum) camp on one of the Aran Islands. Then there were a series of health issues that had to be navigated that took a different type of courage. I am happy to report things are much better!

Ready to give courage a bit of a rest, my new word for 2020 popped into my head during last week’s yoga class when my teacher asked us to think about and intention for the New Year. That word is “acceptance” with my secondary word being “focus”. I find one word can have quite a few layers to it and I am eager to explore where these will take me.

Last night I read the following poem I wrote at a gathering of friends as a toast to the New Year. I am very optimistic for better times and wish all of you the best for 2020.

Images by Alanna Pass

Continue reading “My Words for 2020” →

A Road Map for the New Year 2020

The Creative Process, Uncategorized

“There is more to life than increasing its speed” Mahatma Gandhi

One of my intentions for the New Year is to manage my time more effectively. As a creative type, I am constantly let astray by shiny distractions – a crow woman of sorts. I found two books that are very helpful on the subject.

41btviico9l._sx329_bo1204203200_ “Make Time” by Jake Knapp & John Zeratsky gives clear strategies to simplify and prioritize your day in a way that will give your life less stress and more meaning. The two authors are self-described “time dorks.” They were so overstressed in their high tech world that they developed simple techniques to really focus on what matters by doing less. Besides providing you with a simple daily template this book is chalked full of strategies to help you deal with digital distractions, tips to eat and sleep more effectively, and even how to get the most out of your caffeine habit!

Then there is “Manage your Day to Day: Build Your Routine , Find Your Focus, & Sharpen 51gpnuhi4-l Your Creative Mind” published by 99U. This compact little book is geared more to the creative than Make Time. There is also some overlap. Each chapter is written by a different person in creative fields about building a successful creative routine. The chapters are short, there’s a lot of quotes(I love quotes) and you can open anywhere in the book for a little pick-me-up.

Check these out. Best wishes for a creative New Year!

“If you want to create something worthwhile in your life, you need to draw a line between the world’s demands and your own ambitions” Mark McGuinness

And the Word is…..

The Creative Process, Uncategorized

bert-lahr-516812_1920 The New Year is always full of good intentions. I just began my online class “A Year of Painting” taught by Alena Hennesy. Alena asked all of us to pick one word to be a focus on for the year. Among the many words posted were “healing, mindful, yes, grow, magical, allow.” It took me days to come up with mine, “COURAGE,” a perfect word for where I’m at.

I’m going to keep this word as my mantra to remind myself to be courageous in my writing, blogging, music, travel, my art, my heart, and all the things I intend to do this year.

I don’t consider myself a painter so I am out of my comfort zone. It will be interesting how I progress through this class I will share my journey on this blog knowing that showing vulnerability is also a sign of courage.

What is your word for the year??

witches-legs-3702150

Have a “Wanderful” New Year

Uncategorized

This curious little book caught my eye when searching for a book on spiritual practice in my local library. It was called “TheWander Society” by Keri Smith. Flipping through this book like a combination of discovering a little cache of buried treasure and opening a door into a world of mystery and intrigue.

The author stumbled upon the existence of The Wander Society quite by accident as she was perusing a used bookstore in her town. She picked up a worn copy of Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass from the shelves. In it were hand notated references “WW will show you the way,” “Solvitur Ambulando,” “The Wander Society,” along with other underlinings and strange symbols in the margins.

This is a book about Keri’s subsequent research into the “Wander Society” – which actually exists, taking inspiration from the life of Walt Whitman. Then there is information on how to be a wanderer and her handwritten written underneath the type in how her practice of wandering was changing her life. Anyone can be a member- however, but there are certain requirements…….

I’m not going to spoil the fun. Go out and read the book.

I must say, this little volume sort of upended how I’ve been thinking about my life. Of course, I’ve been in one of those places where I was on the verge of being upended, like the big earthquake we have been expecting in Oregon. This was a catalyst. I have always been a doer. That’s what our culture demands of us- achievement! productivity! Branding! But maybe there is another way to look at things that is…..

much

more

sane.

At the dawn of 2019, I am going to strive to be more of being than a doer, a wanderer more than a seeker.

Wish me luck

Hope you will join me

Happy New Year to all of you. Here is a poem from my favorite poet, Mary Oliver to close out the year…..

Continue reading “Have a “Wanderful” New Year” →

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this: