The News From Whispering Pines

It's been a fairly good week. I actually like to get beyond the Christmas and New Year's Holidays. The family and food and music and lights and all are exciting and wonderful, but by New Year's Day the celebrating can feel like a full stomach with too many sweets--bloated. I feel ready for fasting and austerity. That, of course, reflects my Scandinavian heritage belief that too much of a good thing has got to be sinful. Anyway, we did enjoy the festivities but now are ready for January. The weather here has been simply amazing. Last week one of our patients at the clinic pointed out to me that it was warmer that particular day in North Dakota than it was in Miami, Florida! We can control and harness many things, but we're not yet smart enough to boss around the weather. Mostly I think that's good.

I didn't make a New Year's Resolution, but I found a quote that I'd like to use as a guide in 2012. "If you care too much about what other people think you will always be...their prisoner." You would think that at 55 7/8 years old I would follow my own compass and not give a hoot about other people's opinions, but I'm a late bloomer in that area. I'm going to post this quote on my bathroom mirror, on the dashboard of my car, at my work desk, and maybe have it tatted on my forearm. I need frequent reminders because lifetime habits aren't easy to change and I want to break free in 2012! Wish me luck...
...and let me know if I go too far (if I care).