New Year's Musings

So today starts a new year. This should be a new beginning, should it not? Funny that, because I've had significant new starts in my life, and all of them occurred due to events far more significant than the flip of a calendar page. Even so, this new year causes me to take stock.

I am not one for making New Year's resolutions; I can be too complicated and sometimes self-defeating to make simplistic resolutions work. I have been thinking a lot about the interplay between living in the moment, having dreams, and making plans. If I spend too much time dreaming and planning, I can miss out on the only thing guaranteed to me--this moment, now. If I spend all my time in the moment, I might not accomplish much. Because isn't it the pursuit of the reward of completing a project (in the future, like the JayBee) that helps me persist through all the moments that are discouraging and wearying--that are not all that fun in the moment? I've been wondering if it's possible to be more in a moment--even a discouraging one--in a way that also keeps me on track (as opposed to derailed) when trying to achieve a goal.

Amidst all of these thoughts today, I attempted to make a little progress on the tiny house...

After three bitter-cold days, today was warmer again. It's quite a dramatic weather roller-coaster ride we've been on. The JayBee was dry and well-covered. Even though the day was sunny, the sun is low in the sky this time of year; it casts a long-shadowed light no matter the time of day.

I made a new sign to display over the septic pump. My hope is that this will help the plow guy avoid breaking the pump when he plows my driveway. (Yes, hope springs eternal. I've had other versions of the sign out there, and they have not yet succeeded in fully protecting the pump.)

It took me hours today to install new blades on my two power saws. I put the blade I received as a Christmas gift (thank you, Dale!) on the table saw. That job went fairly quickly and easily.

I found a brand-new, never-before-opened-or-used blade when I cleaned out space for storing the JayBee windows. A spare blade I'd completely forgotten I purchased back when I bought my miter saw. (As if I needed it, this is more evidence that I need to continue doing some serious downsizing. What is the point of having a bunch of stuff if I don't know I have it and, therefore, am unlikely to stumble upon it and make use of it?!) It took me a long time to install the new blade on my miter saw, but finally the job was done.

It is going to be heaven the next time I use these saws. Happiness is a sharp saw blade.

It was too nice a day not to go for a walk with the boys and get a river fix. Check out my driveway! Since it slopes down to the north, it will probably be ice-covered until the spring thaw. :::sigh:::

Down at river's edge...

This small airplane flew downriver at low altitude.

For some reason, I thought the plane might have something to do with the smoke I saw downriver (see just right of center in the photo below). On second thought, there probably was no connection.

Happy New Year, everyone!