My One Word Resolution

With everyone talking about resolutions for this coming New Year it’s hard not to think about it. I don’t recall ever making any in the past and think of them as a bit corny and not something I want to live the next year based off of. I’ve always had an issue with boundaries and conforming to anything…even if I’m the one making the rules. Inspiration and love have ruled my life and neither seem to show up when I expect them to. Taking that into consideration, resolutions seem like a box I don’t want to be contained within. This year I think my view on the subject has changed a bit.

While at a small Christmas dinner this year I met someone who, when asked about her resolution, answered the question intriguingly. Her response was something called the one-word resolution and went on to illuminate us with a delightful explanation. She quoted a conversation she had regarding this revolution in resolutions and described this one word as a guide through the coming year. A touchstone of sorts to build on the person you’d like to be in the New Year. Resolutions always seem to center around something one has to do instead of what one wants to become. I love the idea of the one-word resolution because of this and after thinking about it for a few days I’ve decided on my word.

The word I’m using already means a lot to me so this alone has me excited about 2010. I want to use this word to push my art and intellect further. By moving across the country and residing in a new area of the world I want to see and experience more than I ever have. I find myself on mountains, in forests and experiencing cities I never thought I’d see. The world is such a beautiful place and the city I now live in, along with its surrounding areas, just asks to be explored. With that in mind, I chose EXPLORE as my one-word resolution because I want to grow here and fall in love with my new home. I really want 2010 to be a year I’ll look back on confidently and I think EXPLORE is an ideal start!

First Christmas in Seattle

In preparing for our move to Seattle I didn't know what to expect with it being so close to the holidays. We knew we'd miss our families and the annual celebrations we shared with them. I wasn't prepared to celebrate at all until a dear friend of Jon's invited us to a "misfit's dinner" he was hosting. A savoury dinner it ended up being and we met some new people. After our tiny dinner party we dropped the pup off at home and stumbled around the Seattle Center taking pictures of the holiday lights before they dissappeared. Have a look!

Grandma's Dumplings

Having spent our first holiday away from home I decided we needed a little taste of childhood. With southern cooking masters on both sides of our families I figured I do our Grandmothers proud with an adventure into Chicken & Dumplings. I’m of the opinion that it was a success and plan to visit southern cooking more often. A basic recipe, sure, but a yummy one! Here are a few shots of my adventure into home cooking!