Jewels

Taken by my husband, Aaron
Dec. 2016

Jewel of the sky-

  Resplendent ruby and jade.

Filigree in flight.  

Solving the Problem of January

Candles help create hygge.

HOO-gah.

Not hoo-RAH, the traditional greeting for Marines.

And not Ah-CHOO, the sound of sneezing,

Or ooh-GAH, like those old-fashioned car horns.

HOO-gah.

Which is actually spelled hygge.

If you are confused about how the sound HOO-gah can come from the word hygge, do not despair.

Hygge is a Danish word.

I don't speak Danish but I am taking their word.  I hope Denmark doesn't mind.

There isn't a direct translation, it is one of these words that are culturally specific.

Like, I imagine that it is hard to translate "groovy" to Japanese or "fleek" into Swahili.

Despite the translation difficulties hygge is my key to solving the problem of January.

January can be pretty but it is usually grey & dreary.  

The problem of January, is of course, that is is dreary, cold, with little sunlight and no holidays to brighten things up.

I historically despise January.

January historically despises me right back.

Usually it gives me a major depressive episode.  Or at least a minor one.  But depression. Depression is always part of the package.

February isn't great either but it is shorter and also contains Valentine's Day. That usually gives me a little bit of extra pep to survive until spring.

January, though, it has got nothing.

Enter hygge.

Hygge is a feeling of contentment and well-being.

Hygge is generated from focusing on simple pleasures such as feeling cozy when it is cold outside.  Or the enjoyment you get from fuzzy socks and warm drinks.

Or the enjoyment you get from watching a fire or holding a purring cat.

Candles also feature prominently in hygge.

One article I read said that Denmark has the most candles per capita in the world.

I suppose if you are going to have a world record for something, it might as well be something nice like candles.

Unlike Australia, which I think has the greatest number of deadly creatures per square mile or some such thing.

Hygge also includes a feeling of togetherness and conviviality.

Conviviality is not a regular part of my vocabulary either but I'm taking this word too.

It describes a friendly and enjoyable atmosphere or feeling.

January can't compete with hygge.

It just crumbles under the contentment and togetherness.

My version of hygge is to create a warm, cozy home environment focusing on time with my family and creating a sense of authentic togetherness.

Hygge is celebrating our family and this life we built together.

With lots and lots of tea and fuzzy socks.

Resolutions

Last year, my husband resolved "to eat more nachos."

He totally crushed that goal.  I think he had nachos about 100 days out of the year.

I've never been too big on resolutions because I figure I should be learning and growing as life presents me opportunities.

Although, I totally get that having a specific time to identify areas of needed growth is helpful.

In recent years I've made resolutions in 2005 and 2012.

It was the same for both years.  I resolved to "Grab the bull by the horns" in whatever form that took.

In the case of 2005, I left my first husband, fell in love, took my licensing exam and moved in with my new boyfriend.  (you can read a bit more about that here).

In the case of 2012, my current husband and I got legally separated so that we could buy a house (I wrote about that here), I started my own private practice, our daughter started Kindergarten and we moved into a new home.

It is kind of a nuclear resolution.

It has to pass through the chain of command in my psyche before the launch codes are released.

2017 is not the year for a nuclear response.

2017 is reserved for my husband and I being cured of Lyme Disease.  We're making progress and I am hopeful that by this time next year we will be healthy.

My 9 1/2 year old daughter, on the other hand, loves resolutions.

On New Year's Eve she asked us what our resolutions were.

This year his goal is to play with his virtual reality video gaming system more.

He'll crush that one too!

I decided that I would like to do more yoga, more art and be more patient.  I figure those are achievable even given our current limitations.

Also, my limitations give me LOTS of opportunities to be patient!

This is not my strong suit.  I've been known to stomp my foot due to impatience.  As and adult. In Target.

My daughter, with no prompting from either of her parents said "I want to be more kind and become a more helpful person."

!!

My mom with with us as well and I can't remember if she had a resolution.  My daughter swears that she said her goal was "to eat more corn tortillas."

I don't think this is accurate but it is totally achievable.

And all the New Year's resolution "experts" say that you're more likely to successful with realistic goals.

So, there's that.

Here's to a new year and a fresh start!