we didn't have christmas.

not,

at least,

in the way i was raised to think of christmas.

there was no tree.

there were stargazers:

there was no unwrapping.

there was un-stuffing:

there was no snow.

or reindeer.

there was a sunset:

there was no turkey.

there was lobster.  and pomegranate seeds:

it was a bundle of made-up newness,

spur of the moment happiness.

maybe it WAS christmas,

after all.

a pit bull xmas tale : toys vs affection . . .

a little story without words,

from this christmas:

the end.

cross promoting MYSELF (something i am loathe to do) -

so today, i link you not to here,
but elsewhere,
to get you to taste some other edges of my world.

first, go here:

SAM SAFFMAN

emascul8 is my blog on fashion.  and why men shouldn't be afraid of it.
(if you want to read more, just click on the header of the blog, and you'll get to the homepage.)

then, go here:

BLUE IS YOUR COLOR

i used to write a lot of poetry.  i was pretty decent.  got published at one point, even. 
here's some of it, i upload sporadically as i stumble over pieces.

see there.

i was a poet, and you didn't know it.

a MANACOP-tacular reason to celebrate . . .

um, daddy.  what are you doing?

you seem so happy!

enchiladas with home-made mole?

home-made ceviche?

grr wants to help.

avec was a bit let down to learn it wasn't for her.

we were having company!  kira and manacop . . . our first dinner par-tay.

and michael's b-day . . . a good excuse to turn this:

into this:

the home-made strawberry rhubarb blackberry crisp with mexican vanilla ice cream.

thank you for being born, mr. manacop!

RESOLUTIONS FOR A NEW ERA :

if 2008 has taught me anything,
it is that with trauma,
with change,
comes great reward.

IF
you have one key element.

the ability to push through.  to keep going.  and to not accept anything
as inevitable.

winston churchill has one of my favorite quotes of all time
that sums up this philosophy.
during world war 2, he was asked how he kept his spirits up,
how he kept fighting when things seemed bleakest.

and he said:

"when you find yourself going through hell,
keep going."

so simple. 

so in this year, as i figure out where my career goes, and where life takes me, i'm comfortable with the following facts.  i will make mistakes.  i will not win every battle.  i will struggle with change. 

but now more than at any point in my life (drum roll, fanfare, etc.) i can feel confident that whatever happens, i'm going to be fine.  because i am fully, impactfully, disturbingly, myself.

whatever that means.  :)

i'm actually ridiculously optimistic right now.  but for all of you out there who've just survived '08 . . . i imagine you can relate to the concept.

so here's to you, my blog friends.

open your eyes this new morning,
and resolve to keep going.

i can feel the change in the air,
and it's so much more rewarding to change
together.