Kitchen Skull

I keep my kitchen sponge in a glass candle holder shaped like a skull. Why, you may ask? Aside from the fact I simply HAD to have it as soon as I saw it...because there are few things I loathe more than the rotting smell of a sponge left in residue on the kitchen sink. Sick, sick, sick. Rinse, rinse again, store away from the grime. Or face my wrath. Random? I know. But I just had to share.
How was my New Year's Eve, you might ask? Well...I decided to answer this and many other questions in a questionnaire form.
1. How was your New Year's Eve? My New Year's Eve started off in a cloud of doubt. Plans fell through which made other plans almost fall through (because when visiting home without any form of transportation, all your plans sit balanced upon each other, teetering, ready to collapse at a moment's notice) but thankfully my wonderful husband came to the rescue and rented me a car. I spent New Year's Eve delivering a kitty to her mother (my cousin Keisha) and watching Seattle Space Needle New Year fireworks from Keisha's new apartment's front window. All I can say is wow...she has the best view. It was so great to spend it with her since we've been out of touch for so long.
2. Were you sad to leave Washington? Yes. Everything went by SO quickly and I felt like I didn't have enough time to see everyone for as long as I wanted. In fact, I know that for a fact; I missed out on a few people and I hate that I won't see them for another year or so. I was also just sad to leave home and return to my empty house. But at the same time I was excited to come HOME to my OWN home. It's hard to explain. But yes, it was conflicting.
3. How was your trip/Christmas overall? It was great. Wonderful. Timeless. Everything I hoped for. I feel like, as busy as it was, I had the time to treasure every moment and made the meaningful moments last. I'm SO thankful for my family and my wonderful cousin girls that are much more like sisters to me than cousins.
4. SO....did you take any pictures or anything? YES. But they haven't been uploaded yet. And I DO plan on posting some. So sit tight.
So here we are in 2011. I remember struggling with thinking of resolutions last year...and I think I finally figured out why just a few days before New Year's Eve. You see, last Christmas I had a falling out with my dad. It was lightly resolved but the wounds were deep. And it seemed like since then, I wasn't the same. I look back on this entire year and there are chunks that felt entirely dead. And I think a lot of this was due to the anger and sadness I was holding inside due to the fight around Christmas and another one with my dad that took place in June. I remember sitting down to think of New Year Resolutions...and just drawing a blank. I think I got a total of 4 when I normally have around 15. This year was better. I got to 9 I think. And I decided to share one of them: I'm going to counseling. I need to work past this anger in my life. It's a complicated situation that I don't feel the need to explain here for the world to see...but this fight with my dad will never be truly resolved. It's not a choice I've made; I've tried to get it resolved repeatedly. It's just something I know now due to several factors. This isn't going to get the rosy apology I imagined and hoped for in my head. Which means I must take a different road to healing. I'm getting counseling. I'm tired of being this angry. It eats away at me. And I already have enough stress in my life. I don't need this.
So...here is to a new year...full of changes and adjustments for good.

Photo: Unknown found via Catalog Classics