Happy New Year - PLEASE

A prayer and a plea -- Happy New Year, please.... But saying that, I know that the USA and I are both off to weird starts. For me, well actually for the USA, too, it is because I/we ended 2005 on a more subdued/strange note (albeit, the party at Shannon and Dixie's in Brooklyn WAS fun and not subdued -- more later on this). I didn't get my cards done, indeed I sent only about 4, although I had an "interesting" year with some fun stuff (Marillion, Las Vegas, and Oklahomastan! to name 3) and some good visits with my family and friends. But my to-do list continues to overflow and I must learn to focus and follow through -- on the stuff which I must choose to follow through on. I'm writing this, but, I'm behind in my on-line updating -- much to do on blogs, but especially on my political work (WQIDC and vote reform) and my peace work (NYFOR). But this I know: I am hard on myself and I cannot do it all. So breathe, release, relax, and give myself a break -- 'cause others may not. (My company actually had us working on Monday, though it was a national/state/city holiday -- and oh I could have used the day....) And give myself credit for all that I do accomplish -- quite a bit really.

And as for the United States -- well we had an unelected president spying on people and lying some more, committing impeachable offenses and so-far getting away with it, warring on the Iraqi people, the environment, and the middle class; we have an electorate who refuses to see that electronic voting is ruining our country (read the first chapter of Mark Crispin Miller's Fooled Again and if you still believe George W. Bush was really elected president in 2004 then I have a bridge to sell you -- I'm aghast and I'm still at the beginning of the book -- but then I know too much -- see the election links at http://kateanne.com); we have all sorts of environmental disasters, much of them fueled by the global warming that the unelected president refuses to acknowledge: hurricanes, floods, and firestorms; we have too many people refusing to get along: accentuating the negative and forgetting the positive. That said, I am reminded, I don't want to follow THAT suit. I want to push forward with the other folk: peacefully, with love and compassion and forgiveness, even as I cannot stand George W. Bush and Hillary Clinton and wonder who will win the nominations for president in 2008, even as I know we have to concentrate on 2006's congressional races first. (But there's Air America Radio's Mark Riley talking about John Kerry wanting to RUN again -- after he gave up without counting all the votes, which he promised to do? ARGH!!!! But Mark's on later then the new usual because Rachel Maddow is ill on the second day of her new expanded show -- which was not very good yesterday though her one hour 5 AM show has been one of Air America Radio's best -- maybe she really IS sick and not just sick at heart.) And then I tried to find Prayers of Peace and it seems to have vanished from the web. (The good news is that the Yahoo Little POP group - ourprayersofpeace - is alive and thriving and I will have to communicate for an update.)

Enough. Breathe. Inhale. Exhale. Relax. Trust in God. Forgive. Be peace. Be the change I/we wish to see in the world. Accentuate the positive. Eliminate the negative. "And don't mess with Mr. In-between." Now I have to go to work and if my boss who left early yesterday after giving me a whole bunch of 2005 wrap-up filing to do isn't happy with what I got done, I will hit him -- no I won't :-) -- I will smile sweetly and tell him I am working on it. Rome wasn't built in a day. There is much to do: in my home, in my personal life [and with my ill sister -- another story for later, but please keep Mary in your prayers], at work, in politics, in the USA, in the world. So much to do. One step at a time. Just move on forward. Keep on keeping on. And don't give up.

I've got a lot of thinking to do. Some promises to follow up on (burn and send out those Christmas picture CDs) and some people to contact (at least those who sent me cards, but also some others whom I wanted to contact). Decisions, decisions. And so, I will/must remember to pause, relax, and pray: "God, what would you have me do today?" Then, I must listen and do what I can do. And that will be enough, I must trust.

Love and blessings to you in 2006 -- and always. And of course:

Peace hugs,
Kate Anne <-- hoping you will watch this blog :-)