New Year Poem

I walk into the New Year
of 2020,
trembling with anticipation,
but without fear.

What adventures,
tears,
and pain
with this year bring.

I inhale the chill
in the air,
I look forward to spring,
Naw-Ruz,
and the vernal equinox.

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Winter New Year

The Gregorian year dies
on a cold winter's night
and is reborn
in the snow of morning.

Champagne and fireworks say good-bye
to the old
and welcome in the new,
with resolutions
that might be kept
thirty-one day.

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December 2019

The days grow slowly longer
as a New Year
and a new decade approach.

Fear and hope mingle
in the minds of humanity,
as one emotion
attempts to push the other
out of the way.

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Toast for 2020

May the opportunities,
joy,
pleasings,
and love
increase exponentially
as the New Year
and the new decade progresses.


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The Fragrance of Winter

Inhale the fragrance of winter,
as the year
and decade draw to a close.

Inhale the crisp air of morning,
proclaiming new opportunities
to anyone
willing to take a chance
on success.

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Naw-Ruz: A New Year

March 21, 2019--
Naw-Ruz 176--
the beginning of a New Year
full of hope and joy.

The morning was cloudy,
clearing a little by afternoon
and the sun cam shining through:
the joy of a new and glorious day.

I also posted this in the journal Writing in Snow, under the folder Awardicon Items, in my writing.com portfolio. Visit My Portfolio @ Writing.Com

Counting Down to 2018

Two days left in 2017, 

No time to finish this year's resolutions, 

Review, reestablish, or make them anew. 

Do you remember January 2017, 

The thrill of a New Year 

And new resolutions; 

It's time to step something new, 

With renewed hope. 

Thoughts on the New Year

Seven days until the end of the Gregorian year, 

Eighty-seven days until the end of the Badí or Bahá'í calendar, 

I have a great deal planned for the coming weeks: 

Go away fear! 

I place everything in Baha'u'llah's hands, 

Because alone I cannot accomplish any goals or plans, 

I know that God may have many things in mind, 

Therefore, I place everything in His hands 

And the hands of His Glory. 

Baha'u'llah is the Glory of God, 

The reflection of the Divine Unknowable Essence 

To humanity. 

New Year 2017: Three changes I've made

Fiḍál (Grace), 7 Sulṭán (Sovereignty), 173 BE - Tuesday, January 24, 2017 AD about 10:57 AM Pacific Standard time. 

I decided on the first to make a few changes in the way I do stuff. I've made three changes in relationship to my writing.com portfolio and the way I do things. First, I now list my favorites on the right side of my screen because it saves time when I want to access a group folder. Second, I changed my review template to make it easier to do reviews. Third, I request and paid GPs for three reviews for items in my port that haven't been reviewed. When those reviews come in I will rewrite the items according to any helpful suggestions. 

I'll probably make some more changes in the upcoming weeks. When I do I will make another entry about those. One thing I'm considering is putting my name on the Request Review list and set a Gift Points (GPs) amount for each requested review. When I do that I will either change my review template or create a new template for requested reviews. 

Happy New Year: Resolutions

Istiqlal (Independence), 2 Sharaf (Honor), 172 BE - Friday, January 1, 2016 about 12:22 PM Pacific Standard Time

It's the first day of the Gregorian year when many people in the world make resolutions. The first day of a New Year is a good time to set goals because it is a chance for a fresh start. However, making resolutions or setting goals does not do any good unless you also establish steps to attain them.

New Year a new start
Making resolutions with
Steps to help accomplish them.

It takes effort to accomplish goals. Just setting the goals does not do any good unless you have achievable steps and accountability. A person has to review her goals everyday by making time to look within to see what stopped you from accomplishing a step on any particular day. Then you have to make an extra effort the next day is you did not accomplish a step toward the final goal.

Bring yourself to account
give thanks for accomplishments
and ask forgiveness for failures.

 

 

Summary Saturday: The Week of December 20-26, 2015

Jalal (Glory), 15 Masá’il (Questions), 172 BE - Saturday, December 26, 2015 about 10:30 AM Pacific Standard Time

It's been a good week. I had some successes and I had some failures. I found numerous things to be thankful for. I discovered some attributes I need to work on. In five day a new Gregorian will begin, which is the time most people establish New Year's Resolutions. I no longer make New Year's Resolutions.

I make tentative goals for the first two and one-half months of the Gregorian year. Then on Naw-Ruz, which falls on the spring equinox, I make permanent New Year's goals. I celebrate a New Year on Naw-Ruz and in 2016 it falls on March 20. I have five items on my tentative goals list. I will write steps to accomplish those items before the end of 2015 and then I will confirm them by March 20, 2016.

Tentative Goals List

1. Reading List
2. Novels to finish
3. Novels to edit
4. Poem forms to attempt
5. Exercise program

Where Has 2015 Gone?

Istiqlal (Independence), 7 Masá’il (Questions), 172 BE - Friday, December 18, 2015 about 10:37 AM Pacific Standard  Time

Where has 2015 gone?
It seems like just yesterday
we were celebrating a New Year
with fireworks and good cheer.

A Bit of New Year’s Confusion

Istiqlál (Independence), 4 Sharaf (Honor).170 BE – Friday, January 03, 2014 about 8:31 am Pacific Standard Time

I encountered a bit of New Year’s confusion yesterday. I intended to post the following Thankful Thursday entry in this blog: Thankful Thursday: On the First Thankful Thursday of 2014. However, I posted it in Poet 999’s Thoughts about Writing and Other Stuff. I know what happened, when I went to compose it in the blog I didn’t notice which blog I was working with.

I hope to overcome this issue by changing the way I make my blog posts. I’m going to compose the post off line and, after the entry is complete, copy and past it into the proper blog. I know this is going to take a little more time, but I think it is worth it for two reasons. First, I’ll be able to catch both my grammar and spell mistakes at the same time. Second, there will be less confusion about which blog I’m posting the entry in.

Since I’m going to try having some of my poems and stories published taking a little more time on all my writing projects is worth it. I think that is all for today. I’m not sure which blog I will post to on Saturday, January 4.

Setting Goals for the Coming Year

Jamál (Beauty), 18 Masá’il, 170 BE - Sunday, December 29, 2013 about 11:40 am Pacific Standard Time

The way I set my goals for the New Year is fairly straight forward. I decide on the goals between December 29 to December 31 and then I make the plan for achieving the goals. I reevaluate the goals on or before Naw-Ruz, March21, and then finalize the plans for achieving the goals. When the end of the Gregorian year approaches, I again reevaluate my goals to see if I need to make any changes. At this time I also decide what new goals I want to work on for the coming year.

This year I am making my goals more concrete then in the past. I am also keeping a separate list of things I want to do once I have accomplished my goals consistently or completely. Some of the goals are those that once I accomplish them, I can move on to something else.

Goals for the Coming Year

• Join Humana's SilverSneakers program and go to the gym once a week. I may change this to twice a week once I have attended for a month.
• Participate in the 52 week money savings challenge and deposit the money in my savings account at the end of each week.
• Write 2,000 words a day consistently for 3 months. In this case, I am defining consistent as 6 days out of 7 and if I make it  7 days each week for 3 months then I will raise the word count.
• Create a group on writing.com called United in Our Grief.
• Create a website.

Those are the goals I have decided upon for the first quarter of 2014. I will list the other goals I will list the backup goals separately after I have completed the plans for accomplishing these goals.

31 Days Left in 2013

Jalál (Glory), 8 Qawl (Speech), 170 BE - Saturday, November 30, 2013 about 9:56 AM Pacific Standard Time

The Good News: I wrote 54,658 words during National Novel Writing Month.

The Bad News: There are only 31 days left in 2013

and only about 5 months (19 days each) left in 170 BE.

A chilly morning
in late November when
oak leaves are turning orange.

The neighbor's oak tree has begun to change color and lose it leaves. Thanksgiving is past, while Christmas and New Year's Day 2014 is approaching. It is time to review my goals. It is time to consider what I have accomplished, what I have left to accomplish, and what I plan to accomplish in the New Year.

Falling leaves always
remind me of the New Year
and new aspirations.

I will not make any specific New Year's Resolutions until Naw-Ruz 2014, but I will consider everything I have accomplished since Naw-Ruz 2013. I will also look at everything I still have to accomplish and decide if it is worth the effort to finish the project or just toss it aside. I know one thing I need to do is to make my daily To Do List more specific and remove items from the C priorities.

Is it really February already?

Istiqlál (Independence), 14 Sulṭán (Sovereignty), 169 B.E. - Friday, February 1, 2013 about 6:20 A.M. Pacific Time

Is it February already? It seems like just yesterday most of the world celebrated a new Gregorian year, with fireworks lighting up the sky over almost every large city in the world. At midnight, 2012 passed and 2013 was born. Many people made New Year resolutions and, if they could, took a day off work.

It is February 1st, one-twelfth of 2013 is gone, but where did it go. January passed like a blink of the eye. Now it the time for each individual to ask the question "What did I accomplish in January of 2013?" I know I am asking myself that question. I look at the calendar date and realize that that Naw-Ruz, March 21st, is approaching. At sunset on Naw-Ruz, 169 B.E. will become 170 B.E. and I look at everything I wanted to accomplish before Naw-Ruz. Then I ask myself, What have I accomplished to date? Then I realize I need to work a little harder to accomplish the important things before Naw-Ruz.

New Beginnings

Jamál (Beauty), 12 Masá’il (Questions), 169 BE – Sunday, December 23, 2012 about 1:40 P.M. Pacific Time

It is Sunday afternoon. It is the beginning of a new week. In about eight days, a New Year will begin. A new week, a New Year, new beginnings and I am not sure whether I am looking forward to the New Year or dreading it. I guess looking forward is the better of the two options.

There will be many changes for me in 2013. I expect to move to a new residence, to a smaller place. The coming year will be my first year without my mother in my life. It is strange, but before this year; before December I could not imagine what my life would be without her. I think the best thing to do is just to take one-day-at-a-time, but I need to make some plans for the New Year.

The only thing I can do is make plans and place each day in God’s hands. I know that eventually everything will work out. I have to have patience and faith. Right now, I want to sit down and cry; I will cry later on because now I have laundry to hang up and dishes to finish washing. I also have another blog entry to make and some reviews to do on writing.com.

2011 is the Year of the Rabbit

Istiqlál (Independence), 17 Sultán (Sovereignty), 167 BE – Thursday, February 3, 2011 about 6:30 PM Pacific Time

February 3, 2011 to January 22, 2012 is the Year of the Rabbit, which is the fourth sign in the Chinese Zodiac. This is not a year to force issues, but rather to calm down and take a deep breath. So just take it easy and practice diplomacy in your relationships. Click the follow link for more information about The Year of the Rabbit, 2011. Have a happy and joyous Year of the Rabbit.

New Year’s Soup

Jalál (Glory), 2 Sharaf (Honor), 167 BE – Saturday, January 1, 2011 about 4:18 PM Pacific Time

I made New Year’s Soup today. It contained the following ingredients

1 16 oz. pkg. of black-eyed peas
1 tablespoon of salt
1 teaspoon of pepper
1 onion diced
4 pork neck bones
1 pkg. of frozen green peas
1 pkg. of frozen carrots

On New Year’s Eve, I browned the pork neck bones in a skillet and then put 1 cup of water in the skillet and cooked the pork completely through. While the pork was cooking I added dried basil leaves. After the pork was done, I placed it and the water I used to cook it in a covered container and placed it in the fridge.

I washed the black-eyed peas and then put them to soak in 8 cups of water. I let the peas soak over night. On New Year’s Day, drained the water off the black-eyed peas and washed them again. Then I put them into a slow cooker with the salt and pepper and 8 cups of water. I turned the slow cooker on and then I diced the onion. I then put the onion in the pot with the black-eyed peas.

I let the black-eyed peas cook for about 1 ½ hours. Then I put the pork and it water in the slow cooker. After another 1 ½ hours, I put in the frozen green peas and carrots. Then I let the mixture cook, stirring periodically until it was hot and the black-eyed peas completely cooked.

2010 the End of a Decade

Istijlál (Majesty), 15 Sharaf (Honor), 166 BE – Thursday, January 14, 2010 about 11:14 AM Pacific Time

The year 2010, is the end of the first decade of the Twenty-First Century. I know this is only January and the year has just begun, but when December rolls around all of us will wonder where the year and the decade went. On December 31, 2010, we will watch the ball descend in Time Square and ask ourselves, what happened to the last ten years.

Another New Year
time is a ball descending
lighting the decade.

So help make this year special. Make 2010 the year you do something for someone else. Give a special gift to your beloved on Valentine's Day (February 14). On the first day of spring, which I believe falls on March 20 this year, plant a tree or do something else the planet. Make 2010 a special year for someone else.