A bloggerrific transition into the new year...

These late night posts are always long and unedited, but I've just been thinking (the whole five minutes I've been in bed) and wanted to share my thoughts.

I've loved reading about all of my fellow bloggers' New Years resolutions (successes of 2010 and intentions for 2011).  It seems like lots of folks have had a really outstanding year in terms of reaching their 2010 goals.  Congrats : )

As for myself, I have not been so inspired as to set some for myself.  I was chatting with a friend a little while ago about not having resolutions for the new year, and how I feel like my resolution should be to not work on anything.  I'm always doing that, maybe it's time to give it a break.  My friend commented, "Yeah, let's just go back to being humans for 2011."

I've heard it said that sometimes we act like we are "humans doing" rather than "human beings."  I am a bit imbalanced toward the human-doing side.  I want to have more access to my human-being-ness amid the  constant frenzy that seems to pervade my life.  Doing, going, more.  Always running out of time, or feeling that way, anyway.

Simplicity in my dogs' lives.  

2010 was a great year for me.  Monumental things include 1. becoming vegan, which changed my entire lifestyle in the realm of health and wellness, 2. my work environment is the best its ever been, from staff to clients to kids to the spirit of the community, and 3. I'm finally open-minded to having children of my own (note: open-minded, not yet willing necessarily).

I'm okay with just riding this wave of gratitude for the wonderful year that has just ended.  I appreciate others sharing their intentions for the new year, as I think it creates a collective atmosphere of positive movement toward growth and reflection and evolvement.

Balance, centeredness, peace.  Serenity.  Love.  Soft-heartedness.

But I will probably be starting to work on my master's degree in January and and going to try to focus more on my preschool blog, so hopefully I won't fall by the wayside from my vegan blogging.  I'll try to stay...present...here, too : )

***

And to connect this post to the vegan purpose of this blog : )  tonight I made vegan panna cotta from Tal Ronnen's The Conscious Cook.  It was really good.  Vanilla bean panna cotta (made from cashew cream and almond milk) with an orange glaze and embellished with (gasp) pine nut-rosemary brittle.

Somebody blogged out the recipe here but the brittle should be clear like what you'll see here.

The panna cotta win made me want to try more of his recipes later.  I wish I had taken a picture!  The dessert was one of two desserts that followed an amazing meal created by our friends who are very accommodating to my vegan ways.  What a great way to end the year.  Food, family, friends, and now, sleep.

Happy New Year, Friends!

"Happy New Year, future me" says the Mitch from 2007.  (Wasn't he a cute puppy?!?)