This is the New Year

Oh, Deathcab for Cutie, how I love thee.

The New Year is right around the corner.  2010.  A new decade.  I can't believe it.  It seems ridiculous to me that I am already 2 decades (and change) old.  These next 10 years are going to be important ones.  The ones were I, you know, become a "real" adult.  Maybe marriage, maybe babies (!?!), maybe, you know, a stable living situation, not living in my parent's house, a real world job (though having a job in the theatre isn't exactly having a "real world" job).  All of those things are coming up in the next decade.  Turning 30, that'll happen in the next decade.  Becoming a real person.  And you know what?  It freaks me out.  Entering my 20s wasn't as frightening as entering this new decade seems to be to me.  What is that about?

I keep trying to sit down and write resolutions for 2010 and for the next decade but you know what, I hate writing resolutions.  Because odds are two days into the New Year I completely forget that I wrote resolutions at all, even though I've been keeping the list in my pocket and then I, like, wash my pants or something and the resolutions literally desintegrate.  To those of you who say laminate those puppies or something I say...well, actually, first I say "bite me, Sally Sassypants", but then, nicely, I say that making the list impervious to water probably isn't going to require me to follow it.  HOWEVER (yes, that needs to be in all caps because, well, here comes some life ch-ch-changes), I recognize that the beginning of this new decade requires new thoughts, new mindsets, otherwise how can I (we) concievably move forward and evolve as human beings?  So here is a rough sketch of my pledge for this New Decade, this New Year, this New Chapter:

I, Ashleigh, resolve to enter the New Decade and New Year with a positive, open mind.  In this New Decade I chose to live positively and in the moment and to banish as much negativity from my life as I can (though, since I am half Jewish, some of the negativity is genetically engrained in me and therefore impossible to remove.  Anyway, the little negativity that's left is the funny part of negativity so it's not so much a problem).  I chose to, in this New Decade, live to my utmost potential.  To follow my heart and my gut, no matter how frightening the idea may be.  I chose to live artistically, as open and courageously as I can.  In this New Year and Decade I chose to embrace love, to let love into my life in all forms, and to give love when I can.  In this New Decade, I resolve to live healthfully, to remain active, to be kind to the Earth and thankful for all that she gives.  I chose to nurish my soul as often as is possible in as many ways as possible.  I resolve to be grateful everyday and to live balanced.  I resolve to be a reciever and trasmitter of the energy of the Universe.  I chose awesome.

Keep an eye out for exciting new photographs here in the next few days.  My New Years party should yield some fantastic images. 

May the New Year and New Decade bring you peace, happiness, and health, dear reader.  See you in 2010!

To blogosphere, with love.

someone was magical enough to put one of e.e. cummings' poems to music.  

listen here while reading.

I have long been an appreciator, nay, lover of the poet e.e. cummings.  The shear audacity of a man who would publish things without capitalizing them (gasp!  Wh-wh-wh-what?!) fascinated me as a child.  How dare he do such a thing?!  In school we read his poem "anyone lived in a pretty how town."  On first read, the entire poem seems like gibberish ("With up so floating many bells down"?  Ok, dude.  Whateva.)  But once you dive into it, explore it, swim around in it a bit, the most beautiful love story emerges from the confusion.  The story of a boy who loved a girl, and a girl who loved him right back and who lived full, rich lives in love.  It is magical.  With Christmas on the horizon (thank you, by the way, Rach, for the wishes on Christmas Eve Eve), I am feeling more and more in the giving mood and so I've been trying to figure out what I can gift to you, dear reader.  I wish I had a photograph to share with you right now, but alas, due to a recent familial tragedy, there hasn't been much time for photo capturing lately.  Hopefully I'll have images to share in the next week, but for now I give you a gift truly from the heart, the gift of poetry.  I fancy myself a wordsmith at times, but not like my man e.e. and so, in the spirit of Christmas, I gift to thee, oh blogosphere,  the poem "i carry your heart with me" by e. e. cummings.  May it warm your heart as it has warmed mine.

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)
i fear
no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

Happy and Safe Holidays, everyone.

Grandpa, we miss you already.  Love you.

Words of Inspiration

If you have known me at all in the last almost 10 years, you know that I am a lover of musician Jason Mraz.  The man is so freaking lyrically gifted it sometimes seems unfair that the rest of the world lacks the ability to turn phrases like him.  No matter what my mood, no matter where I am in life, his music always finds a way to speak to me and soothe me.  It is an old kind-of-friendship that I cherish dearly, even if it seems childish at times (as do lots of things that you started to love when you were a tiny baby person).  I find myself particularly drawn to his musings as the holidays roll around and the new year is on the horizon, as I feel both grounded and aimlessly drifting.  I share some of his words today, stolen shamelessly from his blog, which I am a consistent reader.  May they speak to you as they spoke to me this morning.


"It is important for me--for you--...to know you are sourced. The minute we were conceived we became receivers and transmitters. We are connected to this world, this fantastic universe, and to each other. Our thoughts, speech, beliefs, actions and attitudes are our tools to use to create the ideal life experience inside and out. My life currently, is a blessed one, simply because I choose life to work that way. I take notice of my doings, my wants, my dreams, and my concerns and simply declare a possible future where all is awesome. It’s that easy. Your life from that place onward will grow into the space you’ve created for yourself. If Awesome is what your aiming for, Awesome you will be. "

Why yes, I have been a little posting happy lately

I don't know what is to account for the abundance of blog posts in the past week, but here is yet another one.  Just something really quick (though as important posts go, this is basically a glimpse into my soul).  I want this to be a regular occurrence in my life and in my home (whether it includes James Taylor or not is up to the Universe).  Happy Thursday, blogosphere.  Here's something to make your heart happy, it certainly makes mine smile.

*a big shout to those completing their semesters this week (and next).  You can do it!  And EDTR loves, I miss you guys tons.  Let's have a snuggly iChat date soon please.*

Adventuretime

After months, nay, years, my dear old friend Camilla and I finally got a chance to hang out and it. was. GLORIOUS.  I mean glorious.  As though no time had passed.  We got to go on a little photo adventure in the course of our lovely afternoon, and here are (some of the) fruits of our afternoon:

Knobby Trees

We made some new friends.

        Camilla, photo-adventuring.

Bicycles.

Fall is all around.

With a name sign like that, how could this store not turn a profit?

Apparently my professional baseball career is over...

I wanted to post something fabulous and new, but alas, I am on the mend from bronchitis and haven't been outside of my house in several days. Luckily, after a magical visit to the doctor yesterday, along with some oh-so-delicious steroids, I am on the mend, but until then, here are some things I took last week. Enjoy!

Fall on my street.

Red sky at night, sailors delight...

Sharing is Caring

Yes, it is true, that cliche they taught you in Kindergarten actually has some basis in reality. Sharing is excellent. And when you find something excellent, you should share it. So here you are, dear reader. Consider this the blog equivalent of me handing you the other half of one of those double popsicles. I'd say this one is probably the orange kind.

Yes, the video is a little creepy, but the music is so damn good, we can ignore the creepy masks, yes?