Food for Thought

Welcome, 2020!

38 Comments

As my mother-in-law, Ethel, would have put it, the holidays went by in a mad dash. We had lots of fun, but I will admit to being more than a little tired. Never mind! Plenty of time to rest in January, which, believe it or not, is one of my favorite months. I love the snow and the quiet and the clarity of the light.

I was too busy to take pictures during Christmas, but on the last day of the year, it snowed and things slowed down. (Shannon, sorry you missed this. I know how much you like cozy days.)

We started the day with waffles and veggie sausages. I realize this is bragging, but Clif makes the best waffles. Ever.

Here is the master by his machine.

Then there was the snow, to make everything feel snug and warm inside. We had just the right amount—about five or six inches—and clean up was easy.

Here are some more snowy pictures.

Ending with some snowy frogs.

For some reason, I am starting 2020 with a hopeful feeling. I know. I know. Australia is burning—oh so terrible!—and the politics of hate, racism, and lies continue to rage in this country as well as around the world. Nevertheless, I feel hope stirring inside me.

Maybe it’s because today I have read several pieces where other writers have felt the same way. Or because a very good friend did something so cool I would have jumped for joy if my creaky knees had allowed.

Or maybe it’s because on New Year’s Eve, we timed Avengers: End Game so perfectly that at the stroke of midnight, Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, snapped his fingers. At which point, the evil Thanos and all his minions blew away. (I’m not going to put too fine a point on the symbolism of this.)  But it was indeed a thrill to have those snapping fingers precisely at midnight at the dawn of a new decade with a number that implies clarity.

Who knows why I’m feeling this spark of hope? But I am. And for a while, anyway, I will be sharing hopeful things on my blog.

Happy 2020 to you all, dear blogging friends. I look forward to reading all your wonderful posts in the upcoming year.

38 thoughts on “Welcome, 2020!”

  2. Your poor froggies look frozen solid! 😊. Enjoy your new year. May it bring good things to all the people of the world.

  5. I, too, inexplicably, feel a glimmer of hope. Perhaps we are picking up on the collective conscious energy?? I imagine there are millions that are hoping for greater things in the year and decade ahead just like we are.
    I love your stone toad/frog trio, esp. the one hiding in the cracked pot like a real toad would. It would make me smile every time I passed it by.

  8. I’m glad to read this. I feel hope too. Thanks for your good wishes – and a very happy 2020 to you and your loved ones.

    Speaking of waffles, do Clif’s masterpieces make you feel super sleepy afterwards, even at breakfast time? That’s what happens to my sweetheart when he eats waffles.

  11. I’m glad you enjoyed the holidays, Laurie, and glad to hear that we share a hopeful outlook for the new year, despite our skepticism and misgivings. And I hope that we won’t let that hope die as we get bombarded with negative news.
    All the best,
    Tanja

  12. Thanks Laurie & happy new year to you and your family. The fires here in Australia are a very tough way to start the year, however the glimmer of hope for me is that Australians, & especially young people are starting to really demand more action on climate change. Something big had to happen to drive change.

  13. Well done on timing Tony Stark’s snap so perfectly – I’m impressed. I know what you mean about the number 2020 – it screams ‘significant’ doesn’t it? Let’s hope any significance will be beneficial to all.

  14. The waffles alone make me a lot more hopeful!
    HappyNew Year to you and your loved ones.

  16. I am sorry I missed the snow – my one disappointment of our week up there was that we didn’t get a snow day. We have snow in our forecast for Saturday evening – let the panic begin! 😛

    1. Yes, too bad you missed. What a sweet little snow it was. Just enough to be cozy but not too much to be a pain. Hope your area doesn’t get too much snow.

  17. Happy New Year to you and Clif too dear Laurie! The snow looks cosy and the waffles delicious. There’s a real spark of hope in the air and I look forward to reading your posts and where the positive energy takes us xxx

  18. Happy New Year, you guys! I have been super etsy busy but now can check in and your words of hope gave me tears. I am hopeful too. I don’t know what I am hoping for, but I just feel like “better” has got to be in the works.

      1. For several years now, I have made a constant effort to make eye contact, smile, wave ahead in traffic, etc. everyone I see. I feel like that is the best way I can combat this hate – with kindness. It is a very small effort, but it is constant, and I think it makes me feel better, at least.

  19. Don’t forget that Twelfth Night is still upon us this weekend. Welcome 2020. As for symbolism, I’l go with the end of the 9th Star Wars movie, when the thousand of individuals responded to the call from the Resistance and showed up to destroy Emperor Palatane’s fleet of battleships! Keep up the pressure on the powers of oppression. – Oscar

  22. Your wonderful blog and photos today gave me a needed surge of hopeful feeling after a weekend of depressing weather and world news. It was wonderful to look at your beautiful winter scenery (love the snowy frogs), enjoy the thought of waffles and smile at the Iron Man story!

    1. A snapping-fingered really helped bring in the new decade. And let us all go forward with both hope and action. Otherwise things will go from bad to worse.

  23. I too feel hopeful and so do others-as you say in spite of all the ugly going on. What a lovely post-it makes me happy to think of you so cozy eating waffles. I love January too-such a silent time. love Michele

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