Fat Little Birds

As we prepare to take down the Christmas decorations, I'd like to highlight my fat little birds. I am a big fan of fat little birds, and these were the first of what is becoming quite a collection, to the point that, when I brought home some Halloween salt and pepper shakers in the shape of a mummy and a monster, the Husband took a look and asked hesitantly, "Are they birds?" If in doubt, guess birds. That's our motto around here.

Anyway, I bought these original fat little birds from my favorite local shop O'Suzannah before Christmas last year. I couldn't bring myself to pack them away in a box once Christmas was over, so they stayed on our mantle all year, where the Husband could easily mock them for their obvious lack of any aerodynamic qualities. Which is not at all the point of fat little birds. This year they got a garland to stand in. We're about to bid farewell to the garland, for this year, but the fat little birds are always in season.

New Year's Day

When I was younger, it was all about New Year's Eve. What party to attend? What club to go to? What special prix fixe menu sounded the best? New Year's Day was reserved for sleeping in and nursing the hangovers. But I found that my expectations would be so high for the amount of fun that New Year's Eve could deliver, that it would almost invariably disappoint. The party was okay, but it was really crowded and my shoes were mangling my feet. The clubs were all too expensive, so we ended up leaning against a wall in a random bar sipping water at midnight. The food was edible at best. And I always ended up being glad when the clock struck midnight, not because it was exciting to welcome a new year while I was having the time of my life, but because I could escape my own expectations and go home to crawl into bed.

As I've placed less importance on New Year's Eve, the more I've grown to appreciate New Year's Day. It's a fresh start! A brand new planner with welcoming blank pages! I try to be careful about what I do on New Year's Day. Getting a good night's sleep is good; sleeping the morning away is not. Eating one square of the Ghirardelli's Special Edition Peppermint Bark is good; eating the entire package is not. Paying a bill or two or tidying the house is good; ambitious cleaning or work-related projects are not. I like to spend New Year's Day doing things I'd like to keep doing all year long. It just feels auspicious.

This year, just for a little extra auspiciousness, I made black-eyed peas for good luck and collard greens for prosperity. This was a tradition my mom took seriously when we were growing up: her rule was that we had to eat one black-eyed pea for each year of our age. I remember carefully lining the peas up on my plate, determined to eat absolutely no more than was required. This year, I loaded up my plate. Pile up that luck, please, 2011.

What Is This?

This is a New Year's resolution. (I wonder how many blogs start this way. It's probably akin to joining a gym.) I've found over the past year that I have a tendency to focus too much on things that make me worried and stressed. I'm chronically fretting and anxious, with my mind fixated on one task or one project that could lead to disaster...but that never turns out to be as bad as I fear. There are a few things I'm doing in 2011 to combat this persistent anxiety, and this blog is one of them. I am extraordinarily lucky (even if my brain sometimes has trouble recognizing that)---I am surrounded by lovely things and lovely people. So, Doorbells and Sleigh Bells will be my attempt to focus on the things I love, to spotlight a few of my favorite things. In spotlighting my favorite things, I'm going to attempt to take photos of them. This relates to another resolution: to learn to use the Husband's fancy camera. Maybe the quality of the photos will improve over the course of the year. Maybe it won't. But I'm not going to worry about it too much. This blog is for me. But it's fine if you read it too. Welcome.