"And we'll sing to the dogs or whoever."

[mrissa]

timprov got a guitar for his birthday in February (and not, as he initially wondered, a machine gun in the same case), and we went to a Josh Ritter concert this fall. And as a result we have a new New Year's tradition this year: singing "Empty Hearts" together while timprov played. I looked for a YouTube video of it, but the only one available was really not very good, did not do the song justice. But the refrain is, "Don't let me into this year with an empty heart, with an empty heart; don't let me into this year with an empty heart." It is a good song any day of the year, but it is particularly appropriate for this day. And we added on other songs with good New Year's lines, and it was good, and I want to do it again next year.

I'm never much for New Year's resolutions, as I tend to fling myself into doing things when I think of them rather than saving them for new years of whatever calendar, and also I can't really see how all you people have the energy for this right now. I haven't even put away the black clogs I got for Christmas. I tend to go into January with a cold (improved enough to let me sing today, yay!), and this is the second January out of the last three years in which I've had an important (and long) appointment with a new specialist about something that's playing havoc with my health. I'm having great difficulty seeing what would be reasonable to plan here. I don't really know where to put my feet at the moment. But I can put my head back and sing the line, "And she'll know me by the sound of my hoping," and that, that's okay. That I can do.

And an empty heart does not look like it's any part of the picture, whatever else might come.

Comments

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Oh, I don't think clogs is permanent, whichever way you're going. Just, if you've got clogs, I think you should probably put your feet in 'em.

(I may be prejudiced; I have known some fine clog dancers in my time.)

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

I, on the other hand, am strongly biased against shoes in the house.

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Ah, that. I have known this too. 'Specially in Taiwan - where all my Chinese hosts insisted on saying "no, no, it doesn't apply to you!" - which of course means that it absolutely does. Is not a problem, except for wearing big clumpy awkward Western boots with laces, which are the devil to slip on & off on doorsteps...

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Oh, at my house it's a request, not a requirement. Which is a good thing, because I don't provide guest-slippers. Although if I did they'd be for big clumpy awkward Western feet for sure. We bought furniture on the theory that I would be the shortest person sitting on it really often. (Probably to dlandon and pameladean's discomfort....)

PS

[desperance.livejournal.com]

(And also having big clumpy awkward Western feet, that do not fit conveniently into any of the guest-slippers provided...)