Happy New Year!

for the first time in my life, i lit my own fireworks last night, all because the housekeeper's son failed to return home by almost midnight, and since we're all females in the house except for him and paolo, i had to lead the way.

i felt trepidation, of course, praying before i lit each one. images of hands being blown off, or worse, which i remember from tv news footages of New Year's Eve celebrations gone wrong haunted me. so, for all my life so far, i contented my self with lighting only sparklers, like an overgrown kid. (blush!)

but... i guess Life pushes you on to go beyond your limits, and this was my time come. for lighting my own fireworks, at last.

heehee. that sounds very symbolic, considering how good my life has turned out now. : ) : ) : )

***

the kids and i enjoyed it so much last night, paolo was saying before he fell asleep, "i wish there was a new month."

and i asked, "what do you mean, a 13th month after December?"

bea was quick to pick it up, "no ma, he means a Happy New Month!"

: ) : ) : )

***

today, i woke up at 8am to a bright, sunshiny morning, and greeted my self aloud, "Good morning, beauty! : ) Happy New Year, Happy New Month, Happy New Day!!!"

then, as the house was still quiet, with everyone still asleep from the post-midnight festivities of the night before, i proceeded to the computer to check on my The Secret download, and watched it again even as it continues downloading (still halfway)...

what a wonderful way to start the day and year, with the right thoughts and right spiritual vitamins to feed on!!!

***

i can't wait for my leave to start come April. it will be the start of FOURTEEN glorious FREE months all to my self!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

April and May, i still have my paid summer free. from June on to May, 2008, it will be my unpaid one-time year's leave for my entire academic career. i am blessed to have found freelance and sideline projects that will pay for the regular university pay i will be missing during that whole time, to afford me to just be by my self, and do what i've always dreamed of doing-- write and travel more-- at last.

i have already started imagining what my usual day would be like:

4am wake up and meditate
5am prepare for the day
6am wake the kids up and prepare them for school
7am bring them to school, then do my early morning walks, or go to the gym (!)
9am start my day-- check emails, follow up business and work to dos, write, study my writing craft further, watch films, read, learn how to cook and bake, do errands, write some more, date my self at the spa or beauty parlor, treat my self to my favorite cup of coffee and pasta, fetch the kids from school, do their homework with them, have fun with them, read and write some more, enjoy the privacy of my own bedroom (twinkle! : >), write again ....

ohhhhhh, wowwwwwww, mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!

***

at the end of all this, i expect to have become a better, finer writer, and an even still finer person and woman.

that is all.

and that's all that really matters.