new year's day. did my blogs and some running around in the very-cold weather, and i'm now sitting back, enjoying the puppy and watching it get dark - well, at five o'clock, it's already dark. i didn't feel like cleaning the garage. i' have been sitting more, running around less. but i did make it out to monmouth to see one of the kids' moms.

the puppy, for his part, is grateful for the times he can lie around, tucked up on my leg, taking a real nap. he gets angry when i have to get up and leave him. his idea of a new year is lots of naps where he keeps one eye open. he's perfectly willing to come up and sleep in the bed also.

i'm making a series of resolutions on the blogs. i did the pop art one just now, but it occurred to me that my pop resolutions aren't really that strong. i muddle along doing pop regularly, but i don't really have the strong desire to take my work to a better level or, for example, to join the crowd of impressionists online who peddle their work. i want to take my work and put it in frames, but, i haven't really had the time to organize the frames, the art, the various aspects of it. pop is one of those things that is more or less on the back burner.

but, i came up with a dozen marketing resolutions fairly quickly. i have lots of marketing things going on and plenty to resolve. in fact i have resolutions in many areas, including the expansion of a quaker book charity. i'm serious about it and might actually do it. it would address several problems at once: first, that a lot of books are simply falling by the wayside; second, that kids need stuff to do; and third, that the internet has made possible the relatively expedient putting cheap books in people's hands. My son taught me a little about the ebay process; now it's my turn to consider using it with a box of books i received recently.

as i sit here i realize it's just an unrealized fantasy at this point. the christmas tree stands there glowing; we're late taking it down. the large puppy has made scrappy messes all over every floor. my pamphlets need to be finished. i haven't been getting enough exercise. and on and on.

but with the new month, a new blog report. no football here. no rose parade, no television. no blizzard or snow-drifts. no trip to the y, yet. when war reports show people getting bombed and killed, children starving, i'm somehow less inclined to go out on the town. or even, to say to my friends, let's get together, and enjoy some company.