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Goodbye 2022 And Good Riddance

2022 had its ups and downs. There were some great things that came my way but if I had to do it over again, I’d rather chew tinfoil.

❄️ Wintry 💙 Woo ❄️

Love keeps the cold out better than a cloak. ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

As it is the very last day of one of the worst years on record, it gives me one last chance to counterbalance the existential crappiness with a bit of gratuitous gushing about my wonderful wife.

I marvel every day, regardless of how horrendous the world becomes, exactly how marvelous Kelly is.

From her zany sense of humor to her inexhaustible cheer to her sublime inner and outer beauty, I am almost overwhelmed at how great a gift she has been in my life.

So, even though I sit here pounding keys with a grumpy frown and a thunderous headache, she continues frittering around the house with her tireless sense of stuff that needs doing. I marvel at her energy. I revel in her mirth. I gratefully accept the unending radiance of her unconditional love.

Merry Christmas indeed. I have a gift that’s new every single day. What’s really fun is when I get to unwrap it. 😏

TMI? C’mon, man. We’ve got 4 kids, so you know there’s some of that happening.

In any case, I want to thank Kelly for being Kelly. I’d hate for her to feel unappreciated when it’s so very much the opposite of that.

🎼Oh, Give Us Some Figgy Pudding🎶

The ORIGINAL Christmas Dessert

Okay, so it’s a family tradition on my mom’s side of the family. Nana used to make a plum pudding big enough to split among her rather expansive family at Christmastime.

Sadly, Kelly actually had the nerve to say that it’s not fit for a pig. Rude! Even so, that much more for me.

Since Nana is no longer with us, I’ve had to resort to the merry little elves at Amazon to provide my holiday treat. Matthew Walker has nothing on Nana’s homemade pudding, but it’s the best one I’ve found so far.

As I’ve previously mentioned, it is the last day of this generally wretched year. So, one of our annual chores is to find a decent livestream of the Times Square festivities. If this is something you’re interested in, I’ve found the official Times Square schedule for you. I guess we’ll see if anything odd happens this time around.

I mean, I don’t expect a seasonal supervillain to disrupt things but we might see a celebrity rendered incapable of singing her world-famous Christmas song. Hopefully, things will go smoothly for the ball drop.

Hopefully, they’ll stop playing John Lennon’s really annoying song, Imagine. Not likely, but that’s what the mute button is for.

I’m generally an optimistic person, but I found it amusing that The Infographics Show decided to produce videos taking both sides of the argument for 2023. I can attest that it’s difficult to come up with topics for content. Even so, it’s slightly funny that they produced a Will Be The Best/Worst video collection for 2023. I hope it trends toward the better because I can’t take another year like this one.

Why 2023 Will Be The Worst Year EVER

Why 2023 Will Be The Best Year EVER

So, from my family to yours, we wish you a Happy New Year.

‘Have A Happy New Year’ From ‘Rudolph’s Shiny New Year’ (1976)

Perspective

Art is much less important than life, but what a poor life without it. ~Robert Motherwell

Some people consider the arts to be a luxury and not a necessity.

Do you absolutely need artistic expression to live? No.

When the 💩 hits the fan and you absolutely have to hunker down and survive, you need breathable air, shelter, water and food. Those are the basic needs in an emergency situation.

However, if you can recall a time when you had to take shelter from a hurricane or other natural disaster, you might also recall that once you had seen to your basic needs you decided to lighten the mood to help pass the time.

What did you do? Play cards? Share reminiscences? Read a book? Work on a puzzle? Netflix and chill?

Okay! So, we need the basics to keep our bodies functioning but we also need stimulation to keep our minds functioning.

Is art a “necessity”?

It depends on how bored you expect to be. Even cavemen left us mysterious paintings and sculpture to show that they needed to pass the time somehow.

Telling stories, drawing pictures, sculpting, textiles, jewelry and so many other forms of art are all commonplace in human societies. So, they may not be “necessary” but they certainly are pervasive.

So, even though it is technically not a “necessity” to continue biological function, it is absolutely a necessity for psychological function.

As a creative person, it is absolutely necessary for me. Just as we need to eat, sleep and exercise to live, I need to create my stories in order to not go nuts from boredom and frustration.

Even people who don’t consider themselves artistic or creative will typically watch a show, listen to music, play a game. These things were created by artistic people to make life bearable for everyone.

Those of us who do create things on a regular basis do so because it is part of who we are. We are compelled to create things for other people to enjoy.

We might write it off as being a luxury or non-essential, but try living without any form of entertainment, decoration or design aesthetic for a while and you’ll see whether or not the arts are “necessary”.

New Year Sweet Jazz 2023 & Winter Snowy Night at Coffee Shop Ambience 🎄 Smooth Piano Jazz Music