Promises Promises

I like to keep my word, so I'm careful about committing myself to agreements. Very wary of disappointing or misleading others. Don't like it done to me and don't want to do it to others. Golden rule. Why then is it, that I have such trouble keeping agreements with myself?

It's five days past 12th Night and the bloody Christmas tree is still up. The most I've done is unplugged the lights. Well, it's a start.

One year I left the tree up way past Easter. I read about a family who kept their tree going for months past Christmas, plying the base of the tree with coca cola, hanging Valentine's hearts, Easter eggs and Stars and Stripes on the appropriate holidays. Cute. But mine just sat there with its cranberry and popcorn garland turning into a threaded version of trail mix. Can't remember now why, but this year I was all set to go on schedule with the complicated take down procedure, finding the correct little boxes for this and that special ornament. The truth is I dread the finicky part of the pack up, though I'm always glad for it when it's time to hang them up on next year's tree, much easier all round.

I feel bad when I can't keep my promises to myself. Do I just like making myself feel bad?
Well, I think I just have a talent for finding more interesting things to do than whatever boring task is at hand. I simply hate being bored, that's really at the root of it.

Doing laundry is boring too. I've run out of clean undies for a few days now and have swanned around indoors in a sarong and gone outdoors heavily petticoated. Shh. But today I finally sorted some laundry, the whites to start, and have fresh knickers at last. In the past I've just gone out to buy a packet of new knicks at Longs. But it isn't Longs any more and the packet I accidentally bought were three size too large, so I gave them away to a friend who was happy for the freebies. I had a lady doctor once who discouraged undies altogether, said we should all wear loose skirts and let the air caress our nether regions, as nature intended. Said tights and nylon knickers were the cause of untold woes for her female patients and even wet swimsuits should be whipped off as soon as possible, no lounging around the poolside leaving wet patches in the shape of pressed bums. Bit of a crotch nazi she was.

I'd like to keep some of my new year resolutions but have decided to just read them once a day, on the advice of our minister, bless him, who wants us all to be better and do better and feel better. What a nice man. Reading them once a day is a good start. We'll see if that leads to any change in my behavior. Might not remember to tell you if it does. Fingers crossed.