New Year’s Resolutions

I am a fan of New Year’s resolutions. I didn’t do any for 2021 because of the pandemic. But this year, even with Omicron lurking around every corner, I’m ready to get back on the horse. I usually do three, but this year I have five:

Resolution 1: Cook or bake at least one new thing a month. I am very good at clipping recipes that I want to make, but not so good at actually getting around to making them. I am going to start this one tomorrow, with black-eyed peas and rice for New Year’s Day. I have several other things on the list of potentials:

• Moroccan stew
• Crackers (I think this sounds like fun)
• Tacos (believe it or not, never made ‘em)
• Pot pies (because Blake’s Pot Pies, which I love, have palm oil in them, and I am avoiding palm oil because of Amazon deforestation for palm oil plantations; so, I’ll try making my own)
• Spiced tomato braised fish
• Frittata

I have some rules for this one: The goal is 12 new recipes in the year, with a stretch goal of 25. Months can be skipped (I’m thinking July/August here, where it can be beastly hot and humid) but this is discouraged (remember chicken salad, red beet eggs, deviled eggs and other summer-friendly foods). And new means new: Adding a new ingredient or two to a current recipe doesn’t count.

Resolution 2: Walk to the mailbox every day, weather permitting. Pick up litter on the way there and the way back. This is for days even when I don’t have mail to mail (though I do have mail to mail most days). I have become extremely sedentary in the pandemic. This isn’t much in the way of activity, but it’s a start. Hopefully, as we move beyond winter, I will walk beyond the mailbox.

Resolution 3: Get to know at least seven Shakespeare plays. (This is part of The Shakespeare Project, which will be a separate post in the near future.) Excepting Romeo and Juliet, I couldn’t say I know any Shakespearean play very well. My approach is to use a variety of media (movies, books, musicals, live plays down the road, perhaps) to see a play from several perspectives. I will always try to include a movie pretty traditional, and also a modern one if I can find it.

Current thoughts: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (I have the Michelle Pfeiffer/Kevin Kline movie, plus a book—The Hound in the Left-Hand Corner, by Giles Waterfield); Much Ado About Nothing (I have the Emma Thompson/Kenneth Branagh movie and there must be a book or two); Hamlet (because I found there’s a graphic novel, which I have on order from the library). I figure by the time I get an understanding of those three, I’ll have a good idea of where I want to go next.

Resolution 4: Measure my carbon footprint and take steps to reduce it. I thought the measurement part was difficult until I read Being the Change: Live Well and Spark a Climate Revolution, by Peter Kalmus. He gives a detailed and easy to understand method to calculate emissions in a number of areas. He also reports on the impact of various actions we can take. I like to believe my carbon footprint is pretty small. But who knows? Whatever it is, I know there is room for improvement.

Resolution 5: Back to giving out May Baskets! I have skipped this for the last two years because of the pandemic. But I have a new neighbor, and it really is time for a little more neighborly interaction. I think we know enough about the spread (pretty much through people, not objects) that May Baskets don’t seem so risky. I at least intend to try.

Anyone else out there do resolutions? Share them if you feel like it!