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A Welcome New Year

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“New Year’s eve is like every other night; there is no pause in the march of the universe, no breathless moment of silence among created things that the passage of another twelve months may be noted; and yet no man has quite the same thoughts this evening that come with the coming of darkness on other nights.”
~Hamilton Wright Mabie

And so the night came, the ball dropped, and a new year has begun.

Welcome to 2008, dear friends. Based on the words of Mr. Mabie, I assume that I am not alone in experiencing that tangible feeling of expectation as the calendar changes from one year to the next. It is completely irrational and defies explanation, and yet each and every New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day I can sense the difference in the air. For me the time is a mixture of melancholy and hopefulness as I close the book on one year of reading, blogging, marking the passage of time and open the door on the next.

We spent our New Year’s Eve day and night quietly enjoying our time at home. We read, blogged, watched Pan’s Labyrinth. During the day I got out an old bookshelf and filled it with potential books for The Sci Fi Experience and for Dewey’s Graphic Novel Challenge (to be discussed momentarily). The box contains science fiction paperbacks that may find their way into my hands in the coming months. All in all it was a wonderfully relaxing way to say goodbye to 2007.

This week, the dead days, of each and every year I have the same thoughts. What books will I read this year? What things will I create? What adventures will I have? What projects will I finally get done? What dreams may come true?

It matters not that I have the same thoughts every year and sometimes find myself at this point having not accomplished any of the things I set out to do. It matters not that in 2007 I allowed fear, laziness, procrastination, the business of living to hinder me from creating the art I dreamed of creating at the dawn of that year. It only matters that I still care. It only matters that I still want to do those things.

When I look at art that I like, regardless of what style it is or where it would fit on someone’s heirarchy of ‘good art’, I get a lump in my throat. I am moved. And a part of me aches, wishing that I too was creating works of art.

When I read a good story, whether it is an award winning novel or a little known short story that captivates me, I tremble inside, wishing that I was telling stories, allowing ideas to pour from my imagination onto the page for the delight of others.

And I’m not alone. We all have similar wishes, hopes, dreams, regrets. But none of what has gone on before stops me from feeling that magical feeling that anything is possible at this starting over point–the beginning of a new year.

I have 365 days ahead of me to explore new worlds through the books of authors who have become like old friends and with authors whose stories I have yet to hear but have always longed for. I have 365 days to write, whether it is here on the blog or in a journal or on a piece of paper. I have 365 days to create any kind of art I want to, small or large, for myself or for someone else. I have 365 days to revive the art of letter writing, to sponser and participate in reading challenges, to take walks with Charlie. I have 365 days to live.

The world is indeed my oyster, and yours as well. I love this time of change.

“The object of a new year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul.”
~G. K. Chesterton
__________________________

It is a new year, so what should be our topic of conversation? Why, books, of course!

A couple of great challenges begin today, the first being:

Annie’s What’s In a Name Challenge

I am really excited about this one. My proposed list, that I published earlier (and which is always subject to change) is:

1. A book with a color in its title: Goldfinger ~Ian Fleming
2. A book with an animal in its title: The Stainless Steel Rat Wants You ~Harry Harrison
3. A book with a first name in its title: Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell ~Susanna Clarke
4. A book with a place in its title: The Good Fairies of New York ~Martin Miller
5. A book with a weather event in its title: Rainbow’s End ~Vernor Vinge (this is already a change from my original choice)
6. A book with a plant in its title: Winter Rose ~Patricia A. McKillip

Another great challenge going on this year is:

Hosted by Dewey, the Graphic Novels Challenge entails:

To participate in the Graphic Novels Challenge, simply choose at least 6 graphic novels to read from January 2008 to December 2008.

This should be an easy one considering I always have plenty of graphic novels to read. On my shelf I currently have:

Eternals ~Neil Gaiman
Signal to Noise ~Neil Gaiman, Dave McKean
Madman Vol. 2 ~Mike Allred
Flight Vol 4 ~various
Artemis Fowl ~Eoin Coifer
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Black Dossier ~Alan Moore, Kevin O’Neill
Courtney Crumrin and the Fire Thief’s Tale ~Ted Naifeh
Favole Book 2: Set Me Free ~Victoria Francis
Zombies vs. Robots ~Ashley Wood, Chris Ryall (a re-read)
The Arrival ~Shaun Tan
Conan Vol. 4: The Hall of the Dead and Other Stories ~Cary Nord, Kurt Busiek

and more.

And of course there is the Non-Challenge that begins today:

To get into the spirit of the thing I changed my desktop image from my Christmas desktop to something more fitting with the Experience:


(Click on image for a larger version)

If you want something in this classic science fiction vein, you can find images here by John Harris and John Berkey which can be resized to fit your desktop. The image I used above looks great as is with the desktop set to ‘centered’.

I am excited to embark on the journeys that the science fiction I have lined up will take me on. I am also excited to share moments of the journey with you. Don’t forget to post any science fiction reviews you may complete on the review site so that we can all share in them.

In the next few days I will be posting about goals for 2008, reading and otherwise. It is, after all, that time of year.

In the meantime, I have added several links to Best Of/Year in Review posts to my Year in Review entry, so check them out to get great ideas to add to your pile.

And, as promised, we have a winner of a copy of The Incredible Book-Eating Boy:

Stephanie from Confessions of a Book-a-holic!

Congrats Stephanie!!!

For those of you who would like a copy of this (and I highly encourage you all to get it), instead of paying full price like I did, I suggest you go to your local Half Price Books. Jeff found a copy for less than $5 yesterday and it was in really nice condition!

I really do have great expectations for 2008!

Happy New Year to all of you wonderful, dear folks!

“New Year’s Resolution: To tolerate fools more gladly, provided this does not encourage them to take up more of my time.”
~James Agate

34 thoughts on “A Welcome New Year”

  2. I absolutely love that picture of the Poppets with the calendar. It’s a work of art!

    I’m glad you had a pleasant New Year’s Eve… watching Pan’s Labyrinth sounds like a perfect way to welcome the new year!

    Those are some great books you have listed for those challenges. As always, I look forward to your reviews!

  3. Gads another year has flown by. I am (will be) another year older.. and not any wiser. Why is that?! heh. Oh well..

    A very Happy New Year to both you and Mary!! May your creative juices flow and make it the best year of your life, so far!

  5. Oh Carl, I absolutely love this post! You put into words perfectly the feelings of starting a new year! I’ve tried so many times to figure out those feelings, because in logical terms they make no sense…today is really just another day, right? But somehow, it’s really not just another day. These first weeks of a new year always somehow make me feel invincible, like I can truly make all my dreams come true. It’s such a hopeful time of year. Thanks for giving those feelings a voice!

    May you and your family have the brightest and most joyous of years in 2008!

  6. Happy New Year to you. I am fairly new to your blog, but am looking forward to what you will read/write about in the next 12 months…

  8. Happy New Year to you too Chris.

    Glad to have you here, Astaryth. Happy New Year to you as well.

    Thanks Debi, the words just kind of came to me as I sat at my computer after the ball dropped. It is just another day, but it isn’t as well. Life is cool that way.

    Isn’t that a great Chesterton quote, Dark O.! I was so thrilled to come across it when searching for New Year’s quotes.

    Hold out some hope, Deslily. We may all get a ‘bit’ wiser this year…maybe. 😉

    Thanks for the compliment, Nymeth. It was fun figuring out what to do with them for a New Year’s Day picture.

    Happy New Year Sally!

  9. Carl,

    I think you underestimate yourself and the mark that stainlesssteeldroppings has left over the past year.

    Over the course of 2007 you have written eloquently on many topics, putting into words thoughts that many of us fail to articulate as well as you.

    Your blog is a reminder to all of us to slow down a little and enjoy the simple things in life and we all appreciate the joy you find in the little things – the books, the movies, the dog and the passing of the seasons and its celebrations.

    Stainlesssteeldroppings has been informative, entertaining, funny, poignant and touching all at the same time and has touched a nerve with many readers – a fact proven by the plethora of comments each post receives. And what makes it a great blog is the fact that it is simply written well and with thought and care.

    If you achieve nothing else in 2008 except maintaining this site – at the very least you’ll have another year of one of the best blogs on the web behind you.

    All the best to you. Happy New Year.

  11. Awww, gee…..somebody is blushing. 🙂

    thanks Stuart, I really appreciate the wonderful compliments. I certainly do enjoy blogging, or honestly I wouldn’t be doing it. It is the people on this site that make it wonderful, who inspire me to read and write and share. I certainly feed off of the energy of people like you. The ol’ interweb provides an amazing connection between people that I never would have dreamed was possible before experiencing it myself. Again, I really appreciate it!

    (and did you notice that there is a certain book on my sci fi shelf?) 😉

    And thank you Debi!

  12. Ha, I almost died when I saw my name as the winner, then realized that it was a different Stephanie. Oh well! Bummer that I don’t even have a Half Price books store near me!

  14. I’m sorry Stephanie. When I put the names in the hopper I had to make sure and make marks next to each of you to know who was who just in case one of you won…which of course happened. I hope you find one at Half Price. I also picked up his wonderful book, How to Catch a Star for $6 while I was there!

  15. Well….I have to completely agree with Stuart. Your blog is fantastic because you put so much of yourself out there for all of us to get to know. You are a genuinely nice person (and that’s not a bad thing, contrary to popular belief!) and it shows through. Besides, no one, and I mean NO ONE, could organize a challenge like you!!

    It looks like my year is starting out aces already!! Thanks for drawing my name!! My girls will LOVE the book and so will I!!

    Here’s wishing you a wonderful 2008!!

  16. Pingback: Let the challenges begin! » the hidden side of a leaf

  17. Happy New Year to you, too, Carl. I’m delighted you’ll be joining the Graphic Novels challenge.

    And of course Stuart is right on target with his comments!

  18. Happy New Year to your and yours, Carl! LOVE that first picture…beautiful calendar 🙂 Is that Frodo?

  19. Janet: Yes, Jeff bought me the Tolkien art calendar with Alan Lee’s art from Children of Hurin. It is fantastic.

    Dew: It is a great idea, I’m excited that so many people will be discovering how great comics are through the challenge.

  20. Oh,I have entirely too much I could comment on and I’m sure it would be rambling and go on and on forever so I’ll just wish you a Happy New Year!

    *goes off to join Graphic novel Challenge*

  21. Happy New Year everyone!

    Those look like two great challenges I need to join. Thanks for the heads up! Now I’m back to dive into the SciFi book experience with The Big Time by Fritz Lieber.

  22. Carl, that was so thrilling to read Stuart’s comments. He describes so accurately why your blog is so great. Happy New Year. I had forgotten I only missed by one day sharing a birthday with Tolkein, what lovely company. There is just something about a new year that feels so hopeful. Irrational or not, I believe I’ll acomplish all I hoped to do and be this time last year. Hanging up my new calendars was the only work I did today, and that was exciting.

  24. Happy New Year Carl! Good luck with those challenges. Today I started my first book in the What’s in a Name Challenge, and it looks to be a good read! And I love your photos, by the way. You always take the best photos. I need to try and be more creative…:)

  25. well carl, you might not paint or draw, but you create art with your amazing photography! seriously. surely that counts as art. and if so, you are a practitioner of that art!

    but yeah, with creating traditional art and writing i can certainly relate. each year i do indeed think and wonder if i’ll be able to do anything. and while i have years of minor success i still haven’t managed to get the ball rolling yet with either pursuit…

    thank you for sharing the photo of the bookshelf. i absolutely love that chest!!!! oh! i must say, not having a single bookshelf in my house (well charlotte does) i really envy all your little ones that you show us from time to time…

  27. Happy New Year, Carl! Beautifully written sentiments. I enjoy basking in the newness of the year and thinking about all the possibility. For me, the possibility starts today because I MUST plan a boatload of new courses that I’ll be teaching. That in itself holds possibility for success or disaster! LOL

  30. Happy new year Carl!
    It’s been a bumpy ride, but things are apparently slowing down enough that I’ll be able to smell the roses once in a while. 😉
    I wish you and yours a fantastic year, filled with pleasures big and small, books and hot cocoa and no heat that isn’t cooled down by a pleasant breeze.

  31. Thanks Anne, I’ll take all of that! 🙂 Same wishes to you as well.

  32. Another fabulous post. I truly believe you could be a published writer if you so desired. I know I’d read you.

    Here’s to a very happy and fulfilling 2008.

  33. Carl, I’d like to send my heartfelt wishes for a Happy New Year for you and yours.

    Also, a big thank you for the little messages via email and my blog comments – I’ve missed you all too, and you were all in my thoughts over Christmas and New Year. Am just getting settled back in after a big Christmas – two weeks away staying with The Boy’s family. Phew.

    Look out for a post from me tomorrow – I’m about to resurface. 🙂

  34. I’m so glad to hear it, Quix. I pop over there every couple of days hoping for a new post. Glad you’re on the way back! 🙂

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