Hello, 2010!

In the back of mind all day I've been contemplating all the things I could wax eloquent about in a post bidding 2009 farewell and welcoming in 2010. But now as I sit here, with only a precious few minutes to myself before I climb into bed, I know this post will only be a short summary of the non-familial activities that have taken place over the past week and a half.

Perhaps I'll find time to sit and reminisce tomorrow.

For now, I am content to tell you all that I'm starting 2010 with a "new" kitchen. A week and a half ago, before John got home and decided he needed to spend his vacation orchestrating home renovations, our kitchen looked like this:


And, as of yesterday, it now exudes a whole different personality:


(I almost forgot I ever had that healthy green houseplant on top of the refrigerator. That "before" picture was taken about four years ago. I have long since killed that ivy and made a second failed attempt at growing another one. Something green would look nice in the new kitchen though. However, my record with the houseplants is poor.)

I cooked in the remodeled kitchen for the first time today (black-eyed peas and cornbread, of course!) and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Of course, a tiny bit of the enthusiasm probably had something to do with the fact that my kitchen has been a disaster since last week and I have not been able to do any cooking at all (save for the crockpot soup about a week ago)! But the bright white and freshly painted walls are a delight!

Here's to lots more fresh starts and new delights for 2010!