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Year of the Dragon

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Another year has come and gone, much to my delight. I feel different this year. I feel recharged and renewed, as if the slate has been wiped clean. We all get a fresh new start. In reading about this new year, I’ve found some fascinating things. Nine years ago, I wrote about Chinese New Year, also referred to as Lunar New Year. Every year has an animal assigned to it, according to the Chinese zodiac. https://letrasalaluna.blogspot.com/2015/02/chinese-new-year.html Since writing about Lunar New Year, I’ve paid special attention to the animals of the years, noting the different animals and their meaning. I’ve also researched how the animal of the year of my birth related to the animal of the new year, to learn what a coming year might have in store. Last year was the year of the Rabbit. The animal for this Lunar New Year is the Dragon. In doing research on the year of the dragon, I learned that it should prove to be a successful year. The website Chinese Zodiac wrote:   “The Dragon is
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Clean Slate

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I  cannot tell you how good it felt to start the New Year. It felt like the exhalation of a breath I’d been holding for months. It was the turning of a new leaf, a starting over, the turning of a page. A clean slate.   The end of last year was so hard for me. There were times when I didn’t know if I’d make it through. I knew things would change with the coming year. I looked forward to it with every fiber of my being. My mindset going into the New Year was that I was ready for change. I was open for the lessons and opportunities that lay ahead. On New Years Day, 12:01am, my neighborhood reverberated with sounds of celebratory gunfire that rang through the air. Neighbors in my building blew noise makers and horns in celebration. My cats, Jazz and Blues, were unnerved by the strange sounds that they’d never heard before. It was as if they thought there to be a herd of elephants in the hallway. The cats were more scared of the noise makers and horns than the gunfire.   Since the New Year
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Lessons from the Year 2023

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Now that the New Year has come, it is time to pause and reflect on the year that has been. As I’ve written here, 2023 was a roller coaster year for me, full of exhilarating highs and stomach-churning lows. Here then are the lessons from the year 2023:   -A December Rain can happen any time, even in February. https://letrasalaluna.blogspot.com/2023/02/december-rain.html   -Black History Month should be Black History Year. https://letrasalaluna.blogspot.com/2023/02/black-history-month.html   -I will do everything in my power to protect my personal safety. https://letrasalaluna.blogspot.com/2023/05/hello-luna.html   -It’s important to reach out, to say, “Hi friend, what’s going on?” https://letrasalaluna.blogspot.com/2023/07/whats-going-on.html   -I will do everything in my power to protect my peace, including my front door. https://letrasalaluna.blogspot.com/2023/07/knock-knock.html   -There’s no easy answer to the digital dilemma. https://letrasalaluna.blogspot.com/2023/08/digital-dilem
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Holiday Newsletter 2023

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Hello friends and family, I hope this missive finds you well. Here we are at the end of the year. I’m glad to see the year come to an end. It’s been a roller coaster year for me, complete with exciting highs and stomach-churning lows. Here are some of the highlights and lowlights:   The first low of the year was my front door being destroyed by teenage girls in my building. (Long story-about 3 years long.) Thankfully the replacement was covered by my insurance as a vandalism claim. It was approved in March, and the door was installed in June. Finally! :)   In August there was a high point to the year: a trip to visit with my parents in Maryland! It was a great time visiting with them and seeing their new senior living community. It’s a very nice place, and they have everything they need right in their community, which I’m grateful for. :)   In September, another high point: I published my tenth book! “Moons of the Year” is a two-part special edition collection of writing from the year
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The Overwhelm Event

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  Overwhelm : Verb. Definition: to upset, to overthrow; to cover completely or submerge; to overcome by superior force or numbers, or overpower in thought or feeling Source: Merriam-Webster Dictionary https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overwhelm I Once upon a time, in October 2023, I had a week of vacation from work. I took that time to sort through my belongings, purge anything I didn’t need, adding it to my donate pile. I also went to my local store where everything costs $1.00. I found several storage solutions to organize my space and simplify my storage needs.   While I on vacation, I took the time to catch up on some laundry. I have a new washing machine and been in the process of washing everything I own. Okay, I don’t think it was every piece of clothing I own. However, I did wash all the towels, sheets, blankets, and linens in my collection.   I was trying out the new washing machine, and a new brand of detergent. As my skin is uber sensitive, I was using the
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