hello, 2012!

~ jama

Happy New Year, Friends!

Would you care for some Korean dumpling soup?

Whoever declared January National Soup Month was a genius. Soup is the only way to begin a new year, the only way to begin anything, really.

So, did you have a good holiday? I’m still in a cookie coma, and Cornelius is way out of control.

Mr. Hatley, our resident erudite, is very good at reading recipes aloud. Like Cornelius, he’s definitely not lacking in the confidence department.

What are you most looking forward to in 2012?

This will be my “learn new technologies” year. Quite a challenge for someone who’s still chiseling letters on stone tablets. The other day, I bit the bullet (actually the Apple), and purchased my first — *wait for it* — MacBook.

Step into the light, she said.

I’m also determined to become a better photographer. Yes, a new camera, my fourth Canon. Don’t call me to take your wedding photos just yet, but if you have a freshly baked cupcake lying around, I’d be mighty tempted to snap it!

Come Spring, I will purchase my first smart phone. (Is that applause I hear?) This will actually be my first mobile phone ever.

*pause while you pick yourself up off the floor*

I need to make it easier for Paul, George, Bob and Colin to ring me up!

Speaking of Bob, saw him recently at Madame Tussaud’s, along with a bunch of other cool people.

Forever Young

(Click here to see my Facebook album, “Fun at the Wax Museum.” )

I’m looking forward to cooking up lots more mischief many socially redeeming blog posts during 2012, and hope you’ll drop by often, bibbed and ready, to slurp, taste, nibble, nosh, chew, and drool right along with me.

Stay tuned for our first Soup of the Day celebration for 2012 featuring Dumpling Days by Grace Lin. Yes, I know. It’s the PERFECT book to kick things off.

Till next time, Happy Reading, Writing, Eating, and Playing!!

Thank you for being you, and for being here.

Love ♥,

jama
xxoo

“A #2 pencil and a dream can take you anywhere.” ~ Joyce A. Meyers

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Copyright © 2012 Jama Rattigan of Jama’s Alphabet Soup. All rights reserved. 

42 thoughts on “hello, 2012!”

  1. Well, I don’t know, hon, I kind of liked you as Virginia’s last Luddite. A CELL PHONE? Are you sure? At least you didn’t get an erader…! Congratulations on your new Mac Book; hope you get a lot of use crafting new …er, mischief upon it…

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    1. *clears throat*

      I got an e-reader last summer :), and I love it! I know, what’s the world coming to? The old dogs are desperate to learn new tricks.

      Not to worry about the Luddite thing. I still qualify. 😀

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      1. ::sigh::
        Oh, dear.
        I don’t have an e-reader. Nor an iPhone. Nor a Mac anything. I am one of the Uncool people with my PC and I have a cell phone that I usually leave at home – I only use it when traveling! I was liking you keeping me company on Luddite Lane!!

        In all seriousness, it’s safer to be able to contact folk when you’re out/about, and I look forward to you talking loudly in libraries on your cell, and you and Len ignoring each other and texting other people whilst you’re across from each other on a tiny restaurant table…

        Nah. Somehow I don’t see it.

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      2. Hah!

        I’ll probably forget to bring my cell phone with me when I leave the house! I really don’t like talking on the phone except for emergencies. It saddens me to see people busy texting when they’re sitting right next to each other (or in the same house).

        I held out on the e-reader for a long time, but it’s actually enabled me to read more and read faster. (Not sure that’s a good thing either.) My Dad got one for Christmas! It’s everywhere and inevitable, it seems.

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    2. I am there with Tanita in Luddite land. I have a Tracfone, which I hardly ever use. I have an iPod Shuffle, which was given to me. I write on a desktop computer. And that’s it–no e-reader, no tablet, no laptop, no SmartPhone.

      You are very brave, Jama! 😉

      Happy New Year!

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      1. I don’t know about being brave — it’s more about curiosity, needing a new challenge, firing up other parts of my brain. Going from “I can’t” to “I did it!”

        Happy New Year, Jenn, and Congrats on your soon-to-be-released TRY NOT TO BREATHE! 🙂

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    1. Soup first, then dessert! There will be no shortage of cupcakes and other sweets, rest assured.

      Happy New Year to you, Maria!! Hope 2012 brings you much joy and many new adventures.

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  3. The Mac Book is sleek and lovely. Smart phones . . . what next? Will you drive around with a Blu-tooth in your ear?

    And that so doesn’t look like Bob Dylan! His hair is all wrong! Jaws not quite right, either. I should know. I looked at his poster every day for a hundred years.

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    1. No — the Blu-tooth is where I draw the line! I will NOT be one of those people seemingly talking to themselves in public.

      You’re right about the Dylan figure. Wrong hair, wrong face. Still, it’s probably the closest I’ll ever get to him. 🙂

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  4. Happy new year! Look at you with all your technology! I wouldn’t mind a Mac Book, though I wouldn’t know the first thing about how to use it.

    Merry 2012!

    Also, I’m snort-laughing at your Blu-tooth comment. I just now figured out what those are called, but I’ve always thought the same thing, that I don’t want to be one of those people who looks like she’s walking around muttering to herself. (For the longest time, I didn’t realize they existed and I wondered why more and more people were talking to themselves.)

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    1. LOL!! Same here. I didn’t see the device in people’s ears, and just thought, wow — more crazies in the world. But even regular cell phone users don’t seem to realize (or care), that others are listening to their conversations — and WE DON’T WANT TO HEAR ANY OF IT!!

      It’ll take me awhile to learn Mac software and stuff. There may very well be gnashing of teeth and throwing up of hands . . .

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  5. I know I’m rather new at reading your blog, and I like that you have a new laptop cause I certainly love mine, but also want to say I love the little alphabet blocks that send messages. Lots of fun that put a smile on my face, so thanks! Can’t wait to hear about soup!

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    1. Linda, you are a girl after my own heart. We love playing with letter blocks over here :). Of course, I need to closely monitor Cornelius’s words . . .

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  6. Oh, there is is!! Bob looks a little disgruntled, perhaps, with his arms folded like that…maybe Gangsta’s the look he’s going for?

    Loved this post (oooh, I’m coveting those alphabet blocks!). A very happy way to carry forward into the New Year, and I’m so glad to be sharing this journey with you.

    PS Can you tell me a little more about your Canon? I want to upgrade from the Coolpix I have now, but I don’t think I’m ready to cross over into uber-serious, ultra-large DSLR territory.

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    1. I’m the same as you — not quite ready for the “serious” DSLR equipment, but want to go beyond the strictly point and shoot auto setting cameras. Got the Canon S95, which has manual controls. It got the thumbs up from lots of DSLR folks for times they didn’t want to lug around heavy equipment. The S95 has actually been out since 2010; there’s a new S100 out now, getting mixed reviews. There are some other new, smaller DSLR-ish cameras just out, but I opted for this purse size model. Can’t see myself taking anything bigger into restaurants!

      I think Bob’s disgruntled because he doesn’t look like himself :).

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  8. Happy New Year, Jama! Your post made me laugh and reminded me of the first time I saw BluTooth in action. I was in the fruit and veg aisle at the grocery store, and I honestly thought someone was having a heart-to-heart with a head of lettuce.

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    1. LOL! Funny story! Actually, I think a heart to heart with a head of lettuce is perfectly normal :). Happy New Year, Amy! Hope there’s some more toffee pudding in your future.

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    1. Speaking of pencils, I need to practice writing in longhand more. My penmanship is terrible since all I do is type most of the time.

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  11. Happy New Year, Jama! Like the photo of you with Dylan! One of my kids doesn’t like soup, but I keep trying.

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  12. Happy New Year!

    I’m planning to get myself a MacBook this year myself. My husband loves his–and I need a laptop to take to my daughter’s where I spend three days a week providing daycare for my granddaughter.

    Speaking of soup: My husband has been trying out some new recipes. His cream of tomato and butternut squash soups were delicious!

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    1. Mmmm! I’ve always wanted to try butternut squash soup. Maybe this winter!

      I still have so much to learn about the MacBook. A refreshing change from PCs.

      Happy New Year, Elaine!

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    1. LOL — It’s quite perilous for the one writing the posts, too. Just now, I “had” to have two brownies which came from a book I’m reviewing soon. Have a wonderful 2012, Cathy. Good luck with the 12 x 12 Challenge!

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  15. Happy new year to you, Jama! It sounds like you have some excellent plans. I got a MacBook this past year, and I have grown to love it. Ditto my smartphone.

    And I especially look forward to photographs of cupcakes. Mmmm.

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  16. Jama, I just want to tell you how much I love the sleek, clean design you have here on your blog. I am in WordPress hell at the moment, trying to get my new garden site/blog going and then working with the designer on my writing website and your site is just so very refreshing.

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    1. Thanks, Susan. Sorry to hear you’re having probs with your WP garden blog. Is it a self-hosted site (WP.org) or something on WordPress.com? I wish I knew html and CSS so I could do a more custom design. Maybe someday.

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      1. It’s self-hosted. I put myself in a mess because I started off with one theme and had my son (a WP expert but super busy) do a bunch of custom stuff for me then I realized that I had picked the wrong theme. I wanted Twenty Eleven because of the gallery and forms and more whistles and bells. So now I’m waiting for him to get time to go back and redo the code for me. I can do it but he’s younger and faster. 🙂

        My big problem right now is there are so many photos to go through and I just can’t figure out how populated it should be start. I set myself a Friday deadline to launch or else because I need to get it off my plate.

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      2. Lucky your son is a WP expert! The patience required to hand code everything is beyond me. Admire people who can do it! I’m looking forward to Friday :). I’m sure the garden blog will be awesome.

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  18. dumpling soup!!! love it. I remember last year I had one korean friend at home came to join in Barcelona 31st december and next day evening, trying to recover of the night party, he made one delicious dumpling soup and was the best medicine for recover our body :). LOVE IT!!

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