New Year |

New Year’s Resolutions and Goals 2025

Happy New Year!

I stayed away from social media for the first week of the New Year, so I want to send you my New Year’s greetings now.

Wishing you everyone 2025 filled with prosperity, joy, health, vitality, and *Ikigai!!

*Ikigai (生き甲斐）is a Japanese abbreviation for the expression Ikirukaigaaru (生きる甲斐がある) “It’s worth living,” and it means feeling the joy and vitality of living.

My Ikigai for New Year’s Day has been going to see New Year’s Sunrise.

New Year Sunrise in 2024

I started around 1992, so it is a ritual that has been around for about 33 years.

There is a New Year proverb in the Japanese:

一年の計は元旦にあり- Ichinen no kei wa gantan ni ari

Free translation: “New Year’s Day is the year’s key!”

The proverb’s direct meaning is that The year’s plan is made on New Year’s Day.

Unlike in Japan, there is nothing special about New Year’s Day here, so I started going to see the first sunrise of the year, which made me feel refreshed as I approached the New Year.

I once saw the New Year’s Sunrise in Izu, Japan, with my mother. We saw the most amazing New Year’s Sunrise together. I am so glad that I was able to do with my mother before she passed. The trip we did together was unforgettable in my heart.

The 2025 New Year sunrise time in Santa Monica was at 6:59:

It was so foggy and cold when we left home that I had to wear many layers of clothes. When we hiked up the Santa Monica mountain, we were over the fog, and we could see a beautiful horizon line.

We took our dogs, Kai, Lani and Makani. Our friend, Angel, who helps my garden, came with us.

It was much warmer than the last few years, which was so cold and windy.

Once we got to the top, we looked all over – a slite orange color was already on the horizon, so we knew where the New Year Sunrise was coming up.

Other people were there, but I loudly expressed, “Arigatou・Thank you!” from the bottom of my heart. I felt happy to be able to express my gratitude.

I asked Eric and Angle about their New Year “resolution” while waiting for the New Year Sunrise.

Angel said he wanted to do more dancing.

He shared that he started to take a dancing lesson, so I thought it was ballroom dancing, so I said immediately, “What dancing lesson? Is it ballroom dancing?” Angele is a quiet, shy guy and ceramic artist, so I could not imagine that he would dance especially ballroom dancing.

He smiled and said, “Oh, no, no, Hip-hop dance.” I said, “Wow, that’s great!” He said, ” I want to be more active and was thinking of taking a dance lesson, so I took a few last year. I liked it, so I want to continue.” I thought, I want to see him dance one day!

Eric said’ “More free time!” I am sure he meant to spend his free time surfing in the ocean since he helps our animal family and me so much every day. I said, “That’s a great idea, Eric, so let’s think about how you can get more free time and make a plan.”

Angel said, “It is important to have time for yourself since you are very busy.”

I also said, “Mine is go to physical therapy to strengthen my left knee.”

I was glad we could exchange our resolution together in a great place. After talking, I felt refreshed, and simultaneously, the year’s first sunrise rose.

I thought we might not see New Year’s Sunrise when I left home due to the fog, but it was spectacular.

The 2025 New Year Sunrise came up to promise to achieve the resolution we made.

On the way down the mountain, we saw the fog, almost marshmallows laid out all over Santa Monica to the south side to Perlos Verdesand and the east side to downtown Los Angeles.

It was a mysterious feeling to go back down there.

After we came back home, we ate our New Year Mochi Ozouni. I started to write my resolutions and goals.

As I said, my resolution for 2025 is “Go to physical therapy to strengthen my left knee.”

Because I broke my left knee five years ago while I was hiking.

It took two years to heal, and then about one year ago, my neighbor’s dog attacked my dog, Nalu, and me. I injured the same knee and right shoulder. The shoulder got better with therapeutic massage and acupuncture, but the knee is still not fully healed, so I knew I had to do the next step. I believe holistic with a plant-based approach comes to healing, so I do not use any Western medication most of the time, but I do know when to use the Western approach, so I went to see my new primary doctor and discuss my left knee. She was a young doctor, and before I told her my thoughts, she checked my knee and said right away, since your knee is not broken this time, and you need to strengthen the knee, so go to physical therapy.

My goal for 2025 is to fully heal from knee injuries and be physically active. I have started going to Qigong class twice weekly in the morning at a park since last summer, which has also helped me greatly.

I walked two blocks to the park and back, which also helped my heart to be active.

As I was writing this, I also wanted to make my goal for 2025 a more straightforward way to communicate with Eric and remind him at the same time.

One thing I can do is create our monthly calendar and write plans for my needs and also our rendezvous plan there.

I also realized that resolutions and goals are different, so I decided to write about them.

So, here are my New Year’s resolutions and goals for 2025:

My 2025 Resolutions and Goals

Resolution 1: Go to physical therapy to heal my knee in three months.

(The key point is three months)

Goal 1: To be pain-free and get strength.

Resolution 2: Walk 1 ~2 miles daily and continue to Quigong class.

(The key point is 1 ~2 miles daily)

Goal 2: More socialize with people.

Resolution 3: Make a monthly communication calendar with Eric and write a plan on the calendar.

(The key point is monthly)

Goal 3: Simplesize communication with Eric, meditating, and doing other things with him more.

Resolution 4: Teach a workshop/class that allows me to relax mentally without exhausting my physical energy.

(The key point is teaching without exhausting my physical energy)

Goal 4: Teaching, which I enjoy, and connecting with people.

Resolution 5: Write every day, even only for a short time, and will finish writing my recovery book by the end of this year. (The key point is every day, even for a short time and finish this year)

Goal 5: Finish my recovery book.

A resolution is a statement of what you want to change/do (Action).”

within a time frame. See what I wrote above as the key point.

A goal is a statement of what you want to achieve, and resolution is the steps you need to take to achieve it, and when you want to achieve it.

The resolution is a word that refers to the determination or plan that you have in your heart. Rather than simply wanting to do 〇〇 or become 〇〇, think about what you will do concretely to achieve those desires. By setting resolutions, your goals and objectives will become more apparent.

Resolutions are different from goals. A goal is a goal that you strive for, and the process of getting there doesn’t matter. On the other hand, resolution includes both goals and the process to achieve them.

Chinese New Year, Nine Star Ki New Year is not January 1st, so you have time to write your resolution for 2025 and achieve your goal.

You can write first:

・Write down your concerns and issues

・Think specifically about your ideals

・ Set specific numbers and deadlines

I wish you luck for 2025.

Love,

Sanae ❤️

New Year Sunrise Worship in 2024

Ever since I was little, I’m not good at continuing to do the same thing for a long time, and I tend to stop what I’m doing and do something else in the middle.
My mother told me that I get bored quickly.
However, even if I stop midway through, I don’t wholly stop; instead, I restart again later, which is a somewhat troublesome trait that my mother did not understand.

As I get older, I restart and finish more and more things.
Having said that, there aren’t many things I’ve been able to continue doing for a long time, but something I am continuing…
I keep my treasurable items for a long time, like my first T-shirt that I bought when I was 16 years old, my first cobalt blue single flower base that I purchased in Nagasaki 40 years ago,
Raising dogs and cats for over 40 years,
it’s been almost 39 years since I stopped drinking alcohol,
I have been with Eric for 33 years,
31 years since I started macrobiotics,
it’s been 30 years since I started going to see the New Year sunrise, and it will be nine years since I started writing my blogs.
That’s all I can think of right now.

New Year’s Sunrise is something spiritually connected to me.
The weather forecast said it would be cloudy this year, and I wasn’t sure if there would be a New Year sunrise that I could see, so I didn’t have a strong desire to wake up at 5 am.
But I woke up at 5 am without hesitation, did a body scrub, and got ready.

Last year, our dog daughter, Lumi (a golden retriever who will turn 14 this January), couldn’t go to see the first sunrise because she could not walk much due to arthritis, but she was the opposite of me and had so much desire to see the New Year’s Sunrise and had been waiting since New Year’s Eve to go this year.
Looking at Lumi, I received hope and strength that I could go even if I didn’t have a strong desire to go.

We live in a world where many things are happening all over the world at this very moment.
The daily news reports, wars, sad, horrible things, and various crimes without our choice.
In the midst of all this, I was able to accept that it’s okay for me to be someone who can’t feel things more clearly. I focus on what is really important to me, so when my feelings are unclear, I accept them as they are and observe them mindfully.

It was cloudy, but it wasn’t raining.
When we arrived at the mountain, Eric parked his car and started walking in the dark trail with a flashlight. I could clearly see the Santa Monica early morning city lights.

Lumi’s arthritis was getting better, but since she was walking at a slow pace, it took quite some time to reach the top.

This year, in addition to Lumi, Lumi’s daughter Happy, our dog son Kai, and Kai’s son Lani are also with us. Also, Angel, who helps me with my garden, and his friend Emmy, who works at an organic farm, joined us.
When we reached the top, we could already see New Year’s sunrise reflections with blight red-orange on the back of the mountain. We got so excited.

There were large clouds, but the break in the clouds was right where we could see the first sunrise on the mountain, and we were all convinced that we could see New Year’s Sunrise.

Every year, people like us come to see the first sunrise of the year, and others have started to arrive little by little.
Then one of them came close to me and said to me, “You come here every year to see the sunrise, right?”
When I answered, “Yes,”.
She said, “I met you before here. You have a restaurant, right?” I said, “Oh, we met here before? I am sorry I do not remember. We closed the restaurant.”
She said, “That’s too bad.”
Immediately, I said, “I’m not disappointed at all. With the restaurant closed, we have more time and less stress, and I enjoy every day my time.”
The answer came back from her, “I understand. I also run a business, but I’m considering closing it.”
She continued, “I met you here once New Year’s Sunrise morning, and you sent me a photo of the New Year’s Sunrise. It’s my favorite photo, and I still use it as my screen saver. Thank you for sending it!”

When I was in college, I studied communication and photojournalism. I love taking photos and used to carry around Nikon and Canon cameras.
So I often got asked to send photos to various people, and I sent them. I didn’t remember the person, but she remembered that I had a big camera with me, and I was happy to know that someone out there valued the things I had almost forgotten.

New Year’s Sunrise rose elegantly.
Because of the clouds, it did not appear at the time of sunrise, 6:59 am, but the sharp beams appeared at 7:03 am, and she showed up between the clouds for us!

*New Year Sunrise Worshipped with deep feelings and prayed to the gods of the north, south, east, and west for a bountiful harvest, good health and peace in 2024.

*The custom of worshiping the New Year Sunrise is said to have become popular after the Meiji period (1868–1912).
But it was first called “Shihohai” and began when the Emperor woke up early in the morning on New Year’s Day, purified himself, and prayed to the gods of the east, west, south, and north for a good harvest and good health. It spread from the court nobles to the ordinary people around the Heian period　(710～1192).

The beams got stronger!

Then the beam got calm down.

The Down Town Los Angeles got all blight orange.

Going down the mountain, Lumi stopped so Eric carried Lumi at the steep hill. She said, “She was taking her time to going down, but she appreciate Eric papa’s love.”

We came home and ate our New Years’s Ozouni (Japanese soup containing mochi rice cakes. The dish is tradition to eat with the Japanese New Year.)

I did not have a big desire, but New Year’s sunrise rose and showed an incredible New Year’s sunshine again this year.

I am truly grateful.
With New Year’s Sunrise, I worshipped in good health, happiness, love, and healing for everyone globally.

Happy New Year to you all – Akemashite Omedetou!

Thank you/Arigatou!

Love,
Sanae❤️

Vow with the New Year Sunrise

Santa Monica (Southern California) is known that it does not rain much.

There is Albert Hammond’s 1972 hit song “It Never Rains In Southern California” (the Japanese title is “Blue skies of California”)
If you listen carefully to the lyrics in the song, you will hear, “It never rains in California. But girl, don’t they warn ya? It pours, man, it pours.”

My garden succulent with rain drops

This song might have more meaning, but as actual weather here in Southern California, it is true that we get a lot of rain in some winters.
This winter was one of those winters.
It rained a lot in December and all day long on New Year’s Eve.
I was concerned that I might not be able to go see the annual first sunrise, but the rain stopped early in the morning, and when I got up at 5:00 a.m. and went outside, the scent of my favorite petrichor was in the air.

As the pitch-black sky gradually turned indigo blue, my breath slowly exhaled on the mountain path and disappeared like white smoke, becoming one with the outside air.

The intense reddish-orange light dyed the whole horizon in a blink of an eye.
Praising the light was so comfortable, and I noticed I was not breathing.
I focused on moments of being “Alive” with the light; the realization was present without effort, then my natural breath came into my heart.

Suddenly I noticed some clouds and no more indigo blue in the sky.
As if to counteract my fears, the sun showed a golden thread of light on a wavy line, shining orange on the thick clouds over the mountains.

It seemed as if it took longer than usual for the sun to show its face, as it had been raining for a few days, and the sun felt shy.
When the sun finally rose, it did so slowly, gently, and grandly, with a light of joy like I had never seen before.
I couldn’t even speak.

I was so lost in admiration that I forgot to take the video I always take.
There was only gratitude.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, I repeatedly muttered as if I was reciting the Buddha’s prayer.

The sun seemed to be trembling with joy to see us for the first time in a long time after its whole body had risen.
The light became stronger and stronger, and rose higher and higher.
The whole sky was connected to the light.

After I came back home, I was moved again when I looked at the photo of the first sunrise while eating New Year’s Ozouni.

I was happy to see the first sunrise of the new year in such good health once again.
Seeing the New Year sunrise is very personal and connects to my soul.
Even only on New Year’s Day, I wake up really early in the morning, hike up a mountain, and formally say “thank you!” to the sun.
I can let the sun know how much I appreciate it officially.

In the afternoon, a rain started to fall again.
The sun was hesitant to say goodbye but left a promising vibe that we would see each other again.
Yes, we will see each other again!
Until then, I vowed with the first sunrise to practice getting along with the clouds and the rain.
(The weather report said it will rain continuously for at least two days!)

Love,
Sanae❤️

New Year Sunrise

There is a new year proverb of the Japanese:

一年の計は元旦にあり- Ichinen no kei wa gantan ni ari

Freely translation is – “New Year’s day is the key of the year! ”

The proverb’s direct meaning is that The year’s plan is made on New Year’s Day.

I usually make a plan spontaneously, but transforming it into action may sometimes take time as I get older with wise decisions.

I like free translation for New Year’s Day.

I have been practicing my new year day’s ritual to get up and see New Year’s sunrise for about 30 years. I love this ritual to lift my spirits and prepare to start the new year.

It’s has been colder winter for Santa Monica.

At 5 am on new years’ morning, my brain said, let’s stay in the Christmas gift of organic flannel sheets and stay warm.

My heart whispered, let’s see new year’s sunrise!

Let’s go!

And… I went!

2022 new year’s sunrise in Santa Monica was 7:58 am.

I was with my husband, Eric, elderly dog daughter Lumi and her daughter Happy, and dog son of Kai.

We also had our friends and their ten-year-old son, who are all first time, come to join us to see new year sunrise. They are all Kai’s friends.

We hiked up and arrived at the spot at 6:15 am.

We waited for the new year’s sunrise to show up.

The sky transformed artistically, so many different scenes touched my emotions deeply.

But at the same time, like last year’s new year’s morning, it was very windy and also colder, and my hand started to feel like freezing with the uncomfortableness.

Our friend’s son found a very very thin paper moon (2 % of the waning crescent moon) in the sky, but we could not see it for a while.

We were saying, where is it?

Are you sure it is a moon?

Finally, we – adults, saw the thread-thin moon as we focused our hearts.

And I forgot how my hands were feeling painfully cold.

The child’s eyes captured a tiny slite moon, and we were grateful that we could see it too because of him.

Then, I realized I forgot to connect my cell phone to charge as sky was getting blighter.

I thought there were no new year’s sunrise photos this year, but the friends had iPhone 13 and sent me hight quality photos, which were no comparison to my iPhone 8.

Look at these gorgeous new year sunrise photos:

Seeing another new year’s sunrise, I felt deeply connected to the sun and nature with an appreciation for being a human being.
I felt happiness simply without material or money.

The universe (God, Higher power) planned for me to sleep without changing my cell phone on new years eve night.　Ha, ha, ha!

I thought of another proverb, 塞翁が馬 -Saiyou ga uma.

Freely translation is “Fortune is unpredictable and changeable.”

It will be my 2022 motto.

2022 with gratitude, hope, and love!

Love, Sanae❤️

New Year Sunrise and Sunset Wish

I was born and raised in Japan, but I have been living in the U.S. for many years.

I feel fortunate to keep some of the Japanese traditions, especially I have been keeping “Hatsuhinode” Japanese tradition for many years here in America.

“Hatsuhinode” is viewing the first sunrise of the New Year.

According to both Shinto belief and Buddhist tradition, “Toshigami”—the god of the new year, harvests, and the spirits of ancestors—arrives when the sun rises on New Year’s Day. If you stand outside and make a wish during the sunrise, you will be blessed by Toshigami and your wish will come true during the year to come.

I have two dreams of “Hatsuhinode”. One is to view the New Year sunrise from Mt. Ryugatake to see “Diamond Fuji” and the other one is to climb up to Mt. Fuji to view the New Year sunrise.

Photo: Diamond Fuji sunrise from Mt. Ryugatake (source from Gaijinpot.com)

Photo: New Year sunrise from Mt. Fuji (source from bing.gifposter.com)

Because I have had physical challenges both mechanical parts and internal organs past 27 years so these are probably just dreams, but I enjoyed viewing “Hatsuhinode” from Santa Monica mountain every year with my husband, Eric, and the dogs’ family. I remembered that I even went to see New Year sunrise when I was in a wheelchair so I will continue to view it for a long time.

My New Year sunrise routine is no matter what time I go to bed at new years’ even night, I get up about 5 am and leave home around 5:30 am.
New Year’s sunrise time is usually just before 7 am, but every new year’s morning has different weather.
I remember one new year it was so foggy and could not see anything, but just before new year’s sunrise came up it got cleared up.
It was the mysterious new year’s sunrises I ever saw.

I love to be on the hill when it is still dark and the sky is indigo blue and slowly reddish-orange light is oose out.
I believe this is the quietest moment of the year and I am able to feel the silence before the god of the new year coming.

I have experienced unconsciously the peaceful joy of tears wet my cheek which is very precious.

This year of 2021, it was very windy.
When I hiked up the mountain wind blow so strong I was almost blown away.
The wind blew off and bought New Year’s sunrise clear and blighter.

Photo: Before sunrise

Photo: Clear and blighter sunrise…can you see downtown, Los Angeles?

Photo: New Year’s Sunrise gives us big smiles every year!

Photo: Lani’s first New Year’s sunrise

Photo: Eric and Lani (4 months) Lumi (10 years old) and Kai (2 years old)

Since 2020 was a very upheaval and challenging year of Corona Covid-19 various pandemic for the whole world.

It was a sad and difficult time.

Because of stage IV lymphoma cancer that I had three years and a half ago, I have been taking care of myself carefully. I started “a new me” life and have been practicing social distance before the pandemic came, so I am kind of used to it, but of course, I feel lonely to not see a few frineds that I was seeing and spend time going out for lunch and dinner.

My husband, Eric and I do our best to be kind to each other more than ever and practice self-empathy.

We found out some of our friends got Covid-19 various after Thanksgiving and flighting right now so my wish for this 2021 New Year sunrise…

“Wishing us and everyone in the world a safe, healthy, peaceful, and healing new year!
And full recovery for people in the world including our friends to heal soon.”

There is no Japanese tradition to go to New Year sunset and make a wish, but I thought making another wish or more wish with gorgeous New Year sunset might give us a more excellent spirit start so we also went to see the New Year sunset at Santa Monica beach.

Photo: Santa Monica beach New Year’s sunset was gorgeous!

Photo: Eric and Nalu with New Year’s sunset

Photo: Me and Lani with New Year’s sunset

We watched sunrise and sunset on New Year’s day; we appreciate “Sun” so much. Sun’s hard work for us, earth, and nature.
No matter what, the sunrise shows blight light, which I feel hope and strength, and the sunset promises us faith and trust for the next day.
Sun is truly god for us!

Sunrise, Sunset!

Do you know the musical “The Fiddler on the Roof”?

There is a song called “Sunrise, Sunset”. Do you know?

I love this song; here are some lyrics…

Sunrise, sunset

Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly flow the days
Seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers
Blossoming even as they gaze

Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly fly the years
One season following another
Laden with happiness and tears

Life is sunrise and sunset like yin and yang and like light and shadow, everything changes, keep changing, and nothing stays the same.
Nature always teaching us, humans.
Let’s notice the blight side over dark shadow and enjoy this moment!

Love,

Sanae ❤️

New Year Elderberry Mocktail

The last day of 2020.

The whole world has been to go through an upheaval year.
This America has had the most Covid 19 virus-infected in the whole world;19,455,045 cases and 350,778 death was reported so far.
The sad year of 2020.

Not Pandemic related, but I have had my own painful experienced this year.
I have been meditating every day more mindfully observe and purified my mind to see the blight side.
I’m ready for the new year of 2021.

Christmas weekend, Eric and I went to North Fork, California (near Yosemite) with our six dogs and two cats family.
For the first time, we just did not do much, ate, slept, did meditation, walked in nature, and watched Netflix.

We came back to Santa Monica and we had lots of rain three days ago.
It was a beautiful day today.
Looked at the sky and felt sunlight.

I spent a slow relaxing time and just planted shallots in the planter on the rooftop garden.
Usually, I feel I needed to plant much more after rain, but it was just shallots and I was satisfied and relaxed.
I am learning to do much less.

Animal family is also relaxed when I am relaxed.

I am grateful for this relaxing last day of 2020.

Grateful to have health and welcome 2021.

Grateful to Eric and the animal family to live with me.

Grateful to family, friends who support my soul.

Grateful to my garden, trees, flowers, plants, and birds.

Grateful to sky, sun, moon, ocean, mountain, and nature.

Grateful to be able to write this blog.

Grateful to people who read my blog.

Grateful to 12 steps program.

Grateful to Vipassana meditation.

Grateful to macrobiotics practice.

Grateful to myself.

Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart.

I want to introduce a tasteful new year mocktail (none alcohol cocktail) with elderberry which I love to make tea and introduce on my blog before

https://sanaesuzuki.com/2017/02/27/healing-elderberry-tea/

I am in 12 steps program and sober for almost 36 years so I am looking forward to drinking this special mocktail to enjoy.

***New Year* *Elderberry Mocktail***

Makes 1 drink

Ingredients

Peach juice
Infused elderberry and white grape juice (*see below how to make)
Lime juice

Directions

Fill a champagne flute or a glass about halfway with peach juice.
Gently pour infused elderberry and grape juice over the top to create layers of color.
Add a squeeze of lime juice to add.
Enjoy!

Pro Tip: Using a spoon to catch the initial splash helps to maintain the two-tone color.

*Infused Elderberry and White Grape Juice

Makes 6-8 drinks

Ingredients

8 ounces organic white grape juice
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup dried elderberries, to taste
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup dried lemon peel, to taste

Directions

Put all ingredients into a saucepan over medium-low heat.
Heat to approximately 200°F, just before boiling.
Remove from heat, cover with a lid, and let infuse for 30 minutes.
Strain the grape juice into a separate pint jar.
Store infused-grape juice in the refrigerator—it should be used within 5 days.

Recipes source from https://blog.mountainroseherbs.com/elderberry-bellini

Love,
Sanae ❤️