This time of year is such a tangle of emotions. We zig zag from the sweet and tender moments with loved ones. Whiplash to the crass hyper-commercialization that this holiday season has become. Then we start thinking back about the past year; then start dreaming about what we would like to see happen for the next. Work toward your dreams, overcome the odds. I wish us all a better time with cash flow and employment. I wish true love finds you. And as I am coming off a low carb Christmas, and feeling very disciplined all of a sudden, since I said no to the exceptional homemade goodies that were offered, here is hoping I might just find the energy to stick with it in the new year. Of course every other commercial on TV is for weight loss, gym memberships and over the counter snake oil diet supplements, all of which serves to remind us that many of us are in the same boat.

Whatever path you take toward a healthier 2012 is OK in my book. Stop smoking, start exercising, watch what you eat, make regular yearly doctor’s appointments. Be relentless in your pursuit, ‘cause as they say, “use it or lose it.” And know this, that you CAN do it, just set your mind to it, and be relentless in the pursuit. And don’t forget to dance! Here is a song that is impossible to be still while it is playing. “I Want It So Bad,” from The Gourds. You will find it on their latest album Old Mad Joy. Yes indeed, may you find old mad joy in 2012. Here is the Music Fog version of the song, filmed at Nashville's Marathon Recorders during this year's Americana Fest.

- Jessie Scott