New Year's Resolutions 2015

The whole fam-damily

I NEVER make New Year's resolutions.  I know I'll break them.  

This year, however, it feels right.  But I'm going to try to make short term resolutions, achievable and not daunting.  Impossible expectations are why we fail to keep promises to ourselves.

Here goes (in no particular order of importance):

1. Continue to work out/exercise a minimum three days per week, preferably four a minimum 40 minutes 
2. Reduce my calorie intake by 400 calories per day.  
3. Reduce my alcohol intake (about 3 drinks ea evening) to 1 (=400 cals)
4. Eat more fresh produce.  Juicing counts so we (hubby & I) should juice daily.
5. Eat less bread.
6. Try to ignore, excuse, ignore or forgive my MIL who is now 88 and lives with us.
7. Fight less with my husband, i.e. stop feeling defensive.
8. Buy new clothes when I lose 10 lbs.
9. Worry less about my sons and their futures.  Is this possible?
10. Stop obsessing over my fading looks.  Is this possible?
11. Keep my job for at least one more year (hopefully 3).
12. Adopt another pound dog.

13. 
    

    
    

    Our wonderful dog Dewey 

    Meditate as often as I can.
14. Don't worry about my swearing.  It's what I do.
15. Enjoy life more; worry less.

TRX at the gym

Okay.  This seems doable.  It's also not a monumental list.  It's common sense.  Perhaps I'll put it in the sidebar of this blog so I have to look at it often.  

I hope your New Year brings you happiness, health and peace.  It's what really counts!

Ch Ch Cha Changes

Hosta III by Laura Trevey

As most of you know by now, my husband and I put our house on the market 10/25/09, sold it 10/26/09, closed on it 12/04/09 and were already moved in to my MIL's farm house.  After a hasty preparation for Christmas, our older son's visit home and our younger son's return from Europe, we are now preparing for the new decade with a whole lotta unknowns ahead.

If last night is any indication of what to expect, it will be a happy one.  We celebrated the coming of the new year with close friends at an elegant wine bistro, a four course meal paired with wines, a fireworks display at the park across the street and snowflakes the size of small ornaments, fluffy and falling all around us.  There was a glow in the village from the blue moon hiding behind the clouds, the lamp lights decorated with red velvet beribboned wreaths and the streets were full of happy visitors and locals wearing 2010 tiaras and hats, blowing little horns and laughing.  Everyone seemed to be in good moods.  The sense of anticipation was palpable.  Many are thrilled to see the old decade depart.

My husband and I both felt it was the best New Year's eve of our adult lives.  He described it as "magical".  We were with friends, we had wonderful food, beautiful weather, gaiety and love.  We closed the night out in our favorite bar owned by friends, drinking champagne and chatting about skiing, family and just plain stuff.

We are blessed and we know it.  So many are not.  But I choose to be selfish today and share my happiness.  Tomorrow I will think again of those less fortunate and my contributions to changing the world.

Mirror Mirror On the Wall

Every Christmas, Santa fills my stocking with delightful small items; but this year he blew it.  This year, he  included something I viewed with intuitive alarm:  a small, round extreme magnification make up mirror.  Now, I don't know about you, but when you are a women of a certain age, you do not want to view yourself in the extreme.  You may need an average magnifying mirror in order to better see your face without squinting while you apply makeup.  Extreme is another matter. The number of times this thing enlarged my eye was so unexpected and abrupt, I dropped it in dismay. 

I look in the mirror every morning before and after makeup.  I am an optimist.  I generally feel I have very few lines or wrinkles or even age spots.  My skin is still on the oily side so I haven't the crepe paper texture so often associated with aging.  However, this mirror shows all my blemishes, crow's feet, enlarged pores and more.  It's like putting myself under a microscope and recoiling from what I now see.  Aarrggh! 

Don't get me wrong, I am trying very hard to age gracefully, sans face lifts, botox and whatever else people use to slow the process.  But, I still have my illusions and that mirror will shatter them if I keep it.  Can't break it as I'll have seven years of bad luck.

I think I'll wrap it and give it to one of my friends.

Photo from freeimages.com

All the Best

Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Happy Kwanzaa and all the best to all of you.  Thank you for a wonderful year of writing, responding and support.

Meanings of Contentment

Malibu Lagoon by Carson Pritchard

After many years of striving for "things" and wanting more, I find myself surprisingly content with what I now have. I say "surprisingly" because it is a surprise...to me. I have always been very security minded; anxious to know I can pay my bills and there's money in the bank for a rainy day. When those things are not in place, I am riddled with anxiety and fear that tends to make me physically ill. So, the idea that I am finally learning the meaning of contentment is a big big surprise and a welcome one.

This occurred to me yesterday while sitting in church. Our wonderful minister was speaking about the things we need to pursue on a daily basis, one of which was to enjoy the life we have. I realized I do enjoy my life now. This wasn't always the case.

I have gone from the needy, striving, covetous position of having nothing and envying others to finding a place for myself in my relationships, my marriage, the working world. I had to evolve from dependence on my husband and friends to dependence on myself. I had to learn to take responsibility; not an easy thing to do when always looking outside myself for happiness.

It has taken 50+ years to understand that happiness truly does come from within. I was told this but never seemed to accept it. I always thought there should be more. But more is all in your head. It is perception and not reality. If you perceive yourself to be happy, you are and vice versa.

This weekend was a fulfilling and reflective series of events. My husband and I attended an art show fundraiser, mingling with the artistic members of our small community. It was a great deal of fun and a different kind of outing for us. Yesterday, our youngest son turned 21, a huge milestone for all concerned. We took seven people to dinner and then he and his friends invited us to one of our favorite bars for a drink. When he paid for our drinks, my husband was all smiles. "This is the way it should be!" he said. I knew what he meant.

We talked about how lucky we are to have two sweet, kind boys, well-liked by their friends, who include their parents in their hopes and dreams and fears. They fill us with pride. Did we do a good job? We did our best.

I do not have the money I wish I had, I do not have the physical health and energy I wish I had. But, I awaken each day, go to a job I like, see my friends often, write in my blog, read my books, garden, cook and participate in life. I'm so far from perfect it's pathetic. I'm so far from secure, it's laughable. But my expectations have lowered considerably. I'm becoming a little easier on myself; more forgiving. These are the things that contribute to my new found sense of well being and contentment.

The painting above is in a collection of art work by my childhood friend, Carson Pritchard. She's another talented artist whose work I want to share. Double click her name above to see her collected works.