Hello, 2018...

This is going to be a great year! I'm saying it and believing it! There will likely continue to be political upheavals and unrest in the world, but I feel a sense of optimism about how we'll all deal with it. People need to come together for the greater good. I'm believing they will.

On the home front, my knee is not as swollen, though it's got a way to go. My husband seems to be over his bout with the stomach bug, he had over the weekend. My oldest son is still not well, but getting there. Life is moving back toward normal.

Being laid up gives one lots of time for reflection. I've mentally rearranged and redecorated my home several times. I've imagined all the things I will do once I'm mobile again, like getting out of the house and spending time with family and friends, or refinishing a sideboard which has been sitting out on my back patio for over a year, even just driving the car, anywhere!

I know I said yesterday I was not making a list of resolutions, but I did double my Goodreads challenge for this year. My goal last year was 12 books. One a month. I didn't know if I'd even make that, considering my flaky eyesight, but I got 13 read! Yay! This year I'm going for 24, since I can include audible books on the list. It's just a matter of making time for books, which should be easier since I dropped my DVD subscription. Less movie viewing, more reading!

I've always loved books. There's something wonderful about losing yourself in a good story. I'm currently reading Sisters First: Stories from Our Wild and Wonderful Life, by Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Pierce Bush. So far, it's a great read, filled with laughter and emotion.

A few books on my "Want to Read" list are Uncommon Type: Some Stories by Tom Hanks, The Mistletoe Murder and Other Stories by P. D. James, Goodbye Christopher Robin by Ann Thwaite, Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship and Purpose by Joe Biden, The Man Who Invented Christmas by Les Standiford, as well as a long list of cozy msyteries. I'll also be revisiting some old Maeve Binchy favorites and checking out some "new to me" authors like Louise Penny and others.

So, on into the new year! Here's to 2018 being our best year yet!

Goodbye to 2017...

As I get ready to leave 2017 behind, I have to admit I'm ready to move into the New Year. This one has been a bit rough, though there have been many blessings along the way. I didn't accomplish all of my goals, but I did spend more time with my family, which is a great trade off.

I'm not making a list of resolutions, instead I resolve to continue pushing toward my long term goals, pursuing dreams, and allowing myself setbacks without guilt. A favorite saying in our home this year was, "It is what it is..." For me, this means accepting what comes my way, refusing to let life frustrate me when things don't happen as I'd wanted, and moving forward with hope.

Wishing you a brilliant and blessed 2018! Happy New Year!

Sail on...

Snow!

We're definitely having winter here in Idaho. Highest snow depth since 1985, which was 13 inches. It's not nearly what many places get, but my husband measured 16 inches deep last night, after some melting during the day. We've had to shovel multiple times in a day. A good workout, but so exhausting in these cold temperatures.  It's 10 degrees right now. Brrrrr!

The snow does look beautiful and was falling in giant, pretty flakes yesterday. I worked my way out to the bird feeder, which I forgot to get a picture of, but here is a photo of the path I created.

PJ's car is definitely tucked in until the spring thaw. He didn't even attempt to dig Old Blue out for the New Year's Day car show. Numbers were down due to weather, but he still saw some beautiful classic cars.

Our outside lights are still up, until things thaw a bit, so I turned them on again last night. So pretty! I'm sure some in the neighborhood are tired of them, but I would enjoy them year round, if I could get away with it. My little tree is also still up. I got a very late start, just two days before Christmas, and it's decorated only with lights, a string of silver beads, and the angel. What can I say? I just didn't pull Christmas off very well this year. No cards went out. Only a couple small gifts for husband and sons. Very little baking. It was a quiet, simple Christmas. I must admit, I really enjoyed it!

New Year's eve was spent with friends, sharing new stories and old memories, playing Dominoes, and eating too much, of course! It was a wonderful way to greet the New Year!

No resolutions to speak off, though I will try to write more consistently than I did in 2016. I've decided making firm resolutions has had no positive results, just a nagging guilt when I realize how many I broke. This is going to be a year of taking one day at a time, doing the best I can at whatever I'm attempting at that moment, and cherishing every moment spent with family and friends. With that, I wish each of you a beautiful, blessed New Year!

© 05JAN2017 ajj

The Promise...

Hello 2014!  Not just a New Year, but a year of New Beginnings...

More living...
More writing...
More time with family and friends...
More strength...
More bravery...
More faith...
More love...

I decided not to do a traditional list of resolutions, mainly because I've never been successful with one.  I chose to focus on the things which mean the most to me, and work on each of them a little at a time.  No specific goals, other than to just enjoy the journey.  So I begin...

A cousin shared part of this scripture after hearing so many negative things regarding the weather changes and the fear it has created.

Genesis 8:21-22

New International Version (NIV)

21 The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.

22 “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest,
cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night 

will never cease.”

She was choosing not to focus on fearful circumstances, but to rely upon God's promise.

It's not always easy to look beyond the things affecting our day to day lives, and there's a tendency to allow them to define our thinking.  A big part of my journey is to change the way I view things, to focus on the promise, to see the good in life and in our world.  Today, I am thankful for the promise of tomorrow.

Wishing each of you a bright New Year, filled with promise!


© 08Jan2014 ajj

  

A Bright New Year Has Begun...

Anybody still out there?  I've been absent for quite a while.  Life has been so busy, plus I forgot my blog password and didn't want to bother with whatever steps you take to restore it.  I finally found my little cheat-sheet this evening, so I'm back!

The holidays were wonderful.  My boys were both on break from school, so they were here much of the time.  We had some of our favorite holiday foods, watched movies, they played video games, relaxed and just enjoyed our time together!  

My sweet husband, who rarely gets sick, has been home with the flu for 5 days now, and is still not well though he is improving.  Nasty stuff!  He never gets the flu shot.  Has had no need to til now.  I'm really glad I got mine.  Even being around him 24/7, I only got very mild symptoms!  

I started on a Biggest Loser type challenge with a group of friends.  We weighed in last Saturday and photos were taken.  I had no idea how fat I was.  Lol!  Yes, I have a mirror, but I've been avoiding mirrors and cameras like they were life threatening.  The photos and the scale do not lie.  I'm fat!  I don't know why I'm laughing about it, but I refuse to cry.  I've revamped my diet, adding a lot more fruit and veg. and fewer carbs.  I've started an exercise plan that works for me, and I'm actually not hurting as much as before.  I am feeling some long-lost muscles though, and they're telling me a tale of severe neglect!  Short term goal is to lose 30 lbs by March 30th, our final weigh-in.  That's a nice, respectable amount which should be easy to accomplish.

As I'm typing, I'm listening to my new Bonnie Raitt CD, Slipstream!  Love it!  I am filled with excitement about the coming year and all it holds in store!  It's going to be amazing!

Hello Friends...

Christmas has come and gone.  It's been a busy month.  Every time I thought about posting, something always seemed to take priority.  A lot of things went by the wayside, but my family had a joyful, quiet Christmas. 

Like many of you, I'm looking forward to the new year.  I have expectations of better things ahead.  I'm not alone when I say, this has been a difficult year for us in finances, health, and the unexpected.  It has also been a year of growth.  I've had to make the best of every situation, sometimes finding new ways of looking at life.  Some things were lost, some set aside, and some were restored.  My faith has been strengthened through it all.  Despite all the negative voices, I believe in a bright future!  Sometimes it's nice to just turn off the TV, the radio, the noise, and spend some hopeful time in quiet contemplation. 

I'm wishing you renewed faith, quiet moments, the love of family & friends, and a New Year filled with peace.

Happy New Year!

It's one hour into the new year at my house.  Two of our dear friends, Alan and DeAnn, just left for home.  We had such a fun evening.  It started with Chinese food at the Great Wall... a brand new one, just a short drive from my house.  Then we came back here for Dominoes, coffee, chocolate truffles, and lots of laughter. 

Life is made so much sweeter when you have good friends to share it with.  Friendship doesn't require a fancy home, riches, or a certain social status... it just requires sharing your time, a sense of humor, an open heart...

I am starting this new year with a renewed sense of hope and optimism.  I'm not making any particular resolutions.  I want to always look for the good in life, to appreciate each day I am given, to share my heart with those I love, and never forget how blessed I am. 

May you go into the New Year with anticipation, joy, and faith in the future.

Reflections on Life

The New Year is nearly upon me.  I am always surprised by how fast the old year went by.  My days seem to run together... where did they go? 

My mind travels in strange patterns this time of the year.  I find myself missing those who have journeyed on from this life to the next.  I allow myself to feel regret at what was, what wasn't, and what will never be.  A life not lived to the fullest, feels like a life not lived at all.  Night dreams have been haunting me with hopes just out of reach... roads not taken... and roads I wish I'd never taken.  There is a sorrow in saying goodbye to the past that leaves an ache in my throat and in my heart.  Fighting to hold back tears I sit with it for a time, that burning ache, and then I let it go. 

Memories will revisit me again, but for now I lay the past down.  I gaze toward the future, but it is unclear, hazy, hidden in clouds of uncertainty.  The best thing, the only thing, is to live this day.  This beautiful day full of hope and promise.  When I am in the moment, there is no room for doubt, regret, or fear.  There is just thankfulness for everything I see.  Family, friends, and a beautiful world which, on this morning, is covered in a blanket of freshly fallen snow. 

As I leave you to go make myself a cup of hot tea, I hope you are releasing the old... not fretting over tomorrow... but living this moment, with your whole heart.



Copyright 12/30/2009 ajj