A New Year -- 2015

With a new year comes people who talk about resolutions. When it comes to resolutions, I reflected on my circumstances and realized that I'm fairly happy with my life. 

The things I want to change would require wrapping my children in bubble wrap and ushering them through these tenuous teens and twenties. But I can't do that. I can't change anyone but myself.

The only things I want to do are more of the things I'm already doing. It makes me think of the Barbra Streisand song "Everything" from A Star is Born. Does anyone else remember that movie? It was the last movie I remember my sister seeing before she died. She loved it and bought the songbook, so I've had it since then, more than 35 years. 

Streisand sings about all the things she wants to accomplish -- "I don't want much, I just want more," is one of the lines. 

So I plan to increase my writing and my running. I hope to travel to Europe again as inspiration for my writing. 

Sure, there are things I could do to be a better person. I could eat more vegetables or volunteer more. I could vow to blog every day. I could grade papers the day I receive them, but I think I'll just continue on the path of enjoying life that I've begun. To be more aware of the joys all around me.

I know not everyone is as fortunate as me, and I need to be more cognizant of that, but I know so many people who have "everything" and they aren't enjoying life. They complain and find misery. I don't want to be that person. 

Last night, I went to a New Year's party at a friend's house. The beautiful home was filled with decorating touches I could never pull off, but more importantly, my old friends from our years of homeschooling were there too. Amidst margaritas and meatballs, I laughed until I cried, and after midnight struck, we danced and twerked. 

I hope everyone else has found some joy today as a  new year begins. 

Bonne Anneé! 

I Resolve

I'm not much for New Year's Resolutions. Are you?
I think the New Year is a good time to take stock, but I hate how people criticize themselves so much.
Of course, I want to eat  healthier, exercise more, be a better wife and mother, write more...
But instead of making and breaking resolutions, I've made two simple promises for this year.
The first is to not use plastic bags from stores. All I have to do is take my own cloth bags with me everywhere I go. If I don't have a cloth bag, I'll have to take my merchandise without a bag. I think I can do this one fairly well, as long as the insistent bag boys don't force me to take plastic bags for my meat.
My other goal is to spend about an hour outdoors most days, even in the winter. That shouldn't be too difficult if I get out and run in the mornings. I'm usually outside for an hour running. I like the idea of spending one of every 24 hours in nature, even if it's in the city and running along a street.
How bout you? Will you change anything in the coming year? What are the odds you'll stick to it?

Happy New Year

This morning I fulfilled my husband's new year's wish -- I stayed in bed and slept in until after 10.
See, I'm kind of a morning person. I'm rarely still in bed after 6 a.m. My husband works evenings, so he's rarely in bed before 2 a.m.
I think the mornings are for accomplishing things and he thinks the mornings are for sleeping.
I will have to admit that I woke up and thought of the things I could be getting done -- taking down Christmas decorations, baking cinnamon rolls, preparing for my classes this week, reading a good book, walking to Caribou for coffee. Then I rolled over and did none of those things.
Sometimes the thing to accomplish is to go back to sleep and start the year off cuddled in bed with the one you love.
How about you? Did you sleep in or did you accomplish something this morning?