A Time For Everything

 Image Courtesy of IMGBIN.

NOTE: The words in the image above really don't matter.

It's finally time for me to share my goals for the new year. Most of these goals have been on-going for years, some are newly added.

For example, I'll write monthly postcards to my grandma until she dies. That could be this year. Or it could be a few more years down the road. She seems to be a tough old bird for the fact that she's 97 years old. But this year's goal is to be on time with it.

At this point, reading probably doesn't need to be on the list anymore. I read daily. I don't think that's going to change anytime soon. But having it on the list means I can get an easy A on my quarterly report cards, lol. But more importantly I can challenge myself, as I plan to do this year, to read things other than romantic fiction.

Most things are listed for accountability sake--a place to note the intention for reference purposes. They're gonna get done by hook or by crook anyway. My writers group duties for example. Writing these blog posts is another example. Sometimes the hope / point is to up my game...

Some things keep getting listed in hopes that I'll finally find the right system to make it easy to continue year after year...housekeeping, eating right, and exercise come to mind. :0)

So what's on the list for 2023?

The list grew from the ten I usually post to fifteen. Oh my. Whether I officially commit to them all remains to be seen. Let's take a look:

1) Monthly postcards to Grandma: I'm planning this for the second Friday of the month. I've scheduled them , so no more vague thoughts of "it's been a while since I last wrote to Grandma."

2) Finish and publish Finders Keepers: I know I've been saying this for months now, and I do want to finish and publish it... I just don't know anymore if I want to commit to doing it in 2023. Other things have snuck up the order of importance. But I didn't want to remove it completely. I guess I'll see how the first quarter plays out and go from there. So this one is on hold for now.

3) Exercise minimum three times per week: this is super important. Last year was a rough year eating- and exercise-wise, and I'm not pleased with the changes to my body. I need to get back on some sort of regular regimen. A plan of attack is in the works and will be in place by the end of the month.

4) Read 52 books: As I've mentioned, I read a lot. That's never gonna change. This year, however, I'm going to add some non-fiction to the plan. I'm going to branch out a little this year and toss at least six non-fiction books into the mix. Every six weeks or so, I should mention a non-fiction book on the blog here. I've got three books teed up already. Not read, mind, but bought and ready. I'll be logging those 52 books in Goodreads because that makes it easier to track and harder to fail.

5) Keep up with writers group duties weekly: I really, really need to stay on top of this. I also really need to know what needs to be done. I've dug out the very old PPM as well as a breakout of duties by month, and I'm going to figure out what I need to do and when, from the weekly and monthly to the annual, and I'm going to add those tasks to my planner.

6) Add one new non-hockey pattern to Etsy per quarter: I've determined that trying to create jersey patterns in advance is a waste of time, since the bulk of the patterns I've already made have never been bought.

BUT! I want to have more stuff. I have a few things I've been tinkering with over the years, and I'm going to commit to getting at least four new patterns listed.

I have officially added a listing for Swedish Dala Horses. One down, three to go.

7) Self-Care: This includes things like coloring my hair regularly and taking better, more consistent care of my feet, but it also includes things like doing puzzles, crafting with DD, watching movies, and playing video games again.

I realized that I haven't done much of any of those in quite some time, and I really miss them. I've had a hankering for losing myself in a video game. Now, this one goal might blow a lot of the others out of the water, but I really need to get back to doing things I enjoy just for the sake of enjoying life.

8) Complete a home-improvement project or two: Just something, you know? Like officially finishing the guest bedroom. Or cleaning out one or both of the sheds. Aside from the guest room, I don't have anything specific in mind, so we'll have to see what crops up.

9) Writers Education: I did pay for three years of InkersCon and have a year's worth of blog posts by a particular person to read through, so even if I'm not writing, I can be learning something new or remembering things I've already learned.

10) Cook / eat healthier: Along with my exercise plan, eating better just makes sense, or what's the point, right? I need to incorporate more veggies and low sugar fruits, and just generally approach this with a more balanced regimen in mind. But that might mean cooking... Hmm...

11) Come up with and stick to a housekeeping plan: Same song, different dance. After pondering the pros and cons of one room per month, I feel like one room every two weeks, including windows, is a decent balance. It's certainly better than what I've been doing. I've not yet come up with a workable plan, but will have something in place by the end of the month.

12) Continue to blog: I don't want to quit completely as I'm not sure what path the writing will take. I do feel as though I spend a lot of time coming up with topics and then writing up the posts. But I suppose if I'm not writing fiction, writing blog posts will at least keep the writing muscles from atrophying.

I can't decide if I should do one or two per week as I've been doing, but for a while it seemed like I had more random tidbits to share than a single weekly post's worth. I guess I'll shoot for two and see how it goes. If I have to cut back to one, that's okay.

13) Write articles for my writers group newsletter: I already told the newsletter editor I'd do this, so I guess I'm committed. :0) Maybe every two months or one per quarter. This too will keep the writing muscles warm while I wait out the fiction-writing feels. As a matter of fact, I have one ready to send to her. Just needs a last once over.

14) Finally study Personality Strengths in depth: I have a book to read. A physical one, so that should be a good jumping off point for me. I also have the follow-up book to read. I guess this goal crosses over with #4 / reading non-fiction.

15) Get through the Bible in a year again: I did this last year, although I didn't put it on my official list. I bought a Kindle copy of the NIV One-Year Bible and made it through. I had two, maybe three times when I got behind, but caught back up by reading double entries for a few days in a row.

I was going to invest in an audio version for this year, but DD told me that the Holy Bible app for your phone will read it to you!! And ... the app allows you to choose your preferred translation. I just so happen to prefer the New American Standard, so I was really excited to learn this.  And it works like a peach.

So there you have it ~ my expanded list of personal goals for 2023.

With lots of detail so I know what I have to do to get good grades.

Take care and Happy New Year one last time.

Pip Pip Cheerio! Today is National Hot Tea Day.

If you don't know about my love for hot tea by now, you don't know me at all...

I drink it winter and summer, fall and spring; morning, afternoon, and evening as the mood strikes.

My absolute favorite tea, has been for years, is Perfectly Mint by Bigelow. If anyone wanted to buy me a box or multiple boxes of that, I'm happy to receive it.

I do, in fact, have a six-box subscription from Amazon set up because a) I drink that much of it and b) sometimes my local grocery store has trouble keeping it in stock.

Yes, Perfectly Mint tea is my one addiction.

DH and DD do both, on occasion, drink it as well. DH drinks it more regularly, often having it instead of coffee; but DD only drinks it when she's not feeling well and laden with sugar. I gave up sugar in most teas ages ago, during my major weight loss effort. These days, I'll only sugar my tea if I have a sweet tooth but nothing else to indulge it with. (I need to get back to that situation.)(Soon.)

If you're an enjoyer of hot tea, then every day's a day to enjoy a cup.

But if you only indulge every once in a while, well, today--National Hot Tea Day--is the day to put the kettle on and settle in for a cuppa of your favorite blend. Do share your favorite variety of tea in the comments.

Be well. See you Monday.

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P.S. I think I subconsciously picked today's particular image because of the green tea bag tag. I didn't notice it at first. Not until I came back and began drafting this post. My Perfectly Mint tea bag tags are -- you guessed it -- that shade of green. :0)

Well, here we are, properly into the new year. Christmas decorations put away. Fully back at work. Ready to face to new challenges. Get started on new projects...

But first, some quick thoughts about preparing for Christmas--a short mission de-brief, if you will...

Now, this may come as a surprise to exactly no one, but I keep track of Christmas gifts using a spreadsheet. After forgetting that I'd bought a couple of gifts during the year, I decided I should probably create next year's spreadsheet sooner rather than later so that I can log any gifts bought throughout the year.

Then I thought, after a decade of spreadsheets, that I needed a template. So I set that up.

You know what I added to it?? A budget line item for having lights installed along the roof of my house. I don't want anything fancy, but I can't do the lights myself anymore and I do miss having them. I'm gonna call for a quote come the end of September.

I did find the gifts in time, by the way, and both recipients were pleased with them. :0)

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In other news, National Pizza Week started yesterday, January 8th. Sooo...make sure you have some pizza this week. Last year, we covered National Pizza Day in February, but apparently there's a whole week and it's happening now.

According to the site...while pizza's been around since the Greeks and early Egyptians, pizza as we Americans know it didn't really come to fruition until post WWII when soldiers returning from Italy brought the recipe home with them.

It was tweaked from its original version of flat breads topped with olive oil and spices, to the saucy, cheesy variety topped with meats and veggies Americans love today.

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Teeth Update

I've been mostly happy with the bottom set of teeth I now have. The serve their primary function of allowing me to talk and smile without feeling self-conscious.

They do have their drawbacks, however, such as being a trap for food while I'm eating. After being such a stickler for keeping my teeth clean for so long, this is a bit annoying. As a result, I tend to take it out when I'm at home.

Also, the "claw" on the right side that holds the device in place tends to pop off when I'm chewing (putting pressure) on the claw on the left side. I don't have molars on the upper right side, so I haven't been able to chew on that side for close to a decade, although...

A couple of weeks after my last post about my teeth, I got the top set of teeth--the aforementioned back molars. Unfortunately, I can't wear them until I revisit the dentist. The faux-gum on the outward-facing side is a few millimeters too high, so when I chew, that hard substance jams into the top of my jaw space where the bone meets the cheek. Not fun.

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Jack Ryan, Season 3

DD and I plowed through Season Three of Jack Ryan and WOW. This season had me on the edge of my seat pretty much through all eight episodes. The writers did a super job. We enjoyed season one and I wasn't overly impressed with season two, but they came back and knocked season three out of the park.

I'm looking forward to season four, and I'm half-tempted to seek out some of the original novels in the mean time.

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You might be expecting my 2023 fresh start goals... I've usually shared them by now, but I'm still pondering and/or planning some of them. They are coming. >pinky promise<

I read last week that 80% of folks who make resolutions give up by mid-February. I think I've proven over the years that I'm in the 20% even though there are some goals that I may not complete to the fullest extent of expectation. But I didn't give up.

One of the reasons cited right at the beginning of the article as to why people fail is because people don't implement the right habits to achieve said goals.

Funny enough, I read Atomic Habits by James Clear at the tail end of 2022 and have been working on a post about what Clear has to say about developing habits. Look for that in the next month or so.

I hope your new year has gotten off on the right foot. Take care and we'll talk on Thursday.

Y'all should know my love for Buc-cee's by now. If you've never been there, you don't know. If you have, you may not harbor the same feels, but you understand. I hope you do, anyway.

I spent New Years Eve, as I have for more than a decade, selling fireworks. Well, less selling for me these days and more catching up with friends and playing cashier.

If you don't know, Buc-cee's is a mecca of gas pumps, delicious food, clean bathrooms, tourist tchotchkes of all kinds of varieties including Buc-cee's own merch...

I collect magnets, even from Buc-cee's...

For a bit more info, here's a post regarding one of my first trips to Buc-cee's. Now it's a destination unto itself. DD and I are hoping for a Buc-cee's centric road trip during her spring break.

If the stores themselves weren't enough, the billboards are amazing as well.

Anywho, on the drive to the store and home again on New Years Eve, I saw at least a dozen Buc-cee's billboards -- each way! I got a good chuckle both directions. Some were tried and true slogans that I've seen often, but there were a couple of new ones. Specifically: "Brisket. Beavers. Bathrooms. XXX Miles."

I couldn't get pictures since I was driving and alone. I Google-searched, however, and found a few images. Hopefully they'll garner at least a smile if not a giggle. Have a great weekend. Catch you Monday.

Happy New Year, my dear followers. Hope your weekend was what you needed and wanted it to be. Mine was.

I'm not heading right into my specific goals for 2023 just yet. First, I'm gonna talk about some general tenets I'm going to adopt.

So...

Over the course of 2021-2022, I read the book "Remembering Wholeness" by Carol Tuttle. My Amazon order history shows I ordered it at the very end of 2020 (!!), and I probably started reading it right away because I do remember practicing some of Ms. Tuttle's recommendations.

But somewhere along the way, I put the book aside. Then 2022 happened and there was no time or brain power until the last few months of the year. But I kept seeing it on my shelf and kept thinking I needed to finish it. Eventually I pulled it off the shelf and started reading again.

Let me preface the rest of this post with some backstory. A dear friend of mine has had various struggles most of the years I've known her, which is better than a decade now. She's a beautiful woman inside and out, and these struggles were through no fault of her own. At some point, however, she realized she needed to take control of her destiny and that of her family.

So back in 2018/2019/2020, utilizing some of Carol Tuttle's recommended practices, mostly regarding various types of prayer, my friend was able to turn things around. Since she read the book, she's realized all her original intentions and has, of course, moved on to bigger and better goals and new intentions.

I was impressed and envious and asked her how she made things happen. She pointed me to the book and so I bought it.

Now a caveat--Carol Tuttle is woman of strong faith, so most of her recommendations are faith- and prayer-based. If prayer is not your thing, then this may not be a book for you. It's also a tiny bit of an infomercial kind of thing. She has (had? it's an old book) some sort counseling practice going on that she mentions. And the technique she practiced sounded a little "out there." But who am I to judge? I, too, march to the beat of my own drummer.

Some of her stuff was a little too odd for me, but, on the other hand, some of it resonated strongly.

In writers circles, there's a saying, especially in regards to advice or editorial suggestions: "Take what works for you, and ignore the rest."

Although I made a lot of notes along the way, I applied that advice to this book. When I asked my friend about it, she felt the same. Use what works, and don't worry about the rest.

I should probably go back through my notes and see how many of those things still resonate.

There were a couple chapters there at the end that really got me, and one of those is where the title of today's post comes from.  "The Universe is Abundant." Ms. Tuttle's belief is just that. There's enough of everything for everyone. Even enough money.

One of the recurring threads of the book is that the universe only gives one back what one puts into it. So, theoretically, if someone complains about about a bad situation, they're going to keep experiencing that bad situation because they keep putting it out there in a negative way. Conversely, if someone puts good, positive thoughts into the universe, then they would get good, positive things back.

Nothing's free, of course. You do have to do some work. My friend went back to school and got a new job in her quest for a better life and a better income. But the universe aligned the cogs to help her make those things happen. She's even a homeowner again.

So all that to say, I'm putting putting positive things into the ether this year. I'm going to be grateful for:

An abundance of  TIME.

An abundance of  LOVE.

An abundance of  MONEY.

An abundance of  FAMILY.

An abundance of  ENERGY.

An abundance of  SUCCESS.

An abundance of  HEALING.

Here's to an ABUNDANT 2023.

Take care and I'll talk you soon.