Without resolutions!

Yesterday I made a goal to write daily *again*.  Today, I’ve achieved that.  Tomorrow, I intend to continue.  On Wednesday, it may be hard but I will get up at the crack of dawn to fit it into the “old schedule” and perhaps make it a “new schedule.”  

Grab a cup of your favorite beverage and sit for five, maybe ten and read.  Better yet, drop me a comment and let me know if I should keep writing this blog. 

Now, onto the subject at hand resolutions!  Do you make them or not?  I reached a point in my life a few years ago when I just stopped making resolutions at the end of the year.  Sometimes, I make them day to day. 

For example, I stopped worrying about resolving to lose weight and started just eating better foods because consuming junk food leaves me feeling crappy.  I would rather feel happy and not bloated.  So I choose to eat better because I really do not like coming down from a “sugar high” or fall asleep mid-afternoon.  I have too much to enjoy… books to be read, kids to play board games with, recipes to try, and ohhh a blog to write daily!

To further stress this point, I had thrown out the scale five years ago, stopped weighing myself and in turn somehow lost 25 pounds.  Unfortunately, several family crises later, I gained it all back.  I’m still who I was before I lost the weight, after I lost it, and when I regained it.  Perhaps I was meant to weigh what I do.

Then there are the moments we resolve to be more organized, when I have had enough and clean up small areas of our home.  We all have them.  The walk-in-closet no one sees.  Or the spare room, that has become the store everything you can’t live without but really don’t use anymore.  And finally, worst of all either an attic or basement where we put the holiday decorations, seasonal cloths and camping/sports equipment.

A year ago I cleaned out my half of the walk-in-closet and stopped wondering *if* I could fit back into several outfits I wore when I was first marriage.  For those who don’t know I’ve been marriage more than twenty years and have three sons.  The oldest is old enough to *gasp* drive now.  I rearranged what cloths I kept by color.  Being a creative person I guess is what made me organize my clothes like a rainbow.  It has been a huge relief, when in a pinch, to go into my closet and be able to just grab an outfit in less than a minute compared to several. 

This week, I cleaned out two linen closets.  I found we have eight sets of twin sheets and only one kid is sleeping in a twin bed presently.  However, come summer when it’s time to go to Boy Scout Summer Camp I will know where all the twin size mattress pads and sheets sets are.  But the rest of us sleep on a full, queen or king size bed.  There were only three extra sets of sheets for king and one for the queen.  I’m missing an extra set for the full.  I filled a garbage bag full of old linens that were not even fit for our dogs to use for bedding.  I found stash of pillow cases I didn’t know we had too.  Best of all I filled a medium size shopping bag with plan cotton sheet sets we don’t use and plan to donate them.

Do you make resolutions? Goals? Promises?  Or do you just live day to day?

without the annual year review!

What will you be remembered for in 2012?   

After watching an early Sunday morning show I began to wonder what I would be remembered for.

I think I might be remembered as some but probably not all of theses . . . daughter, granddaughter, niece, sister, paper delivery gal, Burger King employee, high school graduate, horse farm help, dental assistant, college graduate, machine shop drafter, aerospace quality assurance clerk, wife, daughter-n-law, sister-n-law, furniture store office clerk and manager, wedding stationary layout artist, aunt, mother, avid reader, writer, newsletter editor, event & calendar project designer/coordinator, special event coordinator, writing organization conference publicist, membership chair, and conference registrar; active scouting volunteer, small business owner, librarian, accounting clerk and most recently part time office admin.  

In 2013, I hope to be remembered for making a least one positive change within my own family circle, my small business, my community, my state or dare I dream . . . my nation.   

What will you be remembered for in 2013?

Okay in 2013, realistically I want to be remembered for making my goal to blog daily; even if it is only a single line.  Perhaps, I'll finally finish a manuscript and submit it to either a publisher or an agent.  

Without another month closer to Summer!

I don't know about you but I'm not ready for Summer yet. Winter barely made a showing here on the East coast. And Spring is here. I have crocuses up in my yard. Daffodils have broke through and are standing tall with bright sunny blossoms too!

Still on my outdoor chore to-do list is call and schedule tractor service.  Because, well, the backyard could use a once over in spots.  It would be nice to pick up the leaves the trees shed in the fall.  They didn't decompose because they weren't covered with snow for any length of time.

I have to look into getting more 4' fencing to put up so I don't have to run down pups who chase the neighborhood cats.  I know they think they must try to catch them but once the pups tree the cat(s) they look for something new to chase, investigate or worse--eat!

Then I have to cut back the hedges I didn't get to last fall.  I know at least one though I'm ripping out!  No more wild over grown bushes in my yard.  No sir-ree Bob.  Additionally, now that I know the township will take "pricker" bushes--they will be gone too.  My goal is by May to have it under control *again*.

All that work outside... should help me be prepared for Summer!  Are you ready?

Without a post topic!

Oh dear whatever will I write about tonight...?

Well, let's see I could write about attending my eighth Cub Scout Blue and Gold Banquet.  Or that I now have three in a Boy Scout Troop.  Or the wonderful friends I've made with so many scout families over the years. 

"Eek, a Hairy Jumping Spider!!!

Or I could write about the fact that I've seen two hairy black spiders already and it is not even March yet!  One of my son's said his favorite season was Winter because of the lack of critters.  I've not been a fan of spiders for as long as I can remember.  I know they are good for gardens and eat bugs that can do damage to many plants... it's just well, they are just creepy!

Red and Maeve relaxing last summer.

Or I could write about how my goldens are such amazing pups!  Maeve has stopped looking for me to get the balls out from under the microwave cart.  Now she moves the cart out of her own way!  And Red has too learned to move objects out of her way too.  She has learned she can use her snout to move gates away from the walls and go anywhere she wants.  I thought it was because she wanted to get to me, but apparently I am not what she wants to see.  Because sitting here with her inside the gates she tried harder to move the gate *LOL*! My girls are getting so smart!

Well back to the Sunday night chore... laundry!

Without disorganization!

What would I do all day long if I didn't have to find or clean up stuff...!?!   I'd be a rich woman if I had a quarter (inflation!) every time I heard:

Kid:  "Mom, I can't find my sneakers (or coat, hat, shorts, pants, boots)."

Mom:  "Well, the last time I wore your sneakers I was ..."

Kid:  "Mom, have you seen my pencil--it's on the small side."

Mom:  "Are you talking about this tiny thing?!"

Kid:  "Mom, I can't find my Math book."

Mom:  "Well, the last time I saw it I had just put it on your dresser for safe keeping."

Kid:  "Mom, I don't think I should have to pick up the legos I didn't get them out." 

Mom:  "Well, you have a point. I guess I have to pick them up since I was the last person playing with them." 

*Jingle, Jingle* The sound all those quarters are making in my pocket!

 

 

Without Spring!

Well, after checking the local forecast I am making an assumption that I will need to get our lawn mower service very soon. With Spring flowers blossoming already in mid-February, I'm sure our lawn will be awakening and in need of mowing before the end of March.

I've learned one cliché, "the early bird gets the worm," or call the tractor service center ASAP because everyone else will be too.  And if I don't, it will be May before I can start mowing.  We learned this the hard way a few years ago.  I called to set up a preseason service appointment and there was a six (6) week wait.  Worse was the fact we had a dead battery, and when we tried to charge it we blew a device that had to be replaced.  Thankfully, we had a neighbor who loaned us their tractor and we were able to stay on top of our lawn.

So, to my To-do list I will be adding "call tractor service center."  Mind you there are only a few million other items that proceed this task.

Are you ready for Spring?

Without Red!

Ok, I was all set to write a post last night and our pup Red had another plan for me. I quickly set up my webcam to snap a few pictures of her, as you can see she really isn't a puppy anymore. Red is a two-year-old "Red" Golden Retriever. Weighing in at 85 lbs doesn't stop her from living her dream as a lap dog.

When Red is bored with her sister Maeve, she comes to me and puts one foot on my leg. I moved back from the laptop to give her my full attention. She took this as her cue to get comfortable and crawled across my entire lap. Sometimes she even feels like typing herself and paws at the keyboard. As you can see Red has an intense look on her face, almost contemplating as to what she could write about.

"Hmmm, let's see I could write about those darn cats in the neighborhood who seem to escape before I can catch them. No, no, I don't want to waste my time on them. Perhaps I could write about all the socks Amy doesn't know I've stashed away for safe keeping. Ha! She thinks the washer ate them. Only I know the truth--well, now you do too.

Perhaps the number of stuffed animals I can hold in my mouth at one time would be more interesting. You would be surprised at how flexible my jaw line is. I believe my record is four! Now, my sister Maeve can only hold a tennis ball with a softball in her mouth. Funny our humans think she has impressive talents doing that! Humph! I say four stuff animals, trumps two balls any day! Don't you agree?"