Tag Archives: New Year

Are You Still Contemplating Where the New Year Is Going?

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Garden Gate in Spring
Spring Time in Our Garden

On January 1st, I wrote Contemplation on a New Year. Now it is January 27. We have been through a Capitol Riot, other political upheaval, an inauguration, and continued deaths, infections, and societal closures to avoid virus spread due to the pandemic.

And yet, I feel like I am still waiting for the New Year to start. I feel like I got cheated out of last year too. Since last March, one day is much like the next for me. Getting up in the morning, drinking coffee, hanging out with dogs and hubby, reading a little. Late morning is for blogging, baking, or cleaning. Cleaning is always last on my list.

Lunch splits the day up for us. While we eat, we stream the television show My Name Is Earl. Earl is trying to make the world a better place by righting past wrongs he has committed. And boy, did he excel in the “wrongs” department. Trying to make the world a better place is a worthy goal though, so we persist in watching.

A couple hours of our afternoons consist of walking or hiking with the dogs. This has sometimes been tricky to pull off with the January weather. Our winter has been mild so far. We rotate our walking locations depending on the weather and day of the week. If the weather is dicey, we walk on the campground entrance nearby. It is plowed and rarely salted which is better for dog feet. By then, we require tea! And of course I must follow this with a little reading .

Late afternoon is time for a little more work of some sort. I pick a job or two from the list I keep and knock those out. Then it is time for supper, and tv, and more reading!

What is missing from my existence is family and friends. And so it is for many across our country, and indeed, the world. Until now, I was not able to imagine how much I would miss everyone. And the new people I have encountered through dog rescue, Facebook, and other ways. Some of you, I would have invited over and gotten to know better. I miss our yet to be forged closer friendships.

Many are in the same boat as me. Truth be told, I am luckier than most. I have the option to stay home without losing a job and everything else that would follow. I have dogs and cats and a spouse to pass my days with. I have a warm home, food, and lots of books. (I have been so much happier since I have figured out the selection system and curbside pickup at the library! E-books just don’t do it for me.)

I can’t wait until I am eligible to receive the Coronavirus vaccine. As soon as they tell me, I will be there! I know very few people who have received it so far. My mother-in-law did get her first dose this week. My own mother is long gone, so I don’t have to worry about her. (What I Chose to Do the Day My Mother Died, my most read post of all time!)

Looking back, I guess if I feel like I am still waiting for the New Year to start, that is on me. I need to do some things that make me feel productive and like time is moving forward. What are you doing to make 2021 into a good year? I would love to hear in the comments below.

Contemplation on a New Year

Dogs & Other Animals, Thoughts On Life, , ,
Contemplation on the New Year
Contemplation

Today is the beginning of the New Year. I have never been one to make New Year’s resolutions. After all, it is just a day, the same as any other. Why wait until a new year begins to decide on changes you want to make to your life? It just puts off what you could be starting earlier.

If you need or want to make changes to your life, do it when you realize the opportunity. Say you decide in November that you want to lose weight, the most common New Year’s resolution. If you wait until January 1, you have already lost two months of change. Add these up over a lifetime. You have lost years of improvement.

New Year’s Day is an arbitrary date on the calendar. It shouldn’t hold sway over the way we live our lives. We are free to change the path of our lives at any time. Readjust our sails at will. It takes time to realize the benefit of change and the sooner you start, the sooner you will notice a difference.

On the other hand, if you find change hard and need an impetus like the new year to get you moving, charting a better path at any time is better than not at all. If you fancy a symbol like a new year to motivate you, the time is NOW. Make your lists and goals and get started! If you find this overwhelming, remember that a tiny change to the sail on a boat results in a huge change in direction after a bit of time. You are in charge of your life. Take control. Make it something you are proud of.

And if you miss the new year to start on your goals, or your plans go awry, do not despair. The date was arbitrary. You can begin at any time or start again as needed. Tiny changes add up. Spend some time in contemplation and make your goals good ones. The thoughts you put in your mind will guide and change your life.

Here is the post from last New Year’s. Welcome 2020, Happy New Year! Wow, life seemed much simpler then, before we had even an inkling of the pandemic to come. Never forget to enjoy where you are. And never fear, this pandemic will pass and life will be normal again. Although we will probably only see it as normal in retrospect!

Blessings, peace, and good health to you, my readers!

Welcome 2020, Happy New Year!

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A popular meme says “Here’s to all those people spending New Year’s Eve at home in their pajamas with their pets”. That would be us. And we’re happy about it.

This also leaves lots of time for introspection. Where will 2020 take me? The year of 2019 was one of great change. The most significant of which was that I retired from my job of 32+ years. That leaves me wide open with lots of options. Life has so much to offer, so many possibilities. I guess I won’t know until the door on 2020 closes.

I do know that the dogs are happy to have me at home. They still follow me from room to room most of the time. Even if it’s the bathroom, they seem to think that there is a secret exit or maybe that I will make a break for it out the window if they don’t stay close at all times. I haven’t done it yet but I imagine the dogs think that is because they always accompany me. I guess we’ll never know as I haven’t been to the bath by myself in about 35 years. But that’s ok, these faces bring me joy every day.

Every single day. I was smiling recently because Zekie figured out how to open two of our trash cans that have lids. This reminded me of my heart dog Duncan, and made me smile. Zekie also chewed something up recently and that reminded me of Duncan too. The dogs that are the most trouble, take the most work, these are the ones that I bond the deepest with. And so they bring me great joy. I plan to spend lots of time with my pups this year so it should be a joyful one.

I hope each of you has great joy in the coming year as well, as you find out where your journeys take you. Happy 2020! Make the most of the new decade and take advantage of each new opportunity.