A NEW YEAR...

 ISN'T IT ODD THAT ALTHOUGH

WE CAN MAKE CHANGES TO OUR LIVES ON A DAILY BASIS,

THERE IS SOMETHING TO BE SAID 

ABOUT JAN. 1ST AND NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS.

THIS YEAR I AM FULL OF THINGS I WANT TO DO THIS YEAR.

MAKING A LIST IS SOMETHING I LIKE DOING

AND A NEW YEAR BEGINNING HAS ME INSPIRED.

I AM ALWAYS STRIVING TO BE THE BEST PERSON I CAN BE

AND I FALTER, OFTEN.

LIKE I GIVE UP JUNK FOOD ALMOST EVERY MONDAY 

BUT BY NOON I AM TACKLING THE KLONDIKE BARS 

THAT I HAVE PUT IN THE FREEZER "FOR THE KIDS".

YESTERDAY AS JES, DEL, JEMMA, JILLY AND I 

PLAYED "CONVERSATION CARDS"

ONE OF THE QUESTIONS WAS 

"WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU WOULD WANT TO SAY TO YOUR YOUNGER SELF"

WE ALL AGREED THAT TAKE BETTER CARE OF YOURSELF

WAS ONE OF THE TOP ANSWERS.

NONE OF US KNOW HOW LONG WE WILL BE HERE

AND IF WE WILL BE HERE A LONG TIME, TAKING CARE OF

WHAT WE HAVE SHOULD BE TOP PRIORITY.

WHICH BRINGS ME BACK TO MY RESOLUTIONS:

WALK MORE....

I NEED TO WALK DAILY, JILLY AND I HAD A GOOD WALK

YESTERDAY AND ALTHOUGH MY BACK WAS SCREAMING,

IT FELT GOOD TO USE THOSE MUSCLES THAT I DON'T

USE ENOUGH.

EAT HEALTHIER...

I AM ONE WHO LOVES SNACKS AND FOOD.

I WANT TO MAKE MY CHOICES HEALTHIER.

AS WE TOLD JILLY AND JEMMA YESTERDAY,

IT IS NOT ABOUT LOOSING WEIGHT, IT'S ABOUT 

BEING HEALTHY FOR THE YEARS COMING UP.

WRITE MORE...

JOURNALING AND BLOGGING IS SOMETHING I ENJOY

AND I WANT TO DO MORE OF IT THIS YEAR.

NURTURE FRIENDSHIPS AND FAMILY...

MORE VISITS, MORE DEEP CONVERSATIONS,

BE PRESENT.

LESS TIME ON PHONE AND OTHER DEVISES...

IT HAPPENS WITHOUT YOUR KNOWLEDGE

AND BEFORE YOU KNOW IT YOU START YOUR DAY

SCROLLING ON YOUR PHONE, 

END YOUR DAY SCROLLING ON YOUR PHONE,

AND NUMEROUS TIMES DURING THE DAY.

I WORRY ABOUT THE YOUNGER GENERATION AND THEIR

NEED FOR THESE DEVICES AND YET THERE I AM,

STARTING AND ENDING MY DAYS THE SAME WAY.

IF IT CAN BECOME ADDICTING FOR ME, THEN I KNOW 

MANY OF US ARE THE SAME.

SO THIS YEAR, WHEN I AWAKEN I GET OUT OF BED,

FIX MY COFFEE AND READ, JOURNAL, BLOG,

READ...

I LOVE READING AND YET FIND MYSELF ON THE INTERNET

IN THE EVENING INSTEAD OF PULLING A BOOK

AND READING THE WAY READING WAS MEANT TO BE.

I WANT TO READ MOST EVERY EVENING.

ART...

I MEAN TO DO MORE ART, CONTINUE WITH THE HOME PORTRAITS

BUT ALSO TRY NEW THINGS, EXPERIENCE DIFFERENT TYPSE OF ART.

SHARE THESE WITH THE GRANDGIRLS AND OTHERS.

THERE ARE MORE BUT FOR NOW, I WILL START WITH THIS.

INSPIRE YOURSELF MY FRIENDS,

CARE FOR YOUR BODY AND YOUR MIND.

IF WE HAVE TO LIVE IN THIS WORLD, LET TRY AND

BE THE BEST US WE CAN BE.