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| Aloe Flower Stalk |
Some of the aloe flower stalks are starting to separate into individual buds.
Well, the first week in the New Year was filled with holiday activities, religious events, and socializing! Having my daughter home made the first week of the year especially joyful.
Now, the second week of the new year has begun, my daughter has returned to her own apartment, and it is time to put away the holiday decorations, return the house to its regular state of messiness some semblance of order, and resume normal life! My aim is to do so while still retaining that joy I felt during the holidays, without experiencing any post holiday let down.
This post is a bit of a catch all post.
New Year's Resolutions/Goals/Aspirations:
I didn't make any new resolutions/goals/aspirations this year; instead, I am going to continue with the 2023 aspirations which are:
Better Health: I aspire to attain better health by doing the various things I know I need to do to attain a healthier weight, maintain my blood sugar levels, and increase my stamina and strength.
Better Time Management: I aspire to manage my time better, by being mindful of how I spend my time, prioritizing what needs to be done, and procrastinating less.
Being More Organized: I aspire to being more organized in my daily life, with established routines and a tidy house.
Living a Well Balanced Life: I aspire to live a balanced life, by paying attention to all the different areas of my life.
I will continue to implement my New Year's aspirations by incorporating them into my Monthly Balanced Life Goals.
Word of the Year
My 2023 Word of the Year was Journey. Life was a journey that I wanted to enjoy to the fullest, traveling in the company of hope and joy and it was to be a journey of discovery and personal growth. I think I did okay with my journey, although there were a few bumps along the way and I stumbled from time to time.
My 2024 Word of the Year is Promptly. I chose this word because I tend to procrastinate too much and that, in turn, impacts many other aspects of my life! It ties into my aspirations of better time management (do things promptly), better health (go on those walks, promptly), being more organized (put stuff away promptly, without letting piles build up), and living a well balanced life (attending to things in a prompt manner will, hopefully, enable me to be more productive and lead to a feeling of being less overwhelmed and more in control of my life)
Towards that end (being more productive and organized), my daughter gifted me a planner as a New Year's gift. I used to have a daily planner when I was working (we were all issued our choice of daily or weekly planner by the office), but, stopped having one after I retired. I kept To Do lists, but, I thought having a planner might work better, so my daughter gifted me a weekly planner, similar to what she uses. I am hoping that it will help me be more productive!
I had planned to do three things today - Laundry, including all the holiday table linen, etc., pay the gas bill, and take out the trash cans to be collected tomorrow. I did two loads of laundry and hand washed the embroidered table cloth used to cover the small table which held the tray of food offerings, and the crocheted table cover and doilies. I still need to wash the crocheted Christmas blanket and the Santa cushion covers - that's for tomorrow. I paid the gas bill, promptly ($158.44; the next bill is projected to be $237), and I took the trash cans out.
In addition, I did a few other things that I hadn't listed in the planner, but, which I do on a more or less regular basis - gave Dancer his medications, took my own medications, did the dishes, scrubbed the kitchen sink, cleaned up the mess Dancer made (he showed his displeasure about daughter being gone by making a deposit two inches in front of the litter box!), walked for 10 minutes, checked on the garden (we have a freeze warning in some areas for tonight), checked the mail (need to file), watered the houseplants, caught up on a few blogs, and video chatted with my daughter (who had 358 emails waiting for her after being off for 3 weeks!) I also watched the news and some TV programs.
Weekly Meal Planning:
This week's meal plan is eating up the leftovers! The fridge is full of leftovers from the almsgiving and lots of treats!
Brunch was the last of the sauteed garbanzo beans. Dinner was a baked potato, a scrambled egg, and some leftover bacon. Snacks/desserts included a konde kavum, crackers, yogurt and treacle, and fruit.
I am also going to join a couple of bloggers who are doing a "use it up" sort of pantry challenge this month. I have already done a major grocery pick up this month, on the 2nd, just before the almsgiving, so this is not an "I'll not buy any groceries this month" sort of challenge. But, I've a lot of food in the freezer and the pantry that need to be used up (some items have already passed their "best by" dates). So, I'll be avoiding grocery shopping until I've made a dent in what I have on hand. I will, however, pick up things like bread, as needed.
Today, I am grateful for:
- A sunny day and day time highs in the mid 60s.
- Working appliances
- Being able to pay bills online
- Electricity
- What I was able to accomplish today
Today's joyful activity was sitting in the sunshine outside, after my walk.
Plans for tomorrow include:
- The last load of holiday laundry
- Put away the holiday linens
- Put away the rest of the laundry
- Take down the winter village
- Bring in the trash cans
How was your Monday? What are your plans for Tuesday?
I just found a bag of holiday linens which didn't get put away in the loft with all the other Xmas stuff! I've also found a rather lovely notebook which my late cousin gave me a few years ago. I'm going to use it as a journal/commonplace book, and keep it in my bedside drawer (nightstand). Your goals for 2024 meet the SMART rule, specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time bound. I wish you every success! 👍❤️
ReplyDeleteThank you, Angela; yes, SMART goals are the way to go - I have more specifics (how much weight I need to lose - 5 lbs. by the end of January; how often I will walk and for how long, etc., so things will be easy to measure and evaluate).
DeleteI always find bits of holiday decor after everything else has been put away!
I think using the notebook your late cousin gave you as a journal/commonplace book is a great idea! :)
I think you & your OLW of 2024 are going to become very good friends. What a great idea to use a daily planner to assist with meeting some of your goals for 2024. OH dear about Dancer, that is quite naughty of him. Hopefully it isn't a problem brewing but just he's missing your daughter (although still not a good reason). While I'm not part of any group doing it, I'm also "shopping" from my own resources of food in chest freezer so that I can defrost & clean it out. Now that the weather has turned cold, I can pull things out in the garage at night to keep frozen while I defrost the freezer. On the To Do list for January.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mary-Lou; I am hoping that Promptly will help me manage my time better. :)
DeleteSounds like January is a popular month to eat from the freezer and pantry. My freezer (I have a side by side fridge/freezer) is frost free and I don't miss having to defrost the freezer!
I will be taking Dancer for another vet appointment later in the month and I'll mention it to the vet. But, he has deposited outside the litter box from time to time, rather randomly!
Good morning Bless. I like your blog. “Promptly” is a solid motivational word. I could use some more promptness in my life. I also want to use up food and supplies in the house. There are still items lingering which were bought during the supply chain shortages when we didn’t know if products would appear again if we didn’t stock up. Lingering, I believe, is inconsistent with promptness, so time to get things used up in 2024.
ReplyDeleteI loved reading about your daughter’s visit. My younger daughter worked Christmas, but drove home for 2 days afterwards. It was balm to my soul. Tomorrow she is flying to California for a job interview. She has interviewed on both coasts and all I can do as a mother is pray that she accepts the best position for her and her personal and professional future. But California is really far (just saying 😳).
Happy New Year and thank you for sharing your thoughts and adventures.
p.s. We are watching daughter’s cat who is about 24 or 25 years old and last night my husband described a deposit as being “litter box adjacent.” 😂
Hi Taconix! Thank you for visiting my blog and saying you like it. :) Some of my stock that I want to use up were also bought during that time of supply chain issues. I don't regret buying in the quantities that I did (six cans of cut carrots aren't a lot, are they?), and I was able to help out a few friends as a result, but, six cans of cut carrots seem to be six cans more than I wanted to use! So, those are still lingering!
DeleteHaving our daughters home for the holidays is special, isn't it? I hope your younger daughter gets to select which job she wants and it works out well for her. I don't know where you are, but, perhaps you can visit her once she's settled, if she chooses to accept the job in California.
Happy New Year to you, too, and your family. Your daughter's cat is long-lived! Dancer is 15 and starting to feel his age. "Litter box adjacent" is a great term! :D
Looking forward to hearing from you, again. :)
I like the photo of the aloe flower against the blue sky - reminds me that it won't always be white outside here! I hope your planner will help you to fulfil your "promptly" intention. Like you, I don't put regular daily chores, bed making, taking morning pills and so on, onto a to do list.
ReplyDeleteThis morning I want to wash my hair, and then tackle removing the Christmas angels from the window and windowsill in the dining room.
Thank you, Bushlady; the sky was a clear blue, yesterday, after the winds drove all the clouds away.
DeleteSo far, the planner has failed me a couple of times and things had to get carried forward! It seems that my planned activities don't account for my energy levels! Daughter says I try to do too much in one day - all those "other" daily activities that don't get listed! It's something to note and work on.
Promptly is a good word to think about in the new year. When I'm procrastinating, I find a timer helps me to get going. I tell myself you only have to do 15 minutes (or whatever time I decide on), and then I can break, move to another task, or keep going for another timed session. That helps me not be overwhelmed by what needs to be done. From what you share on your blog, I think you seemed very organized and purposeful with what you do.
ReplyDeleteThank you, June. I find myself thinking about things I need to do, instead of just doing them! It's another way to procrastinate! 15 minutes at a time is what I tell myself, too, or just do one task and focus on that (I tend to get easily distracted!) :)
DeleteHi Bless, I can relate to the procrastinating. I wonder if women get messier as they get older? I am having trouble leaving comments on Blogger on my new device. It’s me, TheAwakenedSoul.
ReplyDeleteHi Stephenie, sorry you are having trouble leaving comments on Blogger. I don't know if we get messier as we get older; I've always been a bit messy, but I think I procrastinate because I want everything done perfectly. Just taking down the greeting cards I had taped to the inside of the front door wasn't enough; I had to wash the door, too. Just putting the washed linen in the cupboard is not enough - I need to sort everything that's in the cupboard, too. As a result, I take longer to do things and if I don't have enough time and energy to do it, I want to wait until I have the time and energy to do so. And while I wait, the piles stack up!
DeleteI think you'll do well on your word. You always do so well with your aspirations. I like seeing you reaffirm them. I have a planner, and I'm going to try but everything is in limbo - I feel - right now.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sharon. Right now, you are at your daughter's home, helping with the baby, so everything else is taking a backseat, and that's OK. You might be able to do some planning, but, you can't actually implement those plans until you are in your home, again. However, the planner can be where you write down the things you want to accomplish when you do get home. :)
DeletePromptly is a good word for the year.
ReplyDeleteI don't think a planner would work for me. I just use my calendar in the kitchen for when monthly tasks need doing like ordering prescriptions or when the window cleaner is due and Tilly's groom date of course.
I must use things up too and that's the trouble with doing a weekly grocery shop things just sit unused in the cupboard or freezer and go out of date. Food waste is my biggest pet hate. You do seem organised to me but maybe spread your tasks out a little more so they don't build up in your mind and you get overwhelmed something that happens to me and makes me feel stressed.
Thank you, Eileen. :)
DeleteI'm hoping the planner will work for me; we shall see. I have a calendar, too, with appointments, etc., written down.
I have built up a good stock of various things, but, things need to be used up before they go bad.
I need to really break things down into baby steps and, as you say, spread things out a little more. And, I need to remember that "done is better than perfect". I think I'm trying to do too much! I tend to get bogged down in the details.
It sounds like you have your thoughts and plans for the new year in hand and are off to a good start. As usual, you have given thought to the different areas of your life and have decided on the changes you'd like to make.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Debra. I don't feel quite that organized (in fact, I feel a bit behind!), but, yes, I discussed my goals with my daughter and I know what I want to accomplish, this year. I didn't do my monthly goals post, yet (that's how behind I am!), but, that's OK - those goals don't change that much!
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