A look back and a look forward...

Politically, 2024 was awful in so many ways and that's all I will say about it.

It seems like when one reaches a certain age, health moves into the forefront of everything. So this year, one of my goals is to focus on my health.  To be honest, I have a tendency to put off what is best for my health to concentrate on the health of others in the family.  Case in point...I have cataracts. A result of age for most of us.  For the past year, my doctor has been telling me I need to have the surgery.  As usual, I put it off explaining that B needs to have his done first and mine are not that bad.  Well, now they are.  My eyesight is getting so I am having trouble reading as well as seeing at a distance.  Not being able to read is a no brainer on the surgery.  Reading is my primary pasttime and having difficulties cannot continue.  So on the 14th of this month, I sit down with the doctor and work out when I will do this.

The holidays did a number on my credit card to the point that I could actually hear it screaming when I took it out of my wallet.  So, like last January, I will be taking a credit card vacation.  In 2024 I was able to take my credit card vacation all the way thru March.  This year my goal is to get at least to April without using it.

I don't keep track of the books I read as I have found that tracking the number of books I read makes the joy of reading tedious for me.  I simply have a pile of books I want to read on the table by my chair and add more when the spirit strikes me.

In 2024, I started a goal of having no spend days at least twice a week.  Imagine my surprise to find that we can go almost 4 days a week as no spend.  This year my goal is to have at least 3 no spend days a week.

B and I decided that for traveling in 2025, we wanted to explore more of the Upper Peninsula.  There are many places we have never been to.  So we thought what better way to plan some short trips but to explore the place we call home.

I have gotten all my past times for 2025 organized.  I have crocheting to do with yarn that I already have in my stash.  I work on blankets for our local animal shelter.  I also have a number of crosstitch projects that need to be done as well as some quilting projects.  I won't be buying anything new until I take care of the projects and materials I already have.  My family also got me some jigsaw puzzles for Christmas.  I find working on those to be relaxing as well as good exercise for this ol brain.  The only problem is that my cat, Al, has a tendency to walk on the table where the puzzle is and shoot the pieces across the room.  B came up with a great idea.  He measured the top of the card table, cut a piece of plywood, taped the edges (no slivers) and now when I am not working on the puzzle, the plywood sits on top.  Al can walk on it but no pieces to shoot into the room.

I am still decluttering on a weekly basis.  I usually put things out for the kids to look at and decide if they want something.  If not, it gets donated.  I have also become very mindful of anything I might bring into the house from my excursions to flea markets and antique malls.

We have been doing a lot of shopping in our own freezer and pantry.  We will be watching for sales and bargains to do some refilling.

I have chosen my words for 2025: self, letting go, family.  

These are my goals for 2025 so far.  One never knows will happen in the future especially when a certain someone is in charge of the government at the end of the month.

Beginning 2024

B and I did not go out for New Years Eve.  Stayed home and watched old movies, turned to Rockin Eve at midnight to watch the ball drop. Glass of wine, new years kiss and finished the movie and went to bed.  B says we are party animals. LOL

New Year's Day tradition is to turn the Rose Parade on tv and watch it while cleaning up Christmas.  I love decorating for the holiday.  I don't like taking it all down and putting it away.  We were surprised it only took 1 hour to clean up all the Christmas decor and put it away for next December.  There were past Christmases when it took us hours but that was when the boys were little.

We counted out our change jars that we fill all year, as well as the envelopes that we collect one dollar bills in.  This will be deposited in our savings account.  Also, we set a new goal for what we would like to have in the savings account by next December.  We reached our goal this year and were quite pleased.  Some things we do to help our savings grow are to reimburse the account if we have to take anything out of it for an emergency, etc.  Also, any bump we get in social security, we deposit that into the savings account too.  We are very pleased at how this is going.

We did a lot of decluttering in 2023 and will continue to do so in 2024.  It is amazing how much we have that we really don't use or need.

We are looking to "run away from home" at least once a month in 2024.  Mostly short trips but we would like to go out to Nevada to see our oldest son and dil if we can find flights that are not too expensive and not too many stops there and back.  We are also thinking of going to Florida in 2024 to visit my sister and her husband.  All this will be contingent on cost, weather and health.

My word for 2024 is "Hope".  With all the turmoil of the presidential election, war in the Ukraine and now in Israel, a record number of mass shootings in this country and just plain meanness and hatred for each other, I have "Hope" that 2024 will see a resurgence of peace and fellowship, of kindness, respect and care of the environment and of love toward all.  I know this sounds very "pie in the sky" but why shouldn't we try to "Hope" for the ultimate?