Happy New Year! I am sure I speak for many when I say that I do hope this is a happy new year- happier than last. I have always fancied myself a glass half full person - But at times I have had to admit that my glass just could be a heck of a lot fuller - especially when it comes to diet Coke and chocolate milkshakes!
I must say that the absolute highlight of 2011 in my life was the birth of my granddaughter, Olivia. I just love that little munchkin to death. Can't say enough so I will therefore not continue to gush and risk nauseating any reading audience that may be out there.
But there are other things from 2011 whose residue I am looking forward to cleaning up and sweeping out of my life.......
--The first would be the job loss thing.... although I posted a Jeremiah 29:11 message about my furlough earlier in the year, I will admit I had some times of pretty intense anger bordering on bitterness......like when I was rolling all the spare change in the house to buy some Christmas presents . I know full well that the only person who suffers from such emotions is me. So I intend to get out a big ol' mental wisk broom when they come creeping back and choose to stand on my original belief that everything happens for a reason and that God has it under control. Sometimes a slippery surface - may need a pair of spiritual snowshoes.
- The physical premises......I have had a list of to dos for the last 5 Christmas and summer breaks. Guess how many of them have been done? yep - you got it -hardly any. Were it not for a visit from my sister earlier in the fall, I would have even less done. But I have actually made some progress, packing up some items from the past that bring only reminders of pain......and getting them ready for haul away. I can almost see the desktop on which I am typing this blog post! And I managed to get some of the junk piles in the yard thrown away or burned down - which I'm pretty pumped about. Plus, the sink hole in my back yard is now full! Two benefits for the price of one! Still quite a bit to do inside and out, but as any of us knows, the first step in getting something cleaned up is ....well, taking the first step. So I'm on my way.
-- The diet. Ah yes, the proverbial New Year's diet/lose 9,000 pounds/exercise 8 times a day resolution. Except that's not what this is. I mean clean eating . I've been rather careless with that the last several months and have felt the effects - not just in clothes not fitting but in the amount of fatigue, pain, confusion, heartburn and other less than desireable effects that come with eating junk - and too much of it. Add to that the increase in the severity of the beloved hot flashes - it's enough to make anyone go clean, green, organic and any other adjective you care to use as the antithesis of the classic American diet. I mean- I feel like a human Easy Bake Oven. Ok - TMI, I'm sure - suffice it to say I will be saving on my heating bill this winter. So, in preparation of cleaning up the diet, I must first clean up everything that isn't allowed, right? So I have a half a bag of chips, a couple dozen pizzelles and other assorted Christmas treats, all the fried chicken left from the Family Fiasco, a couple pieces of pizza and some almond M & Ms to take care of yet today.....with only 3 1/2 hours left in the day, I better get busy. I'll probably also throw in a stab at returning to regular exercise( that doesn't involve lifting "mass quantities" to my face) to complement the eating plan. Because after all, it IS New Years and that's what we do!
-- There are numerous other areas that probably need some cleaning out as well.....and if you're like me, it's a daunting task to think about that much change - the finances, the attitude, the mouth, relationships, the car. I will most definitely be working in that direction but you don't need to know the personal particulars of those scenarios, now, do you? Hopefully none of them will land me on any reality shows or interview with Barbara Walters.
As I set about applying the Intellectual/Emotional/Spiritual Soft Scrub to the remnants and memories of 2011, I must emphasize that I am profoundly grateful for those friends and family members who have extended nothing but love, encouragement and support to me in the darker days of the past year. You have been my lifeline. You have given me hope. You have given me back my self.
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