Happy 2024!
Happy New Year to you!
I had a quiet New Year's Eve, involving exactly zero partying, which is exactly how I like it. 😉
There was also zero staying-up-until-midnight, which again, is exactly how I like it. Midnight and I are not friends.
I went for a walk by the water, and when I got home, I decided to clean out my messy carport.
Then I randomly decided to vacuum out and wipe down the inside of my van, since like most other things in my life, it had gotten a little messy over the semester.
In so doing, I took out the second-hand bookshelf that had been riding in my car for a few weeks.
And then I was like, "Hmmm, well, I do already have the extension cords out. Maybe I should just go ahead and sand the bookshelf."
So I did, and after I dusted it off, Zoe helped me bring it inside, where I primed and painted it.
And it's almost done, except I need some caulk for the gaps (always necessary with white paint!).
And also I am a little nervous that I'm going to run out of my Cloud White paint right before I'm done with the bookshelf. There's not a lot left in my bucket.
ANYWAY.
I know New Year's Day is a classic time to be setting goals, but honestly, I don't have any fresh new goals.
Mainly, my hope is to keep up the status quo, doing things like:
- passing nursing school
- maintaining my exercise habits
- maintaining my eating habits
- maintaining my sleeping habits
- maintaining my relationships with my kids
- maintaining my blog
If I can manage to keep all of that going in this nursing-school phase of life, I'll be content.
My therapist suggested that I look back over the last year and take stock of what I have accomplished and how I have grown, so maybe that's a good assignment for today, since I'm not in a goal-setting mode. 🙂
Happy New Year everyone to you and those you love!
A quiet and early night for me, laughter and late hours for the gents and friends. The poor cats are slowly relaxing again. New Years Eve with its fireworks scares them immensely and they go into hiding.
For the new year I have no resolutions other than to go on as I did last year. This morning our group of swim buddies did a New Years Plunge in a nearby river, with lots of wind and hence really nice waves. It feels like being a kid again, swimming in waves.
Afterwards we had a morning tea and coffee and briefly basked in the sun, together with waterbirds.
Now home, where it is warm and where gents and friends are slowly waking up.
I cant think of a more joyous and peaceful start of my year, I feel blessed.
Happy New Year!
Teen & I did stay up to let the old year out & open door for New year to come in. No partying, just watching NCIS marathon until just before midnight, then off to bed afterwards.
I am not generally one who makes resolutions but do have few goals in mind.
Continue to be frugal & save as much as possible for 2024 because going to be lots of exspenses this & next year.
Work more than last year (including hopefully selling items wanting to get rid of). Looking at finding work from home side hussle part time along with permanent full time job hopefully.
Need to work on more walking---Kristen inspires me to get moving more. Which hopefully will help improve or maintain health.
Spending quality time with teen. Next semester is busier (for both of us) & hoping to get some good memories made this year. Time sure does move quickly sometimes, especially with our kids.
Working on Positive mindset, including more gratefulness. Even as had MANY difficulties in 2023 I was able to make it through & have some good happen. Hoping to build on that good & be grateful for the lessons also.
Looking forward to moving forward. May each of you have blessings in your life that help you in where you meed them.
Hoping to see sunshine today, if not looking forward to it tomorrow.
I think I'm in the maintain mode, too. One goal is to graduate my second child. I am hoping when I have only 5 children to homeschool, things will be easier and I can take on a new goal. But I also know life throws curveballs. We'll see what happens and call it an adventure.
The last evening of the year saw me going to bed early with my sick 8-year-old. My eldest came back to my room at midnight and whispered to see if I was awake. "Happy New Year! I'm so excited; this year is going to be awesome!" said he. His enthusiasm made me happy and optimistic.
@Jody S., He made me smile too.
@Jody S., That is so sweet (your eldest son). Don't you just love it.
@Jody S., Well, that made me smile! What a wonderful way to start a New Year, declaring it awesome (which it is) before it even arrives. What a great kid.
Happy New Year Kristen and fellow readers.
I don't make resolutions though I do continually aspire to become a person that contributes more to the world.
Happy New Year, Kristen! It will not surprise you to know that I also did nothing of note on New Year's Eve and went to bed at 8:45 p.m. 🙂
I was just thinking about your question, and I think my word or goal for this year will be patience. With others and myself. Always something I struggle with.
Right now I have to go address the cinnamon roll dough that stubbornly refused to rise. My children will be disappointed if the promised cinnamon rolls don't appear after church (today is a Catholic feast day--The Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God--so we have church again), so I'd better see what I can do.
@kristin @ going country,
Warm cinnamon rolls that didn't rise still are tasty - my kids have had them several times over the years. (I bake a lot, which means I make lots of mistakes. But usually baking errors are still edible.)
It's not a Holy Day of Obligation in my diocese, but I'll try to get to Mass. My mom died 20 years ago today, so it's a nice way to remember her, even if it's not required.
Then I'll take down our Christmas tree. I love the lights and it's such a beautiful shape, but I need to put my house in order.
@mbmom11, It's not an obligation here, either, but I'm Church Lady this month, so I have to be there. And I'm taking everyone along with me. 🙂
@kristin @ going country, Oh, and I meant to say, I love that you can remember your mother on the feast day for the mother of God. I hope your memories of your mother today bring you happiness and peace.
@kristin @ going country,
I think my mom would appreciate the 2-for-1 of going to Mass today. She loved a good bargain!
I have been fortunate enough to be naturally slim most of my adult life UNTIL the last few months when I have packed on about 8 lbs. My resolution for the new year is to deal with this.
Also needing to find more ways to connect with my teenage children. I only have a few more years with them living at home and want to make lots of good memories.
Happy New Year! May 2024 be a year that all dreams come true.
DH and I spent the last day of 2023 looking after our two grandchildren ages 18 months and 4 months. Their dear parents needed a break! My son made chili in the crockpot before heading to brunch and the football game with my sweet DIL. After they returned home, the family had a casual supper together before we headed home about 8 pm. DH and I went to bed early with our 95 lbs Great Pyrenees mix wedged and shaking between us. She was terrified by the fireworks and refused to be in her own bed.
Today, I will cook a traditional New Year’s Day dinner of roast pork, black-eyed peas, greens and corn bread. My SIL, niece, great niece, sister, her partner, son, DIL and grandchildren will join us. My house is a wreck so I need to get a move on.
This year’s goals will revolve around health and money. My husband and I were in excellent shape prior to 2020. We did not handle the closure of the gym very well. Both of us have gained weight and lost our strength and stamina. During our 60th birthday trip to Yosemite, the true impact of this became apparent.
Our 60th birthdays combined with the birth of our grandchildren also made both painfully aware that we were getting older. With retirement looming in the next few years, we have a lot to do to make sure we are ready. This is the year to do this.
Kristen, thank you for your work on this blog. I hope the new year with be especially kind to you. Blessings to all.
@Bee, My sister hs Pyrs and Pyr mixes. Great dogs! Her young one is a Pyr mixed with Anatolian shepherd.
@Bee,
I 100% feel you about good health, strength and stamina going into your 60s....between hubby and I, we have had 4 holiday seasons in a row with one of us having had knee surgery (including this one). Hubs and I both need to work on getting into shape this year, mostly for the reasons you mention.
@Rose,
She is a wonderful dog! We adore her. One of the smartest dogs we have ever owned and this gentle giant watches over her flock with a keen eye. However, her fur can be a bit of a challenge. We are so glad that we adopted her!
@Liz B.,
I hope the afflicted knee heals quickly. I started this morning with a three mile walk. After my trip out West, my son - a long-distance hiker and climber — sent me a meme that said, “Wouldn’t you rather be the oldest person on the trail than the youngest person in the nursing home.” That’s this year’s motivational quote.
Quiet night here too--well, sort of. Daughter and I ate snacks and I tried to persuade the coonhound to eat her scaredy chew. I don't know what she heard but she was shaking hard at 8PM. She refused to touch the chew, but the beagle decided he wanted it, which involved a howling standoff that took way too long.
Goals for this year:
Finish the memoir proposal and polish it like a diamond.
Lose another 20 pounds and I will be at my high school weight.
GO TO PHYSICAL THERAPY.
Get more paying work. I allowed myself the autumn off because of stress, but I need to get more paying gigs.
Finish decluttering this house.
Relax more. Enjoy life more.
Happy New Year, all!
@Rose,
All fantastic goals! Another vote for GO TO PT. I'm getting PT for my new bionic knee, and yes, it HURTS and wears me out - but future me will thank present me for enduring it. I hope the same for you.
@Liz B., I know, I know. But I'm literally in pain all the time now--signing up for extra pain (and that TRX they make me do--this isn't my first PT rodeo) just seems unbearable. As it is, many days over the past four or so months have been spent unable to get off the couch because of grief and stress. But you're absolutely correct, I simply have to do it and stop using stress as a crutch. (I also discovered that myasthenia gravis drugs are showing promise with long Covid, so I need to ask my doc about that.)
@Rose,
I was reading about stimulation of the vagus nerve as a potential long COVID treatment. You might ask about that too.
@Becca, Interesting. I tend to think mine is overstimulated most of the time as it is. I'll check it out, thanks.
@Rose,
Ugh, I do understand. So many times I've wanted to skip PT. Interesting about the MG drug possibly helping long Covid....a friend at work has long Covid (so does her husband.) I'll have to tell her about that.
Happy New Year!
I went for a new year's swim in the sea. It wasn't exactly warm but it felt wonderful!
My only specific goal is to try and be more frugal - I need to save for more things this year. Otherwise, simply to try and be the best version of myself.
We spent the weekend in a cabin borrowed from my partners work. It’s an old farmhouse so it got all the comfort of home in addition to a large sauna heated by a wood burner stove.
New Year’s Eve was enjoyed in a grill hut watching the bonfire and wittling new handles for some broken kitchen utensils. Outside it was about zero degrees Fahrenheit, completely dark and quiet.
It feels quite surreal being here with Russia is just on the other side of the river. For us to enjoy the solitude and quiet, while they cause so much unrest and suffering for so many people. While 2023 hasn’t been great for me personally that certainly put another perspective when thinking back on the year.
For 2024 I have mainly the goal of saving money, replenish my buffer account and paying off my credit card debt. I have a shopping ban, except when traveling and I have made a list of things needed that I can buy to celebrate when I reach my other goals for the year.
Best wishes to you all for the new year.
@Gunn from Northern Norway, your line about Russia being "just on the other side of the river" sent a shiver down my spine. As you say, that--and the international situation in general--certainly does put other things in perspective.
And I'm glad you had such a lovely weekend, with a sauna to enjoy!
Happy New Year!
I also didn’t stay up or party. It was a nice, quiet day.
I don’t typically do resolutions/goals because they have felt so burdensome, but this year I am contemplating one or two in conjunction with my therapy work as I recover from PTSD. I don’t want to merely survive this coming year. I want to grow and thrive and that will mean making different choices here and there.
Typically any goals worth achieving and worth starting today as opposed to a special day, and my goals are no different. It just so happened that conversations I have had in therapy and with friends came together last night and now I have a plan. So I’m starting it today.
@Kaitlin, You're gonna kick 2024's butt! (Also your ex's, ha ha ha ha.)
Happy New Year Kristen!! I wishing you and everyone a peaceful & happy 2024. I don't usually make New Years resolutions. I tend to establish goals when they come about during the year. I do have a financial goal which naturally happens during the new year since I track my spending for each year starting on the first. I've calculated my budget and projected spending for the year and hope to stick to it.
Happy New Year! We are visiting my brother and sister-in-law on the farm, so for the first time in many years, we stayed up until midnight. No partying, just a marathon puzzle challenge and Uno. Face Timed with family who are in a different time zone and after wishing each other a Happy New Year at midnight, we all went to bed. Woke up today to snow which reminds me of a clean slate for a new year.
We had an eight hour car ride home from our visit to my in-law's yesterday. I had pre-planned a charcuterie board for dinner (because .... simple, and it also is festive). We played games after dinner. My husband did well to make it till 9:30 p.m., and the kids and I called it quits at 10:30. A day spent in the car is always tiring, even though all we did was sit. We sometimes stay up till midnight but we also follow our body clocks. I hope everyone has an enjoyable New Years Day!
Happy New Year! I had a quiet night - came home after 12 hour shift and son #3 had cooked dinner for son #2 and I. Read my novel for a bit, in bed by 9:30, slept soundly! I definitely have goals, which I think is a better way to characterize resolutions and they are similar to yours: keep up the good habits/plans I started while decreasing some of the bad ones. My hope is that 2024 brings more happiness, but I also know that I will do my part to make that happen. Looking back at all of the accomplishments is a great way to put a positive spin on a less than stellar year and I think I will take your therapist's advice!
My overarching goals are to stay helpful, honorable, hospitable, healthy and happy. Wishing everyone a hearty new year!
Sounds like I’m an outlier but my 46 year old self went out to a bar to listen to a band with my husband and another couple. I had several beers - I’m German, so what can you do? - and laughed and sang along with the 90s music that was playing. We FaceTimed our oldest son who was delighted that his parents were cutting loose a bit. He thinks we’re a million years old (he doesn’t know that I still think I’m 17 inside!)
@Marie, My grandmother had a plaque in her kitchen that read, "Youth is not a time of life. It is a state of mind." That pertains to you, the inner 17-year-old. Grandma lived to be 99 years and 11 months old, and she was young even into her old age. So Happy New Year to all, and may we all remain forever young!
@Fru-gal Lisa, my husband’s sweet grandmother told me, “Even when you get old, you’re still the same person inside.” She was right.
@Fru-gal Lisa, thanks for the encouragement. Hubby would eyeroll and say I don’t need any but he’s also (usually) delighted with my many shenanigans. Also, I still have a living grandmother and SHE just turned 99!
First and foremost, best wishes for 2024 to Kristen, our dauntless leader, and to the entire Commentariat!
I spent New Year's Eve peacefully examining the backs of my eyelids, which I've done for a couple of decades now. Someone asked me yesterday whether I planned to stay up till midnight, and I honestly couldn't remember the last time I did so.
But after a year in which I've survived the worst thing I hope ever happens to me--the death of my beloved DH--I feel I've turned a corner and am ready (or at least braced!) for whatever happens in 2024. As usual, I'm trying to couch my few aims in positive rather than negative terms, since I think I have a better chance of achieving them that way: watch more birds, have more fun, get more exercise while doing both, remain in love and charity with my neighbors (which, on my street at least, isn't difficult!), and try to look for the good in people and things.
Finally, after a busy morning with my calculator, I'm ready to announce my 2023 "underground economy" totals: $428.20 in NY State bottle/can deposits and $24.86 in found change--both new personal bests. So I'm starting the New Year with a hearty "Cha-CHING!"
@A. Marie, You, Milady, are an inspiration to one and all. And not for the $453.06 (which, however, is a mighty impressive haul!).
@A. Marie, Wow, impressive!
The last NYE I can remember staying up for was the millennium, when I had a party here. It was extremely fun.
@A. Marie, Happy New Year! I love the idea of having your aims in positive terms. Watching more birds is such a great goal to have.
@A. Marie, Wishing you an abundance of joy in the coming year.
@A. Marie,
Happy Cha-Ching New Year!
Ha ha, I think the last time I stayed up until midnight was when I was in high school....my bff's large Italian family would throw a huge NYE party, the highlight being Mama C. putting the fresh octopus into the pot of boiling water to cook. (Photos would be taken, "oh, this one is bigger/smaller/nicer than last year's", etc). I adored her family.
Also.....watch more birds is definitely on my year's goals, too! Now that I have a new knee, this is definitely possible, and I'm most grateful.
Happy New Year! We are big partiers here, too. I was in bed by 9pm last night, haha.
This year I'm praying for continued healing, plus my plan and goal is to re-home everything I've inherited from my parents that does not serve me and that I don't like or want. I've worked on this slowly the last couple of years, but I'm kicking into a higher gear this year and want to finish. I believe it will promote more healing as well. I'm excited about a new year and what feels like a new beginning.
@Brooke, I love how you say "rehome," instead of "get rid of," or "clean out". It puts a much more positive spin on the process. And I'm sure you will find someone who will cherish the various items once owned by your parents. Happy New Year, and here's to new beginnings!
@Brooke, I just gifted my maternal grandmother's chair (at least 70 years old) with a tapestry seat she made herself to my niece, who was born a mere two months before grandmother died but has always had a strange attachment to her (named her latest cat after her!) and is very into genealogy. And a beautifully framed still life painting of peaches by my mother went to my other niece who is the artist in the family. I, too, am in deaccession mode. I have loved and appreciated these items (and many more) but they need to go to others who will also love and appreciate them.
@Brooke et al., I too like the term "rehome," and I too plan to do a lot more rehoming of things in 2024. I've actually been doing this since I placed DH in the nursing home 2.5 years ago, but it's an ongoing effort.
Like Kristen and many of you, I also was a non-party-goer this New Year's Eve. I worked my regular 2-6 p.m. Sunday hours at the store, got a hamburger at the drive-through, and went home. I had to turn on all my outside lights, in order to discourage the fireworks fiend next door from shooting them too near my house. My dog is mostly deaf, so she slept in my bedroom blissfully unaware of all the popping and banging that was going on. I am still getting over my upper respiratory so I skipped church for the 2nd week in a row Sunday morning, and stayed in bed until noon-ish. I laughed at the Andy Capp comic strip (I read him online) because he was telling the bartender he wasn't going to make any resolutions he wouldn't keep -- that's my take on New Year Resolutions, too! If I come up with a self-improvement plan, I will begin it that day instead of waiting for Jan. 1 to come around. Glad to have this community of folks to cheer each other on in our frugal ways and in all the other areas of our lives in general. Hope 2024 is the best year yet for all of you, my online friends! May this be the year your dreams come true!
@Fru-gal Lisa,
A very happy 2024 to you! ☺
I got an awful lot done the first nine months of 2023, but I wasn’t feeling so great October through December. And December 31, New Year’s Eve, found me calling AAA because the car’s battery died. But a sweet guy came within 15 minutes (!) and replaced the battery, so I’ll take that as a good omen for 2024. Help is all around if you reach out.
So “carry forward last three months’ to-do list” and “resume daily long walks and play time with the dog” is as far as I’ve gotten on the New Year Resolution Train. But, like Kristen, I’ll be more than happy to get back in the groove with my previous “status quo”.
@JDinNM, But I think I'll make my Word of the Year ... Fun. As in, let's have more fun!
@JDinNM, Ooh, and I like eggs for breakfast but am not eating enough greens so for the New Year I'm stealing Kristen's eggs on greens invention and putting spinach (with feta cheese crumbles and za'atar seasoning) on a slice of multigrain toast topped with an egg for breakfast. Gotta sneak in those greens every chance I can. Thanks, Kristen!
@JDinNM,
I did Jen Fulwiler's automatic word of the year generator, and it said "Bigger," for me. Not sure what that is supposed to mean? I prefer yours!
@JDinNM, you are not alone, I too had health problems October through December. I been blessed to have had good health up to that point. So this threw me for a loop.
Thankfully I felt better right before Christmas.
My goals for next year is to also resume my daily long walks. I am currently building back up.
And traveling because you never know about your health. I never took it for granted but now I wake up everyday and almost giggle because I am back to feeling well.
@karen, So glad you, too, are feeling better. It's so easy to take for granted, isn't it?
Hello all and Happy New Year!
Was up til a bit after midnight but that's ok, I had champagne.
It's a bit odd perhaps but the new year for me happens in the fall. Don't know why but that's how I roll.
So. Goals...a continuation of a wonky work in progress.
I'm trying very hard to be kind to myself. To give myself permission to be ok with asking myself what works for me and then honoring that. To learn to be at peace with the hard fact that I can't fix or help people who don't want to put in the work necessary to help themselves, it's high time to stop letting myself being taken advantage of.
I know this is all basic stuff for most folks but I'm a giver, peacekeeper, and genuinely want those around me to be happy and looked after so I struggle with putting myself in any way first.
That can come with a heavy price to pay.
Whew!
On a lighter note, I'm happily chugging away on writing my novel/s and making good progress so onward and upward with that.
Peace to all and good luck in 2024!
It's great that all your goals for 2024 are "maintaining" goals, Kristen! You are thriving in this place you would rather not be. Woo woo!
My goal is to increase exercise and I have a plan that is entirely doable so I'm looking forward to the benefits. Also, I have a focus or theme for this year - contentment. My women's group is doing a study on contentment and we are making space for practical applications so I'm really looking forward to growth in this area.
We haven't gone out for New Year's Eve in over 25 years. I was tucked up in bed with two dogs who were blissfully dozing, thanks to their Composure treats, when 2023 saw itself out. The illegal fireworks noise was much less this year. Maybe they've become too expensive?
I plan to keep chipping away at stuff that needs improving in 2024. That's all, folks. 😀
I’m not a social person, so I was happy to stay home. My husband, kids and I had a Mario Kart competition. By midnight, it was just my 14yo and me, and I was happy to have the extra time with him. He turned in right after that, but my night owl brain (that doesn’t seem to start working until 10-11pm) kept me awake until 3am.
In 2024, I’m working on self-care. I also have a goal of getting on a plane again this summer, so I have some extensive work to do with my therapist regarding my agoraphobia and emetophobia.
@JenRR, Know that this group will cheer you on as you work on your fears!
@JenRR, I had agoraphobia in college. My sympathies. But it's beatable and treatable. You can do it!
@Heidi Louise, Thank you, Heidi.
@Rose, Thank you, Rose.
This is a hard one to answer for me because 2023 turned out to be another very challenging year in a string of pretty difficult years for me and my family, BUT I am determined to focus on the good things and to set small achievable goals for myself in 2024. In large part because of these difficulties, an area of my life which used to be a source of pride, my garden, has become neglected and overgrown. Therefore, my New Year's resolution is to do some kind of gardening every single day, even if it is only five minutes of pruning. I am hopeful that this will make it seem less overwhelming and I will feel a sense of daily accomplishment. Maybe I will even rekindle the joy I used to get out of it. We shall see. Today I pruned back the weeds in two pots on my steps. It doesn't look like I did anything, but at least I know I did.
I need some advice again from the hive mind. I somehow have always had the idea that I'm a super woman and can do 478 things at the same time even though I only have two hands. The other day I was eating a bagel with one hand and emptying out a casserole dish with the other when I dropped the glass casserole dish and it shattered into 378,910,723,427 splinters of glass.
I use this particular dish at least three times a month in the microwave, especially to make a particular casserole for my extremely fussy husband. It has to be replaced.
I can do this on Amazon, of course, but here is my dilemma. Back in the 1980s, my mother in law gave me a pretty oval shaped casserole dish that has flowers etched into it. It does NOT say microwave safe on the bottom. But why buy another if this is useful. However, I don't even know how long my mother in law had it before she gave it to me and I'm terrified of experimenting with it by using it for ten minutes in my microwave. Will it shatter in my microwave? Will it wreck my microwave by blowing up? Take out my whole kitchen?
So my questions are:
1. Can ANY glass be used in a microwave even glass that was produced back in the mists of time?
2. Has anybody ever shattered anything in their microwave?
3. And who is willing to help me by driving to my house and hiding in the closet with me and my cats while we experiment?
Inquiring minds want to know.
@Anne,
1. I use my vintage Pyrex in there all the time.
2. Yes.
3. I'll do it and you and the kitties can go for a ride in my car.
@Anne, given that microwave-safe glass dishes are relatively inexpensive, I would not risk this. You are proposing taking a chance that has a very small upside and a very large downside.
@Meg in SoTX,
Agreed. Buy a new dish.
@Anne, I will gladly hide in the closet with you and your cats. But, I, too, would recommend a new or thrifted dish. Always up for experimentation. I have never shattered anything inside the microwave, but I pulled a baked casserole out of the regular oven and it shattered when it was set down on the counter.
@Meg in SoTX, Thank you and Becca and Kathleen in Kansas, for sparing me the need to chime in as I sat here biting my tongue.
@Meg in SoTX, I'm with you and the majority on this. It's not worth Anne's risking a family heirloom to find out.
FINE, I'll just make chicken noises to myself. LIVE A LITTLE, PEOPLE. THIS IS SCIENCE!
@Anne, teeheehee, I say dump the microwave and keep the oval dish! (I don't have a microwave, so I know nothing about what does and doesn't work.)
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, all of you guys have put the fear of God into me and the cats. I'm getting a new dish from Amazon, almost $40 but safer. Only one tiny thrift store in my town, so I'll have to buy from Jeff.
And Rose, you're a trooper, but I'm a coward, so will spend the money.
@Rose,
You are cracking me up!! 🙂
DH DS2 and I stayed up til midnight after watching the last Indiana Jones movie it was a hoot 🙂
DS1 messaged at 11pm to wish us happy new year as he’s in Amsterdam with his GF for a few days and they are an hour ahead of us. We then messaged him at 12 midnight to wish him happy British new year!
I don’t do resolutions and like so many of us here, I’m just aiming to keep to the frugal line, earn more money and enjoy time with family and friends.
DS1 is flying to San Diego on 13th January to spend the semester at SDSU so we won’t see him til the end of May.
DS2 returns to university in Edinburgh on the 11th January and we won’t see him until Easter.
Both of my boys are having to put up with me randomly hugging them wordlessly really tightly. Thankfully they are dealing with this with good grace and gentle teasing.
My dad has 2 forms of blood cancer plus suspected Parkinson’s as well as vision issues so 2024 is going to be challenging with both him and mom. As an only child it all lands on my shoulders but at least I’m not going to fall out with siblings about care options going forward. It’s just my mom to deal with, which can be tricky at times.
On many levels 2024 is going to be a tough year to navigate but I’m going to keep on keeping on which is the only thing I can do really.
Happy New Year to you all
@Joanne in the U.K., Writing from the land of Been There Done That when it comes to ill and aging parents, my thoughts are with you. Keeping on keeping on is the best we can do under difficult circumstances.
@JDinNM, thank you. Xxx
@Joanne in the U.K.,
@JDinNM said it just right. I've also Been There Done That, and you'll do the best that you can with the information you're given. That's all any of us can do. Hugs.
@Liz B., thank you xxx
Happy New Year to all!
My resolution is to start doing all those things which I already know I need to do but which I have been finding excuses to put off for years.
The other part of my resolution is to take action to make my life look like what I want it to look like. This is going to be a very long process, mainly because the number one impediment is the very large number of students that I am currently teaching private music lessons. Letting that shrink by attrition will take years.
@Meg in SoTX, Find them new teachers. Both my kids took private lessons from a teacher we loved, but if he needed to do something else, we'd've found another. Put yourself first.
I did that at times through my piano teaching career of 20 years. Life changed and I could not keep up with the number of students I had. Good luck; I know it's hard!
@Rose, for reasons, there is currently a significant shortage of high level teachers on my instrument (not piano) in my city. I am one of a dismayingly small group of conservatory trained local professional musicians, a situation which will likely improve in the future, but not in the next 12 months. There are a lot of second-rate or worse teachers on my instrument here, but I cannot in good conscience recommend them. The other professional teachers here on my instrument are in the same boat I am.
Clarifying my previous comment, I do not mean to imply that someone who is not conservatory trained can’t be a good teacher! On my particular instrument, however, it can be hard to teach properly when one has basic technical issues of one’s own, which is very often the case. And if I were going to reduce my student load, I would feel morally obligated to send surplus students to a teacher of equivalent training to my own.
@Meg in SoTX,
Could you tell your students that you need to shift to offering group lessons instead? Maybe bunch them into two or three manageable groups by ability?
@Meg in SoTX, OK, that is reasonable. Then I think your best alternative is to start slowly poisoning them. Offer them a cup of tea after class with arsenic in it. The local police never catch on until a plucky middle aged New Yorker who likes solving crimes in her spare time comes to visit for a week with her obese beagle. The Case of the Missing Musicians.
@Becca, I appreciate your kind suggestion, as well as that from @Rose, but unfortunately, on my instrument and at the level I teach, group lessons don’t work. My students have individual needs and different repertoire. For 2024. I am just going to put my head down and keep on swimming, and wait it out.
Fortunately, I do enjoy teaching, I am just at an age where I would like to slow down a bit.
Happy New Year!
So thankful that the rowdy neighbors did not shoot it up last night.
I am deep into Swedish Death Cleaning and loving it. I am rehoming family heirloomy things and thrifting, poshmarking and selling everything else. Feels good! I have 2 shops, 2 barns, 2 garages and one 4 bed/4 bath w/attic to work on. I will never be bored!
I too, am constantly dealing with PTSD, it took me 2 years of therapy to get to a point of not being in a fetal position. I still sleep with a night light, but am working on that too.
I am still cutting on the several trees in various spots on the farm (4 at last count), so it is a good workout and keeps us warm. This wood will be seasoned for 2 years in the barn.
My puppy (smooth coat border collie) is smarter than I am and brings me such joy. Today I am training her to know the difference between European Starlings and Red Winged Blackbirds. She already knows how to chase off Canada Geese in the fields (priceless).
Today we pulled 2 chicken carcasses out of the freezer and I've invited the 2 nieces over to learn how to make Grandma's homemade egg noodles and chicken dinner. We are also using the leftover apple cider to make her apple cider caramels. Big mid day dinner for anyone who shows up.
New Year’s Day seems like the perfect time to breathe life into a new piece of furniture. Where will the bookcase go when it’s done?
As for my goals, my biggest two this year are:
1) stop putting so much effort into relationships that don’t offer the same effort in return (I’m sadly putting some space between me and my only remaining family members because they strain me emotionally. I’m tired of being a doormat or being spoken to like I’m politically inept).
2) put myself first more. I’ve fallen to the wayside a lot and I really need to insist on putting myself first. It’s become painfully obvious in my life that I’m the only one who will do this. So I’m going to start.
These are both going to require a lot of growth and uncomfortable feelings for me… so let’s hope I realize I’m worth it!
@Reese, There's an entire community right here who knows that you're more than worth it! So whenever you need some support and encouragement, just know where you can find it. Right here. Any time!
Welcome, 2024.
I grew so much in 2023. I have worked on addressing my own mental health issues. It took years for me to get out of denial that I could manage without medication. I have been sober for over 35 years, exercised, ate healthy, exercised, had a healthy set of friends and family relationships. It was not enough. Now that I am under a shrink's care and gone through the terrible ordeal of finding and adjusting the right medication, I am a different person. I realized I was running the same race as everyone else but carrying a 50 pound sack of flour. I have put the weight down and am free. This last year has been renegotiating relationships at work and home that were based on me being "fragile." I am no longer fragile and do not want to be treated as such.
I am grateful to say all of my healthy relationships have survived this transition although it was rocky for a few months.
So this year's word is "simple" from the 12 step saying "Keep it simple, Stupid" or KISS.
1. I am retiring from a a successful 35 year career with a healthy pension and the admiration of my peers.
2. My husband and I are learning a new language and common interests On Purpose!
3. My 21 year old son and I are close and honest. He calls me for the "feeling" stuff Dad doesn't really get. They have more the "wrestle on the ground" kind of bonding which is beautiful to watch.
4. We are renovating an inherited 120 year old home on a river. My goal is to keep it sustainable and simple - save what I can, consign what I can. I will buy new rugs to put on the newly redone hardwood floors and fixtures where appropriate.
It is going to be an exciting year.
@mary ann, I love reading how hopeful you are! Glad to hear of your success with your mental health journey. So happy for you!
Kristen, I appreciate your goals and how you've started the New Year. Also everyone's I've read up to this point.
I did not "see the New Year in" either. When this upper respiratory thing presented itself a week ago Thursday, I could feel it taking over little by little. Which I had never noticed in any virus or illness before. Now it's leaving in the same fashion with some productive cough remaining. That said, I went to bed at 10:30p CST and did not get up until 12n. Intermittent cough throughout the night. The local law enforcement was concerned about fireworks getting out of hand but I never heard a one. My dog is hard of hearing anyway so she woke up just once to cuddle.
I am not one to make New Year's Resolutions. Well, those that are unlikely to be achieved anyway. I am hoping to work on legal requirements for end of life. A will, medical directives. In my line of work, I see how important it is to be realistic and being prepared saves a lot of headache. Being single contributes it's own issues. I have a lot of stuff. It would be nice to have some of it already gone and some of it allocated so there's no extra headache involve. I forsee my Niece being the one responsible and she's not done well with her Mom's things (which is different, I understand, they lived in the same house), although my little Brother would also carry part of the burden.
My word phrase for the year is: evangelical obedience. It is one thing to do what your you are supposed to do. It is another to do it with a willing heart because you love your heavenly Father. Entails all aspects of life.
May this be the Year of "Awesome!"
Happy New Year! I, too, was in bed and fast asleep by 930. But we did go out to a sushi dinner earlier in the evening! Got dressed up and everything, even though the restaurant is only 3 blocks from here. One of my not-really-a-resolution-more-of-an-intention is to make a point of supporting local businesses whenever possible. Obviously we’re already pretty good at this if the owner of the sushi restaurant hugs us when we come in :). We’ve been living below our means for a long time and have no debt, so we have some wiggle room for intentional spending. We really love it here, and value our community so we’re aligning our budget to do this more purposefully.
Otherwise, we spent the day doing some decluttering and posting things on buy nothing. I also realized that the crutches I borrowed from my brother for upcoming surgery are not going to adjust to my much shorter height, so I asked on buy nothing and 15 minutes later have a connection for short lady crutches 🙂
I am a hospital pharmacist so I worked NYE right until 1130pm. Not nearly as crazy as I thought it was going to be.
I’m sure my third shift co-workers were swamped though.
I’ve made extensive NY resolutions this year, we will see how they go. One is already too ambitious (paying down Credit Card debt sure is a pain!)
I’m now trying to rally my strength to finish putting up the Christmas decorations.
I like your focus on maintaining all of your great progress from 2024.
I have goals set around the following categories:
Finances
Family
Fitness
Personal
A few highlights from the categories.
-On the finance side, we'd like to finish funding DS17's full cost of college.
-For family, we're hoping to get to Turkey to see my MIL & family members one more time before international travel is too difficult for her. (There are complicated logistics due to passports that make travel super expensive on all sides.) And, get DS17 transitioned to college, and help DS16 apply to colleges
-For fitness, I want to run 2 half marathons, run a relay & lose 15 lbs.
-Personal. More maintenance of what I do now - time with friends, practice a foreign language, maybe some journaling, etc.
Our kids are generally night owls, and DH and I have been blissfully sleeping in now that his early classes are all done for the term, so it wasn't too hard to stay up last night. We had pizzas for dinner while watching our traditional NYE movie: Ghostbusters 2. It's set on NYE, so it is a NYE movie. (The day before we watched The Poseidon Adventure [1972 version, with Ernest Borginine], and that was a HOOT.)
Then because we are introverts we all pledged to go rest up and meet for a game of UNO and some snacks after getting ready for bed. This was done, and the cat was simply beside himself because nobody was settling down for bed, and no respect was being given for his routine, and on top of that, our snacks weren't anything a self-respecting cat would want to eat. We had a good time.
Rather than resolutions that begin on January 1, I set goals as the need arises. It might just be semantics, but with goals there are tangible steps rather than the wishing, hoping, and dreaming of resolutions.
Here's the ongoing goal list that is spilling into 2024:
1. Finish the decluttering/cleaning organizing project at my church
2. Remove myself from the prediabetic category
3. Continue to look for solutions to the neuropathy in my feet
4. Visit 2 dear friends in Texas
5. Be ready for a solo art show in October (40-50 pieces total, with about half completed, unless they sell first, of course.)
No new goals, just trying to reestablish prior habits: eating more nutritiously; doing my PT exercises regularly; getting back to walking, stretching, and some weights work; and a more regular sleep schedule. It's been quite a year, including helping a close friend with a months-long illness, and I'd like a semblance of a non-crazy life this year please.
I've never commented before but felt I should thank you all for the positive and hopeful outlooks to the new year. This crowd is very supportive as well and I find it all uplifting and helpful, so thank you.
No late night celebrating for us, no new year's resolutions either, just one foot in front of the other and hoping this year is better than last.
Aww, I'm so happy to hear this!
So proud of your accomplishments during this very hard year ☺️
Thank you! I feel pretty proud of myself too; I juggled a lot of hard things without dropping too many of them. So, yay for 2023 Kristen!
I like going to bed before midnight too. But, who can sleep with fireworks bursting for hours all around the neighborhood?
Happy 2024 Everyone!
It's beginning to look as if 2024 is really 2023 part 2 here. The expenses are already lining up: dog surgery, needed car repairs, much-needed shower remodel, and more. Was really hoping things would taper off, but doesn't look like it anytime soon.
NYE was a toughie, with 3 separate falls and an ER visit that day for hubby, so he went to bed early. The neighbors shot off a few firecrackers at midnight--lasted about a minute and a half--and that was it. The dog never even woke up. I tossed the last half of a miniature of Kahlua into a cup of eggnog and that was my party! lol
New Year's Day itself was better, though. We both took it easy, watched a couple of movies (TV didn't start acting up til today), and then our wonderful handyman called and said the new steps he built for the garage entrance into the house were ready. So he brought them on over and installed them, and brought an old handle he was able to screw to the door frame for Jack to grab, both of which have greatly increased the safety factors. While he was here, he installed the new elevated toilet seat I had ordered, and it's working so well, we ordered a second one for the other bathroom. Having watched, I think I can install the second one myself. Between those changes and the PT, I'm hoping we can make my man's world a little safer and easier to navigate.
Neither of us does New Year's resolutions any more, because every day is a new start isn't it, and no one is promised more than that. But I am a list-maker, and I have been making small changes and taking small steps and trying to show big gratitude to the One who numbers my days. "Inch by inch, everything's a cinch, but by the yard it's hard!"
Aww, I am so sorry to hear your NYE was so rough!
I'm glad to hear you have some things in place to help reduce the fall risk. Good good.