Revisit and Plan

It is getting to that time of the year that we all sit back and take a look at the year we have just lived.  I don’t much believe in resolutions because I tend to break them before the ink is dry on the list.  I do, however, like to look back at what worked, what was successful and what needs to be re-evaluated.

I have been doing some thinking about planning — planning meals, planning my days, planning projects — just planning in general.  I buy lovely Erin Condren  planners every year and I do use the calendar section for the ever increasing doctor appointments and school schedules and such but I think I could benefit by using the other sections for meal planning and housekeeping schedules.

Now, you are probably wondering why an old lady like me needs to plan things.  We are retired, shouldn’t I just be able to “be” (as my daughter likes to say).  Well, the problem with that is that when I just “be”, nothing gets done except tv watching and net surfing.  Before you know it, there is nothing in the house to eat and the laundry has piled up and I can write my name in the dust on the furniture.  But, the net has been duly surfed.

I find all of this just makes my anxiety and my depression explode.  It has come to my realization that just because I don’t have children in the house doesn’t mean that I don’t need a schedule.  I have also realized that, because of my mobility issues, I put things off until I have a monumental task to complete and not nearly enough energy to do it.  So..........I must rethink things.

Now, since Hubs stroke and hypoglycemia issues, we have been following a much better diet and things have been going well with that.  It does make cooking easy because there is more of a formula and he is helping by grilling a good deal.  Steak or chicken with salad and a vegetable and a small amount of carb is the order of the day and is much less taxing on me but my problem is that I don’t plan and I am always forgetting something at the store which means I don’t always have what I need and that is frustrating.  So, I need to plan my meals.  We are eating out again but he is making good choices and his blood sugar has been in excellent control — to the point that his meds have been reduced and he might even be able to get off of the injectable.  So, that is great and the eating plan is making it easier for me.  But, I still need to plan.

The housework is a big problem for me.  I am lazy.  I don’t like to dust and dragging a large vacuum cleaner around is not my idea of something I jump up in the morning and yell “yay, let’s vacuum”.  So, I bought a Dyson cordless stick vac — the one for animal hair even though the Trixster doesn’t really shed.  It is a lifesaver.  And, the canister releases from the “stick” and I can use it to vacuum the furniture with the nifty little attachments.  It has been a good thing.  I have also gone from mop and bucket to the Bona floor care system.  It is helpful as well — especially with the untrainable Miss Trixster.  She is doing better with the potty pads and almost always “hits” them — expect for when she doesn’t but things have improved.  I feel accomplished in learning these new ways to do things but now I have to continue decluttering.  Today I am going to work on the massive magazine collection.  I love to take magazines but I need to move past saving them.  I have gotten to the point that I read them and toss them but I do have a rather large basket full of them to plow through.  That is on the list for today.

So, while I am not contemplating sharing any huge resolutions with you, I will be sharing changes I am making in my day to day life to try to make things easier for me as I age (yes I actually said that) and am finding things more difficult.  I don’t want to have to struggle and I don’t want to wallow in depression and anxiety because life is changing, I want to find new and better ways to do things so that I can continue to do the things I enjoy.

On that note I am off to Walmart! I never thought I would say that — I don’t like Walmart but the Hubs has a mission so off we go.

Have a great day!