2024 - the End of the Year

It is hard to believe that 2024 is already over — it just flew by for me — but it is hard to believe  in that number — 2024 seems so space age and advanced.  For those of us who grew up in the 50’s the turn of the century seemed like a galaxy far away and yet here we are — 24 years into it already.  Mind boggling.

I have been tweaking my blog today in hopes of making it more attractive but I am afraid it is beyond my pay grade.  I used to like to change out the backgrounds and such but it used to be easier, I don’t have much luck with it anymore.  I will work on it.

I bought a new planner.  You wouldn’t think somebody my age would need a planner — like I was in college or something — but I do have a good number of things to keep up with.  Every morning I log my heart rate and my blood pressure so.I have a small notebook for that.  I have a pocket calendar that I keep up with and they are mostly scattered over the kitchen table so I decided to buy a planner that has areas to keep all those things in one place.  It is bigger which is inconvenient but maybe I will quit misplacing it.  My daughter has always kept a planner and she is very creative with it so I am going to take a page from her and try to make my planner creative as well — I will share when I start on it.

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My daughter is very artistic and crafty and her planner is lovely, full of details and collages so it will be difficult to keep up but I will make it my own - after copying hers a bit!

I am still collecting new card making supplies — like they say — shopping for a hobby is a hobby in itself!  I agree with that.  So, we will see if I can actually churn out something worth mailing to someone! Currently I am drawn to what they call “clean and simple” cards — lots of white background, a central focal point, very intentional — I am looking forward to trying it.

I am also planning on getting back to my cross stitch.  Arthritis in my hands is giving me some issues but I don’t intend to give up cross stitch and I have a few things started so I need to get busy.  I have let it all sit for way too long.  I am currently working on a pattern I bought in Colonial Williamsburg and I need to get back to it before I am hopelessly lost with it.  I have missed stitching, not sure why I got away from it but I intend to get back to it. 

And then there is the dreaded eating plan.  We have so many issues involving food around.. here that it is quite difficult to navigate around meals, snacks, etc. I have to lose weight but dealing with my husbands diabetic diet it is really hard to not dive into the cookie jar on the regular.  However, I am going to tackle it one day at a time, one meal at a time and — one cookie at a time.  It has to be done but it will be sad. No cookies.  Can’t even fathom it.

Reading will have a huge priority in my upcoming days.  I love to read.  When I was a child, pre-school, I would sit and marvel at my mother when she would read the newspaper — I distinctly remember asking her what it felt like to be able to read — to me it ws magical.  So, there will be a lot of that.  But no challenges.  Challenges sap the joy right out of it.  So, no arbitrary number of books to complete.  Just losing myself in a book for the fun of it.  

I am currently reading the second book in the Little Maudley series and I won’t be done in 2024 so it will be the first of the new year.

So, are these resolutions?  No, just an idea of how I want to spend 2025.  I want to enjoy things and do things I enjoy.  I want to focus on the joy that certain things bring me.  And right now, these are the things that bring me joy — art, books, stitching (but that is sort of art, isn’t it?) and all things beautiful.

I am looking forward to this new year and all these lovely things I intend to surround myself with!