Wednesday, January 18, 2012

The New Year

While I hate the idea of putting any unnecessary pressure on myself in the form of resolutions there are definitely some things I want to accomplish this year and since my blog is my way of journaling my thoughts I guess I am gonna put those hopes out there.

First, I really want to get back to blogging again, I have seem to have hit a wall last year and the longer I was away from it the harder it became to jump back in, so this is me jumping in. I miss the interaction with my fellow bloggers, I miss actually putting a thought down in writing, it somehow helps me to clarify my direction and focus in life zeroing in on who I really want to be and where I want to go.

I got divorced October 25th 2011 and that day marked the end of a long hard journey but now that it has all finally sunk in, I realize I came through it alive and well, and the old saying really is true, what does not kill you only makes you stronger. So, 2012 marks the beginning of a new life for me. I feel no need to reinvent myself only to be more genuinely me, to truly live the life that nurtures my soul and to be more present in the moment and to make sure that my family and friends know I am there for them and support them.

Next, like so many Americans I need to lose weight, and I want to do it in the most sensible of ways by eating more whole foods, fruits, veggies, lean cuts of meat, less simple carbs and by increasing my activity. Losing one half to a pound of week would be lovely but if I maintain and don't gain but have made choices I feel good about then I am fine with that. I absolutely refuse to jump on any diet trends I want to make lifestyle changes that don't make me feel like anything is off limits.  I love food I just need to love it in a little more moderation.

Declutter, declutter, declutter, that has got to be the theme of 2012, I am drowning in 29 years worth of stuff.
With the divorce somehow I became responsible for all of our accumulated junk and man do I have a hard time parting with that stuff,, but it is really time to get rid of lots of it. So in that spirit I am again aiming for small manageable goals, to rid stuffed to the rafters garage of one box a week. Since I am starting late in January I figure I can manage to get rid of at least 40 boxes this year giving much of it to local charities. that should be doable right? I just have to learn to let go, I am such a pack rat and I really want to simplify my life.

I want to amp up the gardening efforts even more, maybe add a couple of more raised beds. The fall garden has been absolutely wonderful, my daughter in law and I have grown broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, lettuce, spinach, cabbage, collard greens,onions and herbs this fall and winter with really good success. I have discovered my grandsons will eat any green veggie when mixed with fruit as a smoothy via my Vitamix. Getting ready order the spring seeds and start them indoors soon.

Professionally, I have a goal to sit for my CCRN which is a certification for Critical Care Nurses that involves a really difficult test, so I plan to study for a year and take the test at the beginning of 2013 again not putting too much pressure on myself but taking it on in little chunks.

Lastly, I want to continue to focus on building up my pantry and cooking meals from scratch. I hardly buy convenience foods but there are some things my youngest son really loves like pizza and frozen burritos so I am hoping to convince him to learn to make his own versions from scratch, he likes to cook so it will be a fun project for us to experiment with together.

I am looking forward to the challenges of new year, I still am working way more than I want to be but for the next 3-4 years it is what I need to do to get to where I want to be so I will find ways to make it work and still have some quality of life. For me that means making sure to get plenty of rest, not allowing my inner critique to get the best of me and by reminding myself to be fully present at work, at home with my family, out with the horses and in the garden. I have so much to be grateful for, now I just need to focus on enjoying it all while working towards where I want to be say five years from now but that  is topic for another day.

To Blog or Not To Blog,,,

In January of last year I sat down and wrote a post from the RV I was living in at the time. I thought then that I really wanted to get bac...