Happy 2009

Well this feels more like a Sunday evening than Thursday but at any rate it feels good to be able to say tomorrow is TGIF. The extra bonus is that mister has made an appointment to have his truck serviced so I will be taking the 4-wheel drive to work.

We had a nice evening yesterday as we celebrated New Years with supper with friends and we all actually managed to stay awake until midnight too for the bubbly. Spent some time telling cruise stories – what fun is going on vacation if you can’t talk about it afterwards? We watched the celebration on TV but as usual didn’t spy any of our offspring. This year with the blizzard it sure looked cold! We were sure glad of the 4 wheel drive for the jaunt home, the whiteout conditions meant we followed the tire tracks of the vehicle ahead of us and were relieved they only slowed down to find their way, not stop in the middle of the road. We chose the front door as the drifts on the side meant we had to dig out and the sprint from the truck to the house was still through drifts over my boots.

I had announced my resolution to scrapbook at least once a week this year and since that is fun and doesn’t involve giving up or doing anything too physical…I may actually keep it. One of the websites had a list of possible resolutions and some of my favorites are here:

Be more spontaneous
When was the last time you did something spur-of-the-moment? Well, it’s time to embrace a more “why not?” mentality. “Being spontaneous shows that you’re not afraid to genuinely express who you are,” says C. Robert Cloninger, MD, author of Feeling Good: The Science of Well-Being. So add a dash of fun to your days. If your sister calls and invites you out at the last minute, go. (Your husband can watch the kids, can’t he?) If an ad for salsa lessons really catches your eye, don’t shrug it off; sign up. The bottom line: This year, whenever the prospect of something fun gives you a twinge of excitement, go for it.

Think like a kid
“When I taught kindergarten the kids would make up holidays, like the 100th day of school, and we’d have cupcakes,” says Kim Kotecki, coauthor of The Escape Plan: A 40-Day Plan to Annihilate the Adultitis in Your Life. Do the same: Cheer because it’s a sunny day. Have a cupcake just because it’s Wednesday.

Find the funny
Look for every opportunity to have a good guffaw. Play “telephone” when you get together with friends. The adult version is bound to be much more raucous than when you were children. Spend five minutes every day checking out funny websites like lolcats.com

Simplify without stress
Vow to purge one thing each month. By year’s end you’ll have cleared out lots of clutter with very little exertion.

Do something that scares you silly
Whatever gives you the willies—riding roller coasters, speaking in public, helping your son look for bugs in the backyard—make a promise to try doing it at least once during the year. “Conquering a fear is empowering,” says psychologist Laurie Nadel, PhD, author of Sixth Sense: Unlocking Your Ultimate Mind Power. “You’ll gain confidence, which carries over into other areas of your life.” Not sure you can do it? Diane Conway, author of What Would You Do If You Had No Fear? offers a few tips. Say it out loud to someone else; telling another person creates accountability. Ask for support from someone who’s done it. Who better to reassure you? Make a move: Get in the car, sign up, and pull on your garden gloves. The first step puts you that much closer to seeing it through.

Play a new kind of hide-and-seek
On separate pieces of paper, write down 15 fun things you’ve always wanted to do. Now put each sheet in a different spot: one between the pages of a book you plan to read. One tucked in the back of a kitchen cabinet. One placed between the towels in your linen closet. One in the pocket of a pair of jeans. During the year, whenever you come across a note, do whatever it says.

If you’d like to get into some deeper planning, here’s a website which will help you with personal mission statement planning:

http://www.timethoughts.com/goalsetting/mission-statements.htm

I’m still working on mine, but I gave up as my head was starting to hurt.

After sleeping in, brunch, and a review of Fawlty Towers videos, the shore captain plowed the driveway. I’ve spent the day catching up on the housework – the cleaning lady would’ve had a spell if she’d come today instead of tomorrow – and undecorating and putting away the holiday stuff. Always a sad chore, not just because it’s work but now the winter stretches ahead. Cooked a stew for supper and now am going to make good on my resolution for this week. Happy New Year.