New Beginnings

You know what I love best about the New Year? Getting a new calendar. I love opening it up for the first time and seeing all those blank days, just waiting to be filled with adventures and opportunities. I always shop around for a weekly calendar, because that works best with our busy household. You can see the entire weeks activities and appointments at a single glance, so you can prepare for what is to come. And then... I start filling the pages. School. Appointments. TDY's. Vacations. Birthdays. Coffee with friends. Everything goes in my little calendar. In it's own way, it tells the story of our lives. Hope your calendar is filled with endless possibilities for the New Year.

New Year's Eve

As 2009 hobbles out on it's walker, we are preparing to celebrate the birth of 2010. I'm not a huge fan of New Years Resolutions. This is probably because I, like most people, tend to aim just a little too high. You know how it is...get in shape, stop eating junk food, exercise every day (who are we kidding with that one?), save X amount of money, ...the list goes on and on. Let's face it, by the third week of January, the resolutions are out the window and life is back to normal. All good intentions are laid to rest. It's a shame, really. This year, I'm going to try to do a little better. I'm going to try to pick more attainable goals...things that I should do every day anyway, but sometimes I just need to be nudged to remember them. So here goes...

1. I will try to remember the hubby's motto of "Is there any added value...?" This is really a great thing to remember. It relates to just about everything. Before I react to situations (or people) that irritate me, I will stop and think for a minute. Is there any added value in saying or doing something rude in return? Will it change anything? Will it make anything better? Probably not. Best to just let it go.
2. I will try to add just a little less sugar to my morning coffee, eat one less piece of delectable Belgian chocolate, get a slightly smaller serving at mealtime. The little things add up.
3. I will try and visit the gym. I hear it's a lovely building with interesting and educational equipment in it. If I'm lucky, I might even climb on one of the machines and ...exercise. Baby steps...baby steps....Remember, the key to success lies in attainable goals.
4. I will try to learn a little more Nederlands (Dutch). Apparently, being able to order basic items off of the menu and saying "please", "thank you", and "the boy is reading" in Nederlands is not quite enough to successfully carry on a conversation with the locals. Who'd have thought?
5. I will buy one less item at the antique store. Well, maybe not. Let's not get carried away here.

That should just about do it. I think these goals are more than reasonable. Attainable. Easy to remember. These are my kind of goals. I wish all of you well on this fine New Year's Eve. It's been a good year. 2010 promises to be just as enjoyable, only with a little less sugar. I'm just saying.