Another New Year Rolls Around
Jan. 2nd, 2011 11:41 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
aearwenIt's already the second day of January, 2011! How time flies!
Last year was a rough one: my youngest moved away to Oregon with his new wife and her mom - only to end up separating from new wife, leaving with essentially the clothes on his back and little else, to start a completely new life for himself; my husband, after having progressed with his health to the point that he cleaned out and reclaimed the shop as his own (from here on in, to be referred to in this journal as his "Man-Cave™") ended up with a strep infection in his leg landing him in the hospital on IV antibiotics for three days; and my own arthritis and consequences of a probable torn rotator cuff (not officially diagnosed, for several reasons) making it nigh on impossible for me to walk and/or do much else.
Mind you, we had good things happen too: daughter Súl has taken charge of her life and quite literally lost enough weight that she is half the person she used to be - and acquiring friends with whom she enjoys going out with and actually having an Active Social Life™; hubby making good use of his "Man-Cave™" to build (1) a bookcase and (2) a computer desk for Súl, (3) an oaken storage case for a friend, and (4) rebuild an under-the-windows bookcase, as well as strip and refinish two end tables - one for Súl and one for me. He's also taken on the monumental task of rejuvenating our mahogany veneer panelling in our living and dining rooms with a personal set of recipes for (1) boiled linseed oil & paint thinner to clean and recharge, followed by (2) a slurry of beeswax, linseed oit & paint thinner to gloss and polish. We replaced the over 50-yr-old carpetting in the hallway and my room after repainting the room. We've repaired plumbing problems of long standing, fixed the grape arbor so we don't have to worry about it falling in again for a few years, and eliminated two dumpstersfull of crappola that has accumulated around here for the past 46 years. While the house desperately needs a paint job, otherwise, the place is in better shape than it's been in nearly 20 yrs.
With any luck, 2011 will see the completion of the panelling-rejuvenation, a small remodelling of the mantle arrangement that will see two bookcases installed, one on either side, a more finished "look" around the blue tiles that frame the Ben Franklin stove, and a new carpet in the living & dining rooms. Súl's life will progress, with an anticipated trip to a beauty convention in Long Beach in Feb, perhaps a trip to visit my brother in AZ in March, and enjoying the fact that she's in one of the few truly recession-proof industries (she's a damned good manicurist, who is so busy she actually can no longer take new clients.) Squeek, in Oregon, will continue to get his feet back under him financially and emotionally. He is still intending to make his new life up there, so we'll see how that goes. Hopefully, somewhere along the way, he'll be able to make it home for a little while. Bill's health will improve (with me watching him like a hawk so he doesn't get another of those darned infections!!) Once the weather eases with the coming of Spring, hopefully I can get back out and walk again - and it would be nice if my Muse would come back full-steam.
I'll close with some sane and thoughtful New Year's resolutions I posted under the cut last year, but I think I'll leave out in the open this year. As stated before, I believe these came from Dear Abby:
Just for today: I will live through this day only. I will not brood about yesterday or obsess about tomorrow. I will not set far-reaching goals or try to overcome all of my problems at once.
Just for today: I will be happy. I will not dwell on thoughts that depress me. If my mind fills with clouds, I will chase then away and fill it with sunshine.
Just for today: I will accept what is. I will face reality. I will correct those things that I can correct, and accept those I cannot.
Just for today: I will improve my mind. I will read something that requires effort, thought, and concentration. I will not be a mental loafer.
Just for today: I will make a conscious effort to be agreeable. I will be kind and courteous to those who cross my path, and I'll not speak ill of others. I will improve my appearance, speak softly, and not interrupt when someone else is talking.
Just for today: I will refrain from improving anybody but myself.
Just for today: I will do something positive to improve my health. If I'm a smoker, I'll quit. If I am overweight, I will eat healthfully - if only just for today. And not only that, I will get off the couch and take a brisk walk, even if it's only around the block.
Just for today: I will gather the courage to do what is right and take responsibility for my own actions.
Happy New Years, everyone!
Last year was a rough one: my youngest moved away to Oregon with his new wife and her mom - only to end up separating from new wife, leaving with essentially the clothes on his back and little else, to start a completely new life for himself; my husband, after having progressed with his health to the point that he cleaned out and reclaimed the shop as his own (from here on in, to be referred to in this journal as his "Man-Cave™") ended up with a strep infection in his leg landing him in the hospital on IV antibiotics for three days; and my own arthritis and consequences of a probable torn rotator cuff (not officially diagnosed, for several reasons) making it nigh on impossible for me to walk and/or do much else.
Mind you, we had good things happen too: daughter Súl has taken charge of her life and quite literally lost enough weight that she is half the person she used to be - and acquiring friends with whom she enjoys going out with and actually having an Active Social Life™; hubby making good use of his "Man-Cave™" to build (1) a bookcase and (2) a computer desk for Súl, (3) an oaken storage case for a friend, and (4) rebuild an under-the-windows bookcase, as well as strip and refinish two end tables - one for Súl and one for me. He's also taken on the monumental task of rejuvenating our mahogany veneer panelling in our living and dining rooms with a personal set of recipes for (1) boiled linseed oil & paint thinner to clean and recharge, followed by (2) a slurry of beeswax, linseed oit & paint thinner to gloss and polish. We replaced the over 50-yr-old carpetting in the hallway and my room after repainting the room. We've repaired plumbing problems of long standing, fixed the grape arbor so we don't have to worry about it falling in again for a few years, and eliminated two dumpstersfull of crappola that has accumulated around here for the past 46 years. While the house desperately needs a paint job, otherwise, the place is in better shape than it's been in nearly 20 yrs.
With any luck, 2011 will see the completion of the panelling-rejuvenation, a small remodelling of the mantle arrangement that will see two bookcases installed, one on either side, a more finished "look" around the blue tiles that frame the Ben Franklin stove, and a new carpet in the living & dining rooms. Súl's life will progress, with an anticipated trip to a beauty convention in Long Beach in Feb, perhaps a trip to visit my brother in AZ in March, and enjoying the fact that she's in one of the few truly recession-proof industries (she's a damned good manicurist, who is so busy she actually can no longer take new clients.) Squeek, in Oregon, will continue to get his feet back under him financially and emotionally. He is still intending to make his new life up there, so we'll see how that goes. Hopefully, somewhere along the way, he'll be able to make it home for a little while. Bill's health will improve (with me watching him like a hawk so he doesn't get another of those darned infections!!) Once the weather eases with the coming of Spring, hopefully I can get back out and walk again - and it would be nice if my Muse would come back full-steam.
I'll close with some sane and thoughtful New Year's resolutions I posted under the cut last year, but I think I'll leave out in the open this year. As stated before, I believe these came from Dear Abby:
Just for today: I will live through this day only. I will not brood about yesterday or obsess about tomorrow. I will not set far-reaching goals or try to overcome all of my problems at once.
Just for today: I will be happy. I will not dwell on thoughts that depress me. If my mind fills with clouds, I will chase then away and fill it with sunshine.
Just for today: I will accept what is. I will face reality. I will correct those things that I can correct, and accept those I cannot.
Just for today: I will improve my mind. I will read something that requires effort, thought, and concentration. I will not be a mental loafer.
Just for today: I will make a conscious effort to be agreeable. I will be kind and courteous to those who cross my path, and I'll not speak ill of others. I will improve my appearance, speak softly, and not interrupt when someone else is talking.
Just for today: I will refrain from improving anybody but myself.
Just for today: I will do something positive to improve my health. If I'm a smoker, I'll quit. If I am overweight, I will eat healthfully - if only just for today. And not only that, I will get off the couch and take a brisk walk, even if it's only around the block.
Just for today: I will gather the courage to do what is right and take responsibility for my own actions.
Happy New Years, everyone!
