New Year, New Hope, New Challenges!

It is hard to believe it has been eighteen months since my last post. What have I been doing...what should have been done...what is going to happen next?!?

What have I been doing?
More of the same
-cleaning
-swimming
-quilting and sewing
-shopping
-babysitting
-worrying about things I cannot control...

What should have been done?
-less cleaning - it is never unsanitary...if I would put things away when I should, there would be less to pick up and clean!
-more swimming and exercise - love the feeling afterward and the long-term benefits certainly outweigh the short investment of time!
-much more quilting and sewing - I am working hard to "shop in my cupboard" for beautiful fabrics rather then going out to buy more...of course, I still need to supplement - just not become a hoarder!
-shopping - I have cut down - not just because of the economy but because I can truly say "I have enough" and don't need everything I see in every color or shape available...just buy what I love or need when I need it!
-babysitting - at every opportunity - it is so much fun to see the world through the eyes of a little one - they have the most amazing observations about the world and life in general!
-worrying about most anything is fruitless...a better way would be to give thoughtful ideas to myself for a resolution and realize I cannot resolve certain things.

What is going to happen next?
New Year is the typical time to start a resolution to change behavior. I find the resolution idea to be frustrating and one that is set-up (for me, anyway) to fail. I would prefer to set up some behavorial changes that are reasonable, challenging, and provide a feeling of pride in the accomplishment.

Some changes I want to embrace for myself this year are:
-Increase my commitment to health
---add a walk in my weekly routine - maybe start with one time each week for an hour then as time permits and the weather cooperates, add a second one.
---decrease my dependence on Diet Coke. It is my last "vice" since I never smoked and have not had alcohol since 2003. For the past year or so, I have cut back to about four per day. For today, I will stop at three and decrease to one can per day within the year. I have always made sure to drink at least as much water as diet coke and now will increase to twice the water as diet coke each day.
---cut back on sweets and snack foods that are filled with additives, sugar, and salt. There are so many fresh oranges on our tree, bananas ready to harvest, lemons, limes, and tangerines are delicious and free! I can reduce my financial budget, increase nutrition, and use what is available from our trees therefore reducing another area of waste.
---reduce the time I worry about things that don't really matter...and provide thoughtful ideas for those areas that truly do matter.

-Increase sewing and quilting time
---this will help with my health commitment as I am away from the kitchen, concentrating on something other than worry, and provide a point of pride in my accomplishments.
---each day, I will work on a project, design something, and learn about more techniques. I realize that it is not practical or probable that I will sew each day but will use the time to read about new ideas or techniques.
---my list of "UFO's" is so long - it is embarrassing. Rather than worry about the list, I will work toward reducing it. I was able to finish three quilts in 2010, made two donation quilts, tote bags, and lots of little wallets to sell. This year,I will continue to make the wallets at my own pace, work on some projects that are started from past classes, and even have the ability to recycle those projects that I either do not like or give away to someone who may enjoy it.

-Babysitting
---While babysitting at my daughter's home, I will work on projects that are easy to take out and put away when the little one is home from school. Smaller quilt projects, pillowcases, and wallets are easy to do in this environment. Clothing for the little one, her dollies, and the puppy will also work well.
---I will take more time to spend outside walking with the puppy, walking little one to school, and playing at the playground...gosh, this will tie into a healthier lifestyle, too!
---We will read more books to each other and watch less tv.
---We will use her cookbook to make our dinner - more pride in our accomplishments and healthy good food...gosh, this is also tying into the health!

With all that I plan to do, there is not a lot of time left for useless worrying...this is wonderful news! I can take care of what I can and not worry about the rest!!!!

Life is good!!!