The first of many posts in 2013....and other goals I might not achieve

Well, my dear aunt requested that I increase my blogs to something better than 2 or 3/year, which didn't seem too tall an order to fill...and, I like my aunt a lot.

So here we are.

At the beginning of each year, I think we all, as individuals, tend to be a bit nostalgic, a bit hopeful, a bit self-loathing and a bit arrogant.

Otherwise, why would such a large percentage of us think that this will be the year when we achieve all of our goals, and that we might do so without needing to bother with all of the stumbling blocks that have crossed our path in years prior?!

I've never been super-obsessed with coming up with resolutions each January 1, but I do think there's wisdom in evaluating the direction of things in my life, with the understanding that there will need to be some tweaking done if my goals are to be met...and the understanding, too, that I'm probably not going to get to all of those things this year, either.  But, I also think that it is helpful to take a look at the accomplishments of the previous year.  Perhaps a lot of them weren't directly related to pre-set goals, but there were some pretty great things that happened, and it is nice to remember those things, too.

So that's where I'll start.

I didn't achieve all of my goals last year.  I have a long way to go.  But here's some of the good stuff that happened last year:

1. I lost 40 pounds and knocked 95 points off of my cholesterol.
2. I installed new tile flooring in the kitchen.
3. I painted the kitchen, living room, hall, foyer, front door, garage door and shutters.
4. I began to write letters to Andy in a notebook that he will, hopefully, receive at his high school graduation.
5. I (and my doctor) successfully eliminated both prescriptions that I had previously expected to need for life.
6. I learned how to be a better wife and mother.
7. I made fudge for the first-and second-time.
8. I finished reading 39 books that I actually remembered to document and several more that I'm sure I've forgotten.
9. I found ways to increase our giving without increasing our spending by just shifting things around a bit.
10. I had a few successful new flowers and new vegetables in the garden that managed to flourish.

Not too shabby.

Looking forward, I guess I just want to be in a place where I expect good things, but don't demand too much; where I notice more things when I can make a positive contribution, but butt out of the things where the same is not true; I want to make positive changes in my own life, but be nicer to myself when I screw up.  And, I want to run a 10k.

But, in the end, I only have so much control over the things that happen around--and to--me.  So, here's to a year of joys and fears, rain and sunshine, new big steps forward and same old big steps back, giant clouds and silver linings.  Hopefully, I come out a better person in 2014...but if I come out of it at all, then I can count myself blessed.