February, Day 2
Hello, lovelies.
I slept in the spare bedroom last night.
No, we did not partake in our first kerfuffle on the eve of our three-month anniversary. Dustin’s sick. And while I’m a firm believer in toughing it out with the one you love, he mentioned sleeping upstairs might behoove us both: me, so I don’t wake up every time he coughs, flops around, gets up, or despairs, aloud; and him, so he doesn’t feel bad every time he coughs, flops around, gets up, or despairs, aloud.
So, I trudged myself upstairs and settled in to the guestroom.
Once there, I learned a thing or two: one, our spare bed is quite delightful. So we’ll need to make sure and only offer it to those we know will actually leave. And two, sound carries. So no tomfoolery for us whilst said guests are there. I mean, really . . .
In other news: Puxatony Phil saw his shadow. That’s six more weeks of winter. At the very least, I’m hoping cold and flu season calls it early. It’s definitely worn out its welcome.
Needless to say, I hope this finds you well. May the days ahead be filled with rest and relaxation, warmth and comfort–a good downtime, so you can wake up and slay dragons next week . . .
xo
Setting our sights
To me, “Resolutions” tends to have the same effect as “diet”–mere mention of the word develops something of a nervous twitch and just like that, I’ve set on a course destined for failure.
Yet, I’m a firm believer in taking inventory: looking back at where you’ve been and looking ahead at where you want to go; offering thanks for how far you’ve come and forgiveness for all the ways you’ve failed; plotting your course and setting your guideposts for the days and months ahead; wiping the dust of one year from your feet and continuing down the road that makes up the next.
In other words, I’m a firm believer in getting up and trying again.
With that, my goals for the year tend to differ ever so slightly from one year to the next. Sure, I need to get this whole wife thing down, but other than that, my goals haven’t changed all that much. You being my witnesses, here’s a sampling of my big plans . . .
Read more. Awhile back Dustin asked if everything but the office had been moved to the new place. Well . . . I wasn’t quite sure how to break it to him that I have about twenty more boxes of books to move over. With that, the goal to “read more” seems absurd. But it’s true! Last year was such a blur, I got out of the habit–and I barely noticed its absence (which is totally out of character). So I need to get back to it. Not only that, but I want to read for friends (hello, book club) and read for me; read to expand my mind and read to turn off my brain for a bit. And while I tend to shy away from annual reading lists, I at least want to make it through the books bought on our honeymoon.
Keep in touch. If there’s one thing we learn as we age, it’s that life is fragile. And we’re oh-so blessed to have family and friends. It would behoove us to let them know. For me, that means more notes, more cards, more letters to those I love most. But first, I’ve got to get those wedding thank-yous done.
Go on an adventure (or two, or three). The where is not as important as the what on this one: see a few new sights; snap a few photos. Relax. Explore. Eat good food; enjoy good conversation. And make grand new memories.
Make music. Pick the violin back up was on my list before I met (and married) a musician. Of all my goals, this is the most disconcerting. I mean really. Who wants to endure the screechy menace that is a rusty strings player? Do stay tuned . . .
Finish a story. I dare not contemplate how long this has been on the list. But I’m nothing if not determined. Also, be it known: I made great strides last year in bidding a regular freelance gig farewell, all because it ate up way too much of my time . . . time I could be using to write my own material. Of course, I then chose to plan a wedding in its stead. All the same, the very fact that I got married stands as proof: anything is possible.
And you?
Of course, once we’ve set our sights, the question remains: shall we prevail? No doubt it will be something akin to most years: we’ll win some and we’ll lose some. But win or lose, the important thing is moving forward. And that, my friends, we most certainly can do. Just one foot in front of the other, as long as we’ve breath . . .
Here’s to getting it together
Well, hello.
Given the radio silence as of late, you may be tempted to think I’ll be no better at writing than I was last year. But let’ us not rush to conclusions, shall we?
One, I managed to pick up that wretched stuff that’s been going around. It’s been three weeks, and I still feel as though germs lurk in the shadows, just waiting for their chance to attack yet again. Two, my office has yet to be set up in the new place (ridiculous, I know). Three, Chinese New Year remains a good few weeks away; and I’m a firm believer that you have until that time to get your act together.
January, don’t you know, is just a trial run.
With that, I hope this finds you well. And whether you’ve got it all together (or nothing of the sort), I hope you continue to laugh, continue to try, continue to believe. For tomorrow, my friends, is a new day . . .
xo
P.S. Don’t you just love these floating quotes by Burnt Branch? I’m pretty sure I need one . . . just as soon as my temporary spending freeze has lifted. Weddings, ugh. They aren’t kidding when they say they’re expensive.