Now, that was a week!

So we are sneaking up on the big holiday and I've had a multitude of special Christmas happenings already.  I mean, it's a good one, 2018, and we aren't even "there" yet!

A quick review of my last few days.  It's been busy and fun, and even though I ended my week with a bit of a virus, I wouldn't trade this week.  First, my husband and his valued crew host a holiday luncheon for their customers each year.  It's always nicely attended and appreciated.  This year, they recognized husband's upcoming retirement, too.  I went, along with our two-year old grandson, who had been charged to me for the day.  Grandbaby was a dream, husband was pleased and humble.  It was a great afternoon. 

Next, our son flew in from California for an extended weekend and we were super happy to have him around for a few days.  He looks good, he seems well and is a survivor of the bumps in his road this year.  Was really good to see him. 

Our family attended our local hospital's annual presentation of "Holiday at the Pops", with the local county symphony, and some special guests, including the children's choir our granddaughter participates in.  It was very, very good and the auditorium, which is also where her mom and dad had their wedding reception, housed a full audience.  It was hard not to think about that wonderful December night sixteen years ago, watching those two very young people, start their lives together, as they watched their lovely daughter. They were proud parents to be sure, and the children's choir was fabulous.  Our youngest daughter and son-in-law and their family had driven up for the evening, so our family was complete.

The next day was our annual family Cookie Sunday.   Again, our whole family in attendance, visiting with their cousins, kids running through the house, babies cooing and drooling...it was another wonderful day.  Much laughter, much food, many, many cookies.  It can be difficult to find the right date for this yearly celebration, but we do our best to get as many of us there as we can.  Its a beautiful thing. 

I became victim to a bit of a virus following Cookie Sunday and had to pass on riding along to return our son to the airport on Tuesday, and spent much of a couple of days supine on the couch, not even watching television.  I spent a lot of the time asleep, and a lot of the time wishing I could get up to do something.  After wrapping five presents and then having to sleep for two hours, I just resolved to pick it back up in a couple days. 

Friday night this week the children's choir has their own concert and we are very much looking forward to it.  The next morning we set off for Indianapolis to see the Nutcracker presented by the Indianapolis School of Ballet.  Our granddaughter gets to sit in the audience this year, and I will admit to being a little sad for that...but then I think about how she is just around the corner from me now, singing in the local children's choir, taking ballet at a new studio and enjoying her lake home.  Its a trade-off, yes, but its a solid trade. 

Forward, ho.

Moving forward to making some adjustments – financially, physically, emotionally, digging deep into things I was pretty sure I “just knew” to be true, clearing away some old habits and thoughts – I started a list.  My list contains areas where I would like adjustments, change, new outlooks, discussions and hey, things to keep.  You already know I am a list person, so a list shouldn’t be surprising, right?

What the list is, however, is evolving.  Living, really.  I make the list in my head, I think about the item I just put on the list and scratch it off or suspend it, or move it to the top I think its so vital and fantastic.  But, because my memory is not as great as it use to be (don’t tell my husband, I can still fool him in to thinking I remember something he does not, or have told him something that I maybe really did forget to mention), I have to write a large percentage of my thoughts down.  Sometimes I am of the mind that if I can’t remember the list, the list isn’t right.  Other times I recognize that the list is to be respected, so give it full attention and, shoot, go ahead and write that on the list.

I have many notebooks and if you read some previous blog posts, you know that I started a bullet journal of sorts earlier this year.  I have narrowed down that process quite a bit…the “experts” in this field would have you journaling all dang day…to just what I found I need.  A calendar, a list of books to read, a travel planner, a habit tracker (sorta) and meals and groceries make up my main pages.  There’s a few others that pop up once in a while, but mostly that’s it.

So for 2019 I am adding a new “favorite” to my planner/journal for areas I want to adjust, and will set some goals in order to meet those adjustments and frankly, I needed to think about how to get there, think about who I am.  Fact is this…I love to talk about things.  I love to discuss things with people I care about, or even people I just met. I like finding common ground.  I like to squint my eyes at them and say “You know?”.  I like learning things, reading up on stuff, discovering something new, on a wide range of topics.

 

You may know that Oprah says “This I know for sure…” Steve Jobs had “One more thing..” Now both of these mantras tie people to each other, or to a common thing and both these folks save this point til the end of their presentation.  Oprah bases hers in the human existence, and is usually near the last page of her magazine.  Jobs was more in the technology of humanity and spoke it at the end of an annual conference, but, they vie to bring us to a common place…connectivity.

 

Connectivity. My first adjustment goal.  I guess, truly, I have been practicing connectivity through this blog for a while.  It’s a little one sided, however, isn’t it?   One of the things I know about myself is I quite enjoy entertaining.  I like small groups,  I like discussions, I like to discover stuff and I like entertaining.  I can bring those things together.  Reach out to me if you think this is something you might be interested in, too.  I know a lot of small groups have what I will call themes…like knitting or bible studies or even homemaking tips and tricks, essential oils classes or  yoga.  I don’t have a theme, not necessarily even seeking a theme.  I enjoy open discussion, open laughter, open hearts and minds.
   

Let me know, and let the adjusting begin.