Eight years later...

 Here I am again and oddly enough I'm restarting the same book as when I made my last blog post. A lot has happened since the last post. I moved, I changed jobs twice, I got married, I had a stroke, recovered from the stroke, and the grandchildren have multiplied to 10! I have had blessings galore. Even the stroke can be considered a blessing. Why? Because since I met my husband (reconnected I should say) my lifestyle changed - eating out too much, eating the wrong foods, stopped exercising, and gained weight. I don't think I would have changed the poor diet and lack of exercise had I not had the stroke. It's been over a year now. I've made small progress, very small during the holiday season, But progress just the same. Now I have goals to reach before I see my PCP in April. I haven't made New Year's resolutions in years, but this year I'm making a few. I'll call them New Year's goals. 

2024 Goals

• Healthy diet and consistent exercise, starting with my PT - Diet has been okay, exercise non-existent. No excuses here, but I have an injured knee, as well as some arthritis. My stationary bike helps when I do it, and I have a Chair Yoga program to do. Accountability starts now! 
• Patience and grace - sorely lacking, although I have been able to "tune out" more with the patience. I think I'm good with grace for other people, but I need to work on giving myself some grace. 
• Read more, watch TV less - my goal is read one book each month and do one Bible Study at least every three months. My current one is a 90 day study and I'll continue the monthly or 90-day studies throughout the year. 
• Declutter my life - I'm at the age where I think about my kids having to go through my things after I'm gone. I don't want them to have to deal with that. My mother was a minimalist so hers was easy. I'm quite the opposite. I have started the declutter project. My Bible Study goes into decluttering every aspect of our lives, and I have started with my personal things. My vanity drawers were crammed full of makeup, skin care, and hair products, most of which I don't use. I have sensitivities to strong scents and the products with strong scents went first. Then the makeup, skin care, and hair products went. I still have too much, but that's another issue that will be dealt with. It may not be "toot sweet" but it will happen. 
• Keep better watch on my health - elevated BP, overweight, one year history of stroke, knee injury that has gone on for way too long, past due mammogram, and too much NSAIDs intake when I'm not supposed to have any at all because of low functioning kidney. 
• Start my book - I'm writing a book for my children and grandchildren about history and stories of their relatives. I have regrets that I didn't ask my parents, grandparents, and great-parents al the questions and I hope to hand my kiddos and grand-kiddos their family history all bound in a pretty little book. 
• Work on my small business - I have slacked off since my stroke. It's time to get back in the saddle and do it. It's relaxing to me to create in any form, so it's good for my mental health. 

That is it! May the new year bring us many blessings and flourish in ways that make us happy and healthy. I'm raising my cup of homemade cold brew to toast the year!