Creating a realistic New Year list of goals

Melissa, over at the Inspired Room pulled me up short this morning and made me stop to think, something I try not to do on a Saturday morning! She used that word I used to hate..."goals"...UGH! Goals used to bring a cold chill down my spine...something you HAVE to do and SHOULD accomplish and if you don't, well, then you feel you've FAILED. Horrors, sounds awful, doesn't it? But, Melissa managed to peak my interest and to also prod me into thinking of a few goals for myself. All of us have this bright, shiny New Year, glistening in all its youth, challenging people all over this earth to make heartfelt promises and to write down goals and to rise to do our very best for ourselves and for those we love and for mankind.

So, Melissa, I will commit to some goals for the year. They may not be as lofty as yours, but here goes:

Sleep-overs: There will be a sleep-over with my grandchildren at least once a month, hopefully twice a month. We will bake cookies, watch movies, eat popcorn, laugh, giggle, stay up too late and sleep in on Saturday morning. We will make memories that will keep me warm when the cold winds of winter chill my heart and memories that will warm those children when I am gone. I hope they will remember those sleep-over memories when they have grandchildren and want to plan a fun time with little ones. (We made potholders for their parents on a sleep-over in December. I took photos and made a collage, below, to give to Jeff and Cindy so the boys and I could share with them our "crafty" sleep-over. I'm thinking of button picture frames for us to make for Mother's Day.)

Friends: I will stay in touch with my friends and get in touch with friends I have lost contact with over time. A few years ago an old friend found me after 20 years. I treasure our renewed contact and hope to find one friend that I have lost touch with and foster a new relationship.

Family: I will make more time for my family. More dinners at my place. More phone calls. More cards. More letters. More pictures. More, more, more.

Health: I will continue on my path to lasting health and will reach my weight goal by June 1st finally getting rid of the pounds I put on when I stopped smoking. I will encourage those who feel hopeless and hope to inspire those who need a little push when they feel a bit discouraged.

My gardens: I will plant at least three additional perennials in the gardens that surround my home and will finally plant that tree in the front of the property that I have promising myself I would do for the past five years.

Saving: I will be consistent in my saving and see it not as a sacrifice but as a gift to myself.

Lists: I will make realistic lists for myself in the morning. No more of those that cover both sides of a piece of paper and make me feel like I didn't do enough at the end of the day.

HOOKED ON HOUSES and HOOKED ON BLOGS!

Just browsing the blogs as I usually do in the evening. To me, it's like strolling along a lovely boardwalk full of specialty shops filled with everything I love. HOOKED ON HOUSES hosted a "Hooked on Fridays" blog party. For the most part, I couldn't think of a thing that I was actually hooked to until the fog cleared and I saw that it was right before my nose! I'm hooked, totally hooked, on strolling through blogs for recipes, decorating ideas, to see what Cindy has done next at My Romantic Home. I've found sweet things to make at Etsy, great things to buy, nummy things to bake and cook, never in my life did I think that blogs could provide so, so much and with a tremendous amount of "eye-candy". So I guess I'm hooked on blogs, for right now, at least for today, and maybe for tomorrow and possibly until next months and maybe into next year. So many blogs, so little time. I'd like to thank the host of this little gathering because without her Friday blog party I wouldn't have completely been able to confess that I have become a blog-a-holic!

If I'm cleaning a closet, I want a cupcake, too!

My gosh, it's been a busy time for me. I thought I'd begin the New Year by NOT sitting around and by being much more responsible when it comes to cleaning out all of those nooks and crannies, you know the ones, that seem to never be explored until you've lost something and can't find it. So, yesterday began my journey into the black holes that are often referred to as my closets and cupboards. I tied a rope to my ankle and then to my bed-post, because you never know when something in one of those dark places is going to want to pull you in! Once I had crawled to the back of my walk-in closet, true to form, I couldn't just sort and toss away quickly; I had to sit on the floor, flashlight in hand, to read and to touch and to think and to go down memory lane...just a little bit. Rosemary, my Lassie kitty (that's another story), played with ribbon she found in a box and then curled up on my legs to take a purring snooze as I drifted into a place in my heart that held memories, oh, so dear. Crochet, knitting and craft patterns were held in my hands almost reverently. Patterns I had used to make gifts, patterns I always wanted to use, but didn't, and some that still made me yearn for a comfy seat, a crochet hook, some quality yarn, and the utter pleasure of creating with your hands a goodie for someone who is near and dear to your heart.

I browsed oodles of patterns and pattern books for making all sorts of doll clothes, most are crochet which is my craft of choice. I was brutally honest with myself, and kept in a little pile the ones that I know for sure that I will eventually make for my grandchild, Rachel, and those that were orphans, no home and no purpose and in desperate need of someone to love them and use them and appreciate them. It looks like I have my work cut out for me for the rest of the week. I'll be scanning and editing and loading the ones that I would like to pass to someone else into eBay for auction; hoping that there is someone else on this planet that enjoys crochet and dolls and little girls just as much as I do. I waited a long time for Rachel to be born. She's the only girl out of my seven precious grandchildren. God, in his generous blessing on my heart, gave me just what I wanted and prayed for: a six pack of little boys with one little girl, as perfect as a pink rose, to sweeten up the mix.



It will probably take me a month of Sundays to accomplish all I hope to do this brand New Year but that's OK. Along with the clean closets and cupboards I'll gain a deep satisfaction in knowing that my long-stored goodies and crochet and craft patterns with either be used by me or will find a new home.

And, being one who always enjoys a little rainbow waiting for me at the end of particularly arduous task, in the late afternoon I let my fingers do the walking on my laptop looking for recipes and ideas for cupcakes. Why cupcakes? Oh, you know they're all the rage now, but that wasn't even close to my desire to find just the place to search out a nummy cupcake recipe along with an easy, decorative hint...one that little hands could easily manage. When I have my grandsons for a sleep-over, it's fun to do something a little (skip this if you have sensitive eyes) artsey-fartsey. I found a blog filled with so many recipes that I'll have to live to be one hundred to make, bake and eat all of them. If you love cupcakes and you enjoy reading recipes like I do and you see little cupcakes as mini-works-of-art, slide on over to Cupcake Recipes believe me, you are in for a treat! This talented lady "from across the pond" has several blogs filled with recipes, but cupcakes was what I was after and cupcakes is what I found. Just don't go there hungry...you'll be sorry if you do! Aren't they just the sweetest works of art? It's going to be difficult to pick a recipe for the boys and I to make so I think I'll select a few and let them make the decision for me.


OK, now back to the closet...did I just hear something rattling around behind the door? Now, where's that ankle rope? You can never be too cautious!