Happy New Year! I hope that you had a safe, enjoyable, and memorable New Year celebration. Ours was particularly memorable because our family finally celebrated our Christmas and opened gifts! After hours of family togetherness, we all opted for some free time. I text my walking buddy and inquired about a walk. She was ready to go and go we did.
We had a wonderful walk New Year’s day. We recapped much of what we were grateful for in 2015. I’m especially grateful that she’s turned me from a fair weather walker to a year around walker. Toward the end of our walk, color washed away the pale sky and turned it into a spectacular sight.
Walking, although it takes time and energy, is one of the things that fills me up. I love the company, fresh air, scenery (did I mention squirrels?), therapy talking sessions, and prayer. It was the perfect way to usher in the new year and My January Rest. Since I was diagnosed with osteoporosis last month, lots of bone-jarring, pounding the pavement is in my daily forecast regardless of the weather forecast. While yesterday we walked and ushered in the evening, today we tackled morning. And it was a beautiful, brisk, sunny morning!
I don’t think I have ever seen as many squirrels at one time. There must have been about 15 scampering around on the ground and many more basking in the sun on the branches overhead; it was a mere 26 degrees—16 with wind chill—but it felt delightful with the sun! And the squirrels couldn’t agree more. The trees were alive…with squirrels.
MJR has gotten off to a slow start with celebrating Christmas on the 1st. While I haven’t specifically said no sugar this month, as I did another year, I do plan on resting from partaking of most sugar. Since we were celebrating Christmas I tried some Christmas candy we opened and one of my mother-in-law’s Christmas cookies. Exceptions will be: when we have special family times or company. And I am sure you will hear of any infractions, for example when I wanted to try my daughters biscuit and gravy potato chips that she got for Christmas. She reminded me that I wasn’t eating processed food. I tasted three of them and they were good!
The other interesting development (ok let’s just spit it out, I shopped!) was that I forgot to purchase the book I’ll be using with my study group in January. So, I ordered it at around 2:00am on the first, then I slept…does that count? I should have purchased it in December, but our schedules have been mixed up and we had the bug in December so there were a few things that were neglected. Sigh. Life happens.
Shopping in December can be such a mind game. I do not try to stock up or investigate what I’ll run out of, in order to shop in December before MJR. However, the reality is that at times I notice I’m running low on something and that’s when the dilemma begins. Do I or don’t I purchase it? Most of the time I do not.
I think we will run out of napkins this January. I told my daughter to conserve them. We use them to eat on, clean up messes, dry things, and many other used besides using them as a napkin. Today, I spilled something and started to grab one, remembered our limited supply and instead went to get the dishrag. If we run out, we will use cloth napkins. That won’t be so bad. Toilet paper however will be replenished. End of story.
My concerned daughter showed me we were running low on milk left. She thought we had to make that last all month. That is when I explained “staples” and not the metal kind. She was relieved. However for me, I haven’t been drinking milk, but using coconut milk and I may not replenish it. That was one item I knew I’d run out of and thought about getting another container, but didn’t. Time will tell, but I don’t consider it a necessity.
A new dilemma developed when my daugher wanted to use her Christmas money to purchase a shirt was was on sale today only. My husband was going to be gone, so he couldn’t take her to the store and I didn’t want to do it. Stress. She wanted the shirt. I didn’t want to shop—read my lips—MY JANUARY REST. My husband wasn’t available AND the shirt was going off sale. Great, just great!
I am happy to report that it all worked out. My industrious hubby found the shirt online and we were fortunate that it came with free shipping. Problem solved. I helped her verify it was the correct shirt and size, but then turned the transaction over to him to complete before the day’s end. MJR was easier when she was younger! Challenges are part of what makes MJR interesting and sometimes fun; I’ve been challenged plenty in my two short days. I have more to write but will save it for next time.
While reviewing posts I realized that I never published My January Rest Recap from 2015! I said I would and my word is my word, so watch for it.
Uncovered 