A Clean Slate

New Year's Day 2013.  A Clean Slate.

I'm not one to beat myself up about not living up to New Year's Resolutions, but I do like the idea of a new clean slate each January.  Last January (It was actually January 7, 2012) I posted about My Theme (Resolutions) for 2012 on my Creation and Compassion blog.  I set this quote by Robert Fulgum as my theme for 2012:

"Be aware of wonder. Live a balanced life —

learn some and think some and draw and

paint and sing and dance and play

and work every day some."

— Robert Fulghum ("All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten")

So, my main focus this past year has been to be a bit more creative and live a bit more of a balanced life.  I planned to do more learning and reading and thinking and drawing and painting, and singing, and dancing and playing, and maybe even some sewing and quilting

 Have I succeeded?    Well, I didn't ever find the paint by number kit that I wanted to do.  Maybe I can still find that this year.  I did find a drawing kit that I want to try.  I may also try my hand at a portrait.  DD4 has done some amazing art work this year, and can maybe give me some pointers?   I did manage to do a lot of reading.  I set a goal of reading at least 70 books during 2012, and I have record of completing 74.   Most of this reading was for relaxation and pleasure.  During the coming year I would like to do some more serious reading.  I will still read for relaxation and pleasure, of course.  I can't imagine my life without that.  However I'm working on a list of books that I have thought about, or begun in the past but never finished.  I do know that the list will include The Book of Mormon, The Doctrine and Covenants, and To The Rescue, The Biography of Thomas S. Monson.  More to come on that.   I did very little sewing or quilting this past year.  I have two quilts that I have begun in the past few years that I plan to complete this year, as well as several other sewing and crocheting projects.  Stay tuned to see my progress on those.  

I also had the goal to do finish re-writing a story that I have been working on for several years.  I still haven't finished the rewrite, but I did manage to add 67,842 words to it this year.  I plan to continue dedicating at least an hour each morning Monday through Saturday to work on writing.  In looking back over my blog, I see that I actually have done more blogging than I had remembered also.  I will try to document my creative efforts on my Creation and Compassion blog on a regular basis, but just like last year, my main blogging efforts will be here where I will continue to try to document my daily blessings.   And new to the list this year?  I plan to lose some weight.  This never used to even be a passing thought for me at the start of a new year, but in the past 20 years or so, the 2 or 3 or 5 pounds has added on each year.  I would love to shed a good 25 pounds, but will be happy if 2014 sees me at least 10 pounds lighter.  I am not a fan at all of strict weight loss diets.  I have always tried to eat a healthy, well balanced diet, but I do plan to do better at avoiding desserts, eating more veggies, and doing some daily walking and or biking.    So there you have it, my goals for the year 2013.