I'm a few days late, but on the 19th, it marked 16 years since I posted my first blog on this site.

My life now is certainly different from back then. Different in good ways, and in sad ways.

One recent change is the passing of my Uncle J from Covid. He was 73 - just 3 1/2 years younger than what my dad would have been. I feel for my grandma - having lost two husbands and now two sons.

Uncle J officiated at my wedding (almost 5 years ago!) He tried so hard to bring my dad "with" him - used a pair of his shoes, his suit, his tie and his Bible. That will always be a special memory for me.

Uncle J and Aunt J never had kids. They devoted their lives to missionary work - mostly in the middle east. Uncle J had just led a mission trip to the Dominican Republic, when he came back to the US, and visited a grieving friend over Christmas ... where he caught Covid.

At some point there's going to be a zoom memorial service, but I don't know when. It's so strange not making plans to go be there in person.

Well hello all! I'm going to catch up on everyone's blogs, but thought I'd get a post of my own up before I get distracted.

Not really much to report. Life is marching on pretty much the same as always. Unfortunately, with one less cat in our family - our 19 yo Baby finally couldn't keep going any longer, so he took his journey on the Rainbow Bridge on Dec 20. He is definitely missed.

I turned the big 45 on the 15th ... yikes. Time stops for no (wo)man.

DH and I are starting to have more serious discussions about his retirement timeline. He's wanting to look at the possibility of going part -time. I'm not convined that'll make sense ... but we're in discussion mode. (He's 54 - our thinking is he'll be retired by 60, unless our finances make sense to do it somewhat earlier. Maybe by doing part-time ...)

Okay, so goals for 2021. Most of these are what
I would call micro-goals to build habits. The main idea is to just START and then see what happens from there. Some days it may morph into MORE and some days it may just be the START and nothing more.

Like the guy who wrote Atomic habits. it's about changing your view of who you are. If you are a reader, then of course you're at least going to open up a book every day, right?

I'm a Healthy Person who is:

Completing 18 StepBets

Not eating sugar/dairy/oil at least 300 days

Completing 60 20+ minute non-treadmill workouts

I'm a person who enriches my life:

By opening a book (physical/Kindle/Audio) every day

By opening my journal to write in/a new blog post/a new forum post every day

By sitting at the piano every day

By opening a language app every day

By starting a Bible podcast or reading one verse every day

I'm someone who keeps her home clean:

By scooping 1 litter box a day

By picking up one item out of place

By spending five minutes on a cleaning task

By taking hangars with me to the dryer

By completing 12 2021 projects*

I'm a Financially Savvy person:

Adding $3500 to DHs Bridge fund

Who only spends an average of $30/week for groceries

Who posts 12 items for sale on sale sites

Who puts items on a 30 day waiting list (non-replacement/repair) before deciding to purchase

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2021 Projects

*Put up file organizer in office

*Create file system

*Clear out and organize bathroom cabinets

*Clear out and organize kitchen drawers

*Clear out/shred/organize office file drawer

*Clear out/shred/organize second office file drawer

*Create an If I'm Not Here file

*Clear out/ organize office closet

*Get rid of old non-working tv

*Hang mirror in bedroom

*Hang curtain rods / curtains in bedroom

*Choose photos for Nostalgia wall

*Find frames for Nostalgia wall

*Print photos for Nostalgia wall

*Hang photos for Nostalgia wall

*Research prices of waterproof flooring for bathroom

*Determine budget for bathroom flooring

*Hire someone to do the bathroom flooring

**Nostalgia wall is an idea I saw on a YNAB videocast talking about gift ideas

**Our bathroom is carpeted ...