It’s A Wonderful Life

It’s peaceful here in Indiana tonight…the snow is gently falling (really), the shopping and baking are finished, all the gifts are wrapped (well, most of the gifts have been stuffed into gift bags…don’t do a lot of wrapping these days) and It’s A Wonderful Life is on the television…goodness, I still cry at the ending no matter how many times I’ve seen it.  It’s kind of corny but I enjoy the message of the movie…and really, most of the time it really is a wonderful life…a life filled with wonderful friends and family, a decent job with good benefits, good health and dreams for the future.  One of my New Year’s resolutions is to remember to be more thankful for all the blessings in my life.  Somehow, just the act of practicing gratitude daily makes life better…and who doesn’t want that?

I’m thinking about what I need to do to make my life more enjoyable.  One of the things I think I need to do is to just get out and have fun more often…leave work at work…do things that make me laugh with joy…dancing, girls  night out, running…those are just a few of the things that put a smile on my face and I’m going to make the time to do them again. 

In 2011, I intend to dance to the music of my life, laugh like a child, love with all my heart and embrace the joy that comes my way…it truly is a wonderful life!

Wow…it’s almost Christmas

I’ve kind of missed the excitement of the holiday season, just plain working too much…but I had today off (as well as the next two days…woohoo).  Still didn’t do anything to enjoy the season…actually took a couple of long naps, ate too much, watched Days of Our Lives and cuddled with my little cat.  Kind of nice to have an entire day without having any kind of expectations.  Tomorrow I’ve got to get to the grocery store for a few last minute things…think I’ll go early (I still wake up early on my days off) and get back home before the hordes descend on the stores.  I’ve had enough of crowded stores…

Battling a little bit of depression this year.  Not getting together with my brothers and their families and not going to get to see my step sister‘s kids either…once they all grow up they have so many other obligations that I’m not always able to arrange my schedule to match theirs.  Sure not like Christmas‘s past when we all got together, the kids were little, my mom was still alive and we made Christmas a family event.  Definitely miss my mom…it’s been 20 years, but I still miss her…she was really what kept our family together.  But, I guess it’s true, the only constant thing in life is change, and we all have to do our best to adapt.

I’m looking forward to getting the junk out of my house, getting back with my fitness program and doing some serious decluttering…that’s something I really have to stay on top of and I haven’t for the past few months…looks like there will be several trips to make donations.  I find living in a less cluttered home helps me lose weight and not be depressed…some kind of connection there for sure.  I’ll plan my weekly missions later (I typically tackle one area at a time, getting rid of  a set number of things each day that I work and a different amount on the days I don’t work).  Getting back to a normal routine will help me get back to losing weight and I definitely need to get the weight lost…I’m going to do it and I’m going to keep it off!!

Long Winter’s Nap

Oh my, I am exhausted…absolutely, utterly exhausted.   For the past 6 weeks I’ve worked 6 days a week, 12-14 hours a day…you’d never guess I work in retail, would you?  But, because I have a great boss, I have the next 3 days off (we’re closed on Christmas), will work a week then take a week’s vacation…ahhh…

Working like this really plays havoc with my fitness routine…while I’m on my feet running around all day, it’s not the same as actually exercising.  And I’ve been going in to work so early in the morning that I haven’t had the energy to get up any earlier to work out before work.  I actually miss my workouts…who would have thought that about me?  Certainly not me!!  Really looking forward to getting out and running again, lifting weights, dancing…and have missed that great feeling I have after a vigorous workout!  I’m also looking forward to getting back to my healthy eating.  I feel so much better when I eat a vegetarian diet, don’t drink diet Pepsi (yes, I’ve gone back to drinking diet Pepsi with the stress of Christmas and working so many hours…could be worse, I guess…could be drinking beer all day!) and get in a good workout every day.

I’ve been giving some serious thought to my New Year’s resolutions (yes, I do make them…don’t always manage to keep them for very long tho)…will do a blog about them soon, once I’ve fully fleshed them out.  And now…ahh…off to bed for that long winter’s nap!