Wednesday, January 18, 2012

There was a ladybug in the house yesterday. This is January right? Shouldn't she be hibernating or whatever it is ladybugs do in the winter?



I'm sure she regrets her decision to enter our home which, regardless of any attempts at housekeeping, always seems to be full of dust and cobwebs. 
She's obviously carrying some excess baggage here.

I know exactly how she feels because I too am carrying around some serious excess baggage.

First there's the baggage of the extra pounds I've managed to pack on in the last few years. I'd like to say I have no idea where those pounds came from but unfortunately it wouldn't be true. No exercise, second helpings, and late night snacks have turned me into a very fluffy person. I like to use the word "fluffy" instead of fat but don't think for a minute that I'm fooling myself. I look in the mirror every morning and see the truth in living color. Using "fluffy" just sounds nicer, don't ya think?

Another set of baggage includes feelings of apathy. After a hectic holiday season I now find myself with all kinds of time on my hands but nothing to fill it with. Don't get me wrong, there's plenty I could be doing, I'm just lacking the desire to actually do any of it. I thought making a written TO DO list would spur me on but so far it hasn't worked.

A third set of excess baggage weighing me down comes from a decision my husband and I have made. It calls for action, and while we're ready to take this action we have to wait for the timing to be right. Many might say there's no such thing as the "perfect time" but because our actions will affect people other than ourselves, we need to time it so as to minimize the impact on them. Patience was never one of my virtues.....

And, last but certainly not least, I carry the baggage of consequences.  It's a given that everything we do results in consequences. Not all of them are bad but many are. It's those dire consequences, the ones that knock us flat on our backs, that are weighing heavy on me today. Some of them are deserved, others are just due to dumb luck or being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Regardless, consequences are weighing me down.

I dusted off the ladybug and took her outside, releasing her to the great outdoors. I wish someone would do that for me. Of course, the weather has turned cold again and I'm afraid the little ladybug may have succumbed to the elements. That's not something I want happening to me, so for now, I'll just sit here among my baggage, waiting for someone to dust me off.

Monday, January 2, 2012

2011 - the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Happy New Year! 2011 is officially gone and we're starting a fresh new year. It's only fitting that I look back on the past year and share some highlights.

January 2011

Good - we had an awesome snowfall this year Snowmaggedon 2011, complete with days off from work and school. It was fun at first but after awhile everyone was ready for it to be over.

Bad - I recapped the The Big Roaring Fire from years ago. We laugh about it now, but when it happened it wasn't so funny.

Ugly - I am completely amazed at the lack of self respect some people exhibit aka I can't believe you wore that out in public

February 2011

Good - we experience hints of an early Spring

Bad -I don't have a  romantic bone in my body

Ugly - I open up to my not-so-nurturing side

March 2011

Good - Hubby and I celebrated 24 years of wedded bliss

Bad - what started out as a bad, ugly room ended in a much improved room and a sense of accomplishment

Ugly - Boys are sometimes gross, here's proof  Life is the pits

April 2011

Good - a run-of-the-mill-day, it's the simple things that make us happy

Bad - nature gives me a run for my money

Ugly - I made a wish. Sadly it partially came to pass and now I racked with guilt

May 2011

Good - my friend Eddie experienced love

Bad - It was a sad day when nationwide we were riveted to the antics of a crackpot

Ugly - In an attempt to promote a project, I revealed my hoarding tendencies.

June 2011

Good - my backyard was the set for new reality tv show

Bad - I did my part to educate  the idiots of the world

Ugly - I survived public embarrassment 

July 2011

Good - I cleaned up my act, haha!

Bad - My mother chastised me

Ugly - we experienced a home invasion

August 2011

Good - I fell in love!

Bad - there were rough spots, mingled with good

Ugly - I had my first wreck in many decades

September 2011

Good - I was thankful 

Bad - 9/11 a day we'll never forget even as life goes on

Ugly - at 54 I did something for the first time in my life

October 2011

Good - I shared the advantages of having an imaginary friend

Bad - I pitched a hissy fit and it wasn't pretty

Ugly - A sad day for the Fraziers, the end of an era

November 2011

Good - Bad - Ugly - it's all a blur.For national blog posting month, my goal was to blog every single day. I fell short by two days. Nothing stands out as particularly note worthy. You be the judge.

December 2011

Good - feeling nostalgic about Christmas

Bad - someone was put on the  naughty list

Ugly - I don't have an "ugly" link. The fact that I only blogged six times in December is ugly enough.

There you have it, a look back at the last year. It was a year filled with ups and downs. It was a year to remember and  a year to forget. As I enter into the new year, I could be making all kinds of resolutions but I'm not going to do it. I've found that for the most part a list of New Years resolutions does nothing but bring me angst and confliction. Therefore, I chose to start out the new year with only one resolution - I resolve to live each day as if it's my last. I'll try to neither look backward nor forward but live solely in the day.

Today is January 2nd, and so far, I'm doing good.


            Happy New Year!