Let's Make It a Very Good Year

I lost my sweet kitty Gatsby last May, so that alone made 2025 one of the worst years ever. Inky came into my life soon afterward, which made things a lot better. The year ended on a very sour note in December with ID theft shenanigans that totally stressed me out, but it could have been worse. There are positive aspects to being OCD and constantly checking stuff. My family had a bunch of seasonal sickies and other unfortunate incidents recently, and I’ve been feeling bad for all of them as well (not to mention not seeing them much). I'm looking forward to an overnight visit soon with my eldest and her hubs and to my littlest grandson's special three-year-old birthday party next month. So… overall, a mixed bag, as life often is.

My goals for 2026 are to be much more intentional and mindful. I know that sounds like new-age barf, but it is what it is. Previously, I noted that I plan to read fewer and better books and abandon poorly written dreck much faster. Sure, I still plan to enjoy plenty of genre romances and thrillers, but only those that zing with me. Besides reading, other activities that need more mindfulness are snacking, grabbing “lazy meals” (as opposed to getting/ making something healthier), spending money on junk, scrolling depressing news, etc. Even sitting in a chair requires mindful behavior if I don't want to end up with a stiff neck or achy shoulders after slumping or being crooked for hours. Sometimes I forget to recognize pain until it’s really bad.

I'm already more intentional about writing/ blogging, which shows that habits can be changed. Many times I begin a post to a prompt (I am still aware of them even though I rarely participate), and I realize that my idea sucks, so instead of continuing just to have a post, I abandon it. What a relief to be able to give myself permission to dump a bad idea! Instead of writing 30 crappy poems a month as I used to, nowadays I may write one decent one. (At least I think my newer ones are decent anyway.) This blog feels like a fun hobby not a dreaded chore like my other one became at the end. As far as writing more books, meh, I am not feeling the need, though that could change later on, who knows. I get wisps of ideas, but they float away like dandelion fluff, which is for the best while I’m still working full time and need sleep. (I cannot believe how much sleep I used to forgo in order to write!)

Rediscovering my love for jigsaw puzzles has been a happy experience, and as long as I pay attention to how I am sitting/ standing while doing them, all is good. I have several very pretty ones lined up to begin in the coming months. Not sure if I will return to painting or not. I have the supplies, but I am not feeling the drive.

Last night I had a fabulous time at a friend’s NYE party hanging with a whole bunch of cool peeps, and that was a great way to kick off 2026. We played a new (to me) game called Poetry for Neanderthals, which is similar to Taboo, except you can only use one-syllable words. I loved it so much that I immediately ordered one from Amazon, which was extremely intentional. LOL! Hey, my first purchase of the new year is a game, and I’m good with that. 

Inky weighed exactly 10 pounds this morning, so she is doing a great job in maintaining her half-pound loss. Maybe we can reduce a smidge more in the next few months before her two-year checkup in April. I haven’t lost anything, but that’s OK for now. It’s not so much the number for me as focusing on healthier meals and more exercise, though a lower number always makes me happy because OCD.

Alrighty then. Let’s do this thing!