New Year’s Resolutions

New Year’s Resolutions….why am I writing about this now, in March? I am finding that amid this coronavirus pandemic, I am able to work on my resolutions and thought I’d share. But first, a family update.

I wrote last year about my husband John needing two hip replacements. The right hip was replaced in July, the left hip in October. He is in physical therapy still and is recovering more and more. We are now concerned about his right shoulder which has a full tear in the rotator cuff (due to an old injury). Right now, his doctor wants him taking anti-inflammatory medication, but we know that is just a bandaid of sorts for the time being.

Our son Jonathan is a senior in college. Due to the coronavirus, he will be taking the rest of his classes online for this semester. His major is History and lately, he has been leaning toward the field of research.

My dad’s health is stable at present.

As for me, I am finding more time to work on my resolutions for the new year. I want to spend more time outdoors. I also intend to read more, create more, and stay off social media more. I purpose to add beauty to my life by keeping fresh flowers in the house, by lighting candles at night and having a lit candle on the dinner table during the meal. I plan to look at beautiful photos or take them myself. I mean to listen to music more. Because we have been staying home, I am able to accomplish these things.

One activity we are adding as a family is walking for ten minutes after each meal. We clean up the table, put our walking shoes on and go in the backyard to walk. I set a timer and we walk around the yard, play with the dog, and notice each and every bloom and bird. It is a perfect time to do so because our plants are starting to bud and the weather is perfect. It gets us outdoors and looking at all the growing things.

The book I am currently reading is “Holy Noticing: The Bible, Your Brain, and the Mindful Space Between Moments” by Charles Stone.

As far as creating goes, I love to make my own greeting cards. I have been working on organizing all my craft paper and gathering ideas for more cards. I would also like to get back into writing, sharing more of the “Fixed on Faith” posts I have, more “stray gifts”, and a few inspirational quotes and things that come across my path.

Did you make any new resolutions this year? If so, are you keeping up with any of them? Stay safe and well out there!

Stray Gifts: Top Row: daffodil photos taken when John and I went away for our 25th wedding anniversary a few weeks ago -photos were taken in a park we found. Middle Row: onion chives I didn’t know were coming back and on the right, a banana succulent that looks like a curtain now Bottom Row: our ash tree stretching up to the sun, a Morning Glory rope I found while cleaning up dead vines, and my trailing Periwinkle


Pleasure is spread through the earth in stray gifts to be claimed by whoever shall find. -William Wordsworth, 1806

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