Making Room for 2024
For the last five years or so, I’ve ended the old year by setting up my calendar/planner for the new year. I know, there would be a lot of advantages to using the computer version of such tools—not the least of which it would save me several steps in sharing stuff with my hubs. But I just can’t seem to find a way of organizing all the information I need in an easy to access way with an electronic calendar, so inevitably I go back to a paper version.
And naturally, I can’t find a preprinted calendar that totally suits the way I like to arrange information, so I end up getting a blank composition book and creating my own. I put in the monthly/weekly/daily calendars alongside the various lists and charts I use to keep me sane. It takes a bit to put it all together, but the satisfaction of having it set up exactly the way I want is worth it.
On the very first page I usually add something inspirational and maybe a little doodle. (My drawing skills are exceptionally limited and heavily reliant on on-line tutorials, usually children’s tutorials!) My 2023 calendar’s inspirational note included ‘courageous’ and ‘stay the course’. Can’t say why I wrote those, but they seemed to fit at the time.
Boy howdy, did they ever. 2023 was a year of plot twists I could not have anticipated. With promotions, lay-offs, and new jobs, there were ate least six major job transitions between us and our sons. Four major housing transitions. New pets. And drama in the extended families that none of us would rather dwell upon.
Whew! We stayed the course, tried to be courageous, and muddled through. Not without our moments of ‘what-the-holy-hand grenades-just-happened?’ to be sure. But we made it, and that is positive.
A lot of good things happened as well, though sometimes I have to remind myself of those. All told, I would definitely rather focus on those positive things.
Things like new opportunities, new friendships, starting a new series, and our new rescue hound, Mocha, are all reminders that every year is bittersweet. While its tempting to focus on all the ick that happened, this year my inspiration is to “Make Room” for the good that the new year has in store.
Introducing Mocha, my new Plott Hound (honest to goodness, that’s a real breed!)
I love your calendar/journal. I’m like you. They don’t make them the way I want them and I do my own. I can decorate any way I choose. I adore you dragon. Well done, my dear. Blessings in the new year. I feel the need to start at the beginning and read the Dragon series this year. I said that before, but I am determined. I hope you have a marvelous year.
Happy New Year, Maria! I hope 2024 is brighter! Love your dragon doodle and inspirational words. I hope to get back to your dragon series. I think I finished book #7 so on to the Cotillion in book #8! 2023 saw me reading less books as life got busy. Having another grandchild in the family who lives closer certainly makes life more interesting. Wouldn’t have it any other way though. Love your Plott Hound Mocha! Learned something new right at the beginning of the new year!