Happy New Year Everyone!

[Whidbey5]

May this coming year bring you good times with family and friends, challenge in your profession, and comfort in your home.

My word for the year is beauty. I'll seek it, create it, and live in it.

What is your word for the year?

Shelley

[Lisa S]

Work.

My word is work ~ I feel like a squirrel in the fall collecting nuts. I want to work and save. I want to re-purpose and reuse and sell what I don't need or cherish. It's time to get back to some basics.

It's an exciting time ~ a time to find out exactly how creative I can be.

[annielinz]

My word is Joy.

Its such a small little word, but to me it encompasses it all. Its like viewing the world thru a small child's' eye and living life with complete abandon.
In regards to decorating my home and garden, if it doesn't bring me joy then I need to find a new home for it. 2009 will be my year to remove things which bring me stress. I'm going to be really busy :p!!

I'm happy and "joy"-ful to be part of this community, you all seem to be such a down to earth group.
Happy New Year!

[memmey]

My word? Health.
I need everyday, all 365 to reclaim my fitness. I am pledging to eat cleaner and I have added regular excerise.( remember I used to teach aerobics and personal train)
I met a little lady at the salon last week. She is 100. She walked up the steps of the salon, heard every word spoken and laughed at the apporpriate times when we were teasing. She told me I am young and have alot of life left and I think God sent her to me for her perm that day. LOL.
Ms. Edith was fit for her extreme age. She says she eats lots of vegetables and she always did her own chores and worked hard in the garden.
She said she was always strong. I LOVED her.

I have been waffeling about being able to reclaim my fitness at 56 but I see now that there is reason why I could not. None what so ever.
My goal for 2009 is to be able to bench press 100 pounds, I am at 60 pounds now for 15 reps so I have one year to add forty pounds for 4 sets of 15 reps. Ms. Edith has shown me that all things are possible if you think positive.

Thanks Ms. Edith

[Lynzee]

My word is creativity.

I have been out of touch with my creative side for far too long. It's time to get back to that which brings me so much joy and to encourage the little one to explore and enjoy the creativity that is uniquely hers.

Happy New Year, everyone!

[Evelyn]

My word is cherish.

In this busy life I want to stop more often and look around and appreciate both the life that I have created for myself, my little piece of the universe that I live in and most importantly; all the wonderful family and friends that are with me on this journey.

Evelyn.

[Zuzu's Garden]

This is a wonderful thread.

My word is handcrafted.

I have a few embroidered and crocheted linens that were made by family members that have been passed down to me. I have a small wooden heart that my son carved for me when he was a little boy. I have a handwritten card with my Great-Grandmother's Christmas candy recipe.

I wish to fill the Tiny House with handcrafted items - many that I will make myself. Each one beautiful, that involves work, brings joy, improves health (don't LOL Memmey - believe me, making furniture is a form of weight lifting ;) ), gets the creativity juices flowing, and may become a gift that someone else may cherish in time.

I wish you all a very Happy New Year!
Zuzu

[Breezy]

My word for the new year is actually two words - observe and thankful

I want to really "see" things - to see my family & really pay attention - to see the town where we live and really think about the town and its history - to see the wonder in everyday things - to see the beauty in all things even a freezing overcast dismal winter day - and most importantly to be thankful for all I see.

[chyna]

My word would be Paint. And lots of it. :o:p

If I must be serious I will go with Peaceful. I was just hinking this morning on the way to work that it would be so wonderful if I could go somewhere and have my aura cleaned or whatever it takes to de-stress me. My brain needs a good cleaning and rid itself of negative feelings and thoughts.:(

[Lisa S]

There was a time in my life when I felt full of negative feelings and thoughts. I disliked myself a lot for it. One year, I decided my new resolution was to be more positive. I figured that like anything else, practice was the key. I practiced biting my tongue when I was inclined to join in a gossip session. I tried to say positive things about people and situations. I refused to let my brain participate in negative thoughts about myself. It really worked. I think it took about two months for me to see a serious change. I'm a much happier person inside and out. Benefits: For the first time in my life, I feel as though I'm a part of a community of good friends and kind acquaintances, I accomplish more and I enjoy parts of every day.

[CohenCottage]

Storage!! Most of our issues are related to lack of storage, so my goal is to get some built in cabinets in our living room, master bedroom, and guest room. Until yesterday you couldn't even walk into our guest room, and DH and I cleaned it out, cleaned out the attic, and now we have a whole Subaru full of stuff to go to the Habitat Re-store! So we are on our way. A friend helped me clean out my closet before Thanksgiving, so I've been on a roll with purging lately.

We also put everything that needs a home or a shelf but doesn't currently have one in the attic so that our living spaces are less cluttered. The boxes of books will just have to be put away until we have bookshelves! I also made DH put his tools under the house (instead of taking up valuable space in our dog room).

[RoseMary]

My word~Simplify. That applies to everything in our home. I am thankful for all that I have and I plan to simplify our home life even more than it already is.

Like Lisa, I want to 'get back to basics' and enjoy the 'real' things. I do want to see how creative we can be with our lives and the way we live them. I think this is going to be a different kind of year than we've ever seen. I am making lists for 'stocking up' and getting ideas for thriftier meals, gardening, handmade crafts, etc. I'm doing a lot of studying about 'the way it used to be done' for so many projects. Also, I am completely dedicated to getting everything in our house organized~which will simplify a lot of what we do and how we live.

[LindaLK]

Hi Everyone, :)


Wow! So many words come to mind. I think health. I will search out a competent doctor no matter where or what I have to do. I want to be pain~free so I can enjoy riding my horse, taking long walks with my kids, and spend time with my family with out my best friend, the heating pad. :D
In doing this, I will be able to get back to my normal exercise routine, and lose this weight that
I have put on, due to all of the medications.



Hugs,
Linda :)

[Lisa S]

Rosemary ~ I wish you were my neighbor... we're such kindred spirits. I bought a book called The Home Almanac. It's interesting in terms of how to keep a house the old fashioned way.

[RoseMary]

Awww Lisa, I'd love to be your neighbor, too. But we can always find each other here:)!

You mentioned 'back to basics'--do you have the book Back To Basics? I've had it for years and love it. There's just so much to learn in it. Tonight I was reading about drying fruit and vegetables--something I'd like to try next summer.

The Home Almanac sounds good, too. Is it a new book? I'll have to see if I can find a copy of it.

[Lisa S]

I haven't read Back to Basics, but I'll look for it. Do you have a food dryer? I use mine now and then. It takes soooo long to work.

Home Almanac is a fairly new book. It's published by Welcome Books. I think I bought it at Borders on a clearance sale. It has an adorable picture of a cottage on the front, which is what grabbed my attention in the first place.

Here it is for $4.18 http://www.biblio.com/books/195184700.html

[RoseMary]

Thanks, Lisa. I'll take a look at that book.

I do have a food dryer, and I agree that it takes a really long time to dry anything. I have dried apples in my oven, which seems to work better, but it heats up my house and uses a lot of electricity.

I'm thinking about making one out of a box (probably my husband will build a wooden one) and light bulbs. I won't be able to use the new light bulbs because they don't get as hot, but I think it would cost a lot less to use than the electric food dryer since it won't have a fan in it. I'll put it out on my porch to use it.