Battery Life: 10 Percent: Time to Recharge

One of my Christmas presents that I turned into a new prayer journal. Isn't it cute?

December found me feeling incredibly blessed and a little melancholy at the same time. It has been a beautiful month. Our Decembers along the coast are usually overcast and so foggy in the evenings. This December has blessed me with mild temperatures and sunny days. All that makes it hard to understand my feeling somewhat off my game. I wasn't really blue, but just at times it seemed like I wanted to slow down and just go backwards a few months if that makes sense. I wasn't quite ready for Christmas I suppose.

The foggy night came in last night with terrible weather all across the south. We were fine but I did wake up at 3:00 to loud winds and rain. 

Let’s move on…

I enjoyed Christmas. We celebrated on the 23rd with all the usual fanfare. Same good food and same traditions. Three boys leading the charge; all old enough to demand that they be the first to open a present in our round robin tradition. Paul Allen came up with the compromise to let all 3 boys open a present at the same time in the rotation. They were pleased with the idea and went at it with great gusto as one can imagine that has been around little boys. Oh and Carol, I think I am going to go with your method  of using bags next year except for my girls who appreciate a pretty wrapped package. 

It is virtually impossible to get all 3 boys to look at the camera at the same time.

I took lots of candid photos which I think I am going to pass on showing because I have so many thoughts to write. However, one that I will share is Gus in Aunt Donna’s lap. He is a lapdog and the only lap he could find to sit on who wasn’t opening presents in a comfy chair was Donna.

Christmas Eve was church and  dinner out with Lindsay, Tyler and the boys. Something I have never done on Christmas Eve is eat out. Christmas Day was brunch with the kids. Really good times and so blessed. The 26th ---take it all down and put my house back in order. That is me!!!

Here it is the end of another year and I feel like the years are from Star Trek flight logs. I mean 2025! 

I am in reflection mode as usual this time of year. 

What went well? 

My cleaning schedule. Other than my one day when talk of moving hit me like a ton of bricks I have found in deep thought that my home is organized and I have a handle on keeping it tidy and clean. I am not going to lie —- that took some time after retirement to feel like this. I have declutterred all I am going to other than the usual keep a basket handy to discard things as I come across them in daily life. What I have in closets is organized, well labeled and should we move I will make big decisions then - but for now I am just going to live.  I have a good cleaning schedule that works for me. Those are very personal I think, but I have leaned into my strengths and weaknesses. I clean 2 rooms a day. A major room and a minor room. A major room is the family room, one we really use and live in. A minor room is one not as visited like a secondary bedroom. I try to hit the surfaces with a duster, vacuum thoroughly, and rotate some deeper cleaning things when it is the day for that room. What I have found is that by being diligent and sticking to the plan I don’t have nearly as much of that heavy cleaning to do -aka spring cleaning. I still have projects, but home ownership means you always have those things.

The Bible Recap. I would have to say this was amazing for me. I linked it for reference. It was just perfect for me this year, so much so that I am doing it again for ‘25. It is a chronological reading of the Bible in a year; then you listen to a recap. Easiest way to read the Bible in a year ever! It is not a theological podcast, but just simply a recap and sometimes  if there are differing theological viewpoints those will be noted with links to study the viewpoints. What drew me to it last December was the fact that I was sick of reading study books from people. I just wanted God’s Word. You can buy a book and read but I preferred the podcast for the recap. I got up each morning his year and after wetting my eyes and  taking my thyroid meds headed outside to the porch or sat at the kitchen table and read my assigned Scripture. Then while getting dressed for the day, I listened to the recap. Jeff usually heard it while I was doing all this so when the narrator, Tara Leigh Cobble spoke of people joining in with the New Testament he did just that. He gets up much earlier than me so by the time I hit play I never had to worry about him not being ready. He is jumping in for the whole Bible with me on the 1st. I would say it was a huge hit for me in ‘24.

The hard stuff of ‘24 does not make me unusual. We all have hard stuff at times in life. It is how I react which some days I do pretty good and some days not so much. I think that makes me human and normal.

Watching Jeff with Parkinson’s is not easy and will not be easy going forward. One thing I have learned is I am not able to research outcomes. That goes against every bit of my usual self. I love researching and being abreast of all things. In this situation, I have found it sends me down a dark hole. I am going to have to just go forward without the facts laid out for me. I will have to take it as it comes. There are good days and months and there are days not so fun to watch… worse for him I am sure. We have a good doctor, a strong faith, good friends and we will put one foot forward at a time.

Watching Mama age is hard too. She is slowly deteriorating. She has good days and bad days. Sometimes I think she will live to be a 100 and other days when she is short of breath I am not so sure. Again, there are blessings, she has her mind or at least a good one for almost 90. 

Things I am planning to improve upon in '25. A plan for strength training, I have left that off too much this year and it is too important. I am setting a time each day and a more planned time hoping that I can manage it without a gym visit. However if the gym is needed I will squeeze it in. When I went to the gym pre grandchildren I was knocking it out. Going and using the machines makes it easy, but I so hate going. However, I am making it a top priority, so that all options are on the table.

I have many things to share from just the couple of days since Christmas that I did in the house so I will be back in '25.

I am going to take a little break for a few days, and then reconnect with all of you -my blogging friends who have held me up in prayer this year. I felt those prayers. 

I believe every day is a gift so I am resting these last few days of ‘25 in Auburn and heading back with a recharged battery for ‘25. 

Happy New Year Everyone,

Sandy