2018: Thinking ahead?

[Teacher Terry]

My DIL is having a huge dangerous surgery soon and 2 out of my 3 adult sons are not doing well. So the motto for this year will just be to survive. WE have a 10 day cruise in Feb and will probably do another one later in the year or an RV trip. I will work on maintaining my weight loss and exercising daily. The walking is really helping with my sanity. I am grateful for my supportive husband and my 3 doggies. This year I am also mentoring 4 community college students who have obtained a special type of scholarship. They are hoping that mentors will reduce the drop out rate.

[BikingLady]

Terry Teacher, stay positive.

[JaneV2.0]

My DIL is having a huge dangerous surgery soon and 2 out of my 3 adult sons are not doing well. So the motto for this year will just be to survive. WE have a 10 day cruise in Feb and will probably do another one later in the year or an RV trip. I will work on maintaining my weight loss and exercising daily. The walking is really helping with my sanity. I am grateful for my supportive husband and my 3 doggies. This year I am also mentoring 4 community college students who have obtained a special type of scholarship. They are hoping that mentors will reduce the drop out rate.

Years ago, when I was going through a rough patch, I walked and walked; it was therapeutic. That's out now, so I substitute naps, wherein I can turn it all off for the duration. I have a feeling for what you're going through.

[Teacher Terry]

Thanks BL and Jane. Once 20 years ago when I was going through something really bad due to one of my sons I used work, walking and sleeping to get through it. It was literally all I did for 6 months. Everything passes in one way or another.

[iris lilies]

I often walk through issues and light problems, so yes, walking is good.

When I had a bad patch at work a few years ago, I watched The Sopranos beginning to end. I had never seen that television show. Because it was such a strong production, it grabbed my attention and held it. My mind would have wandered with lesser content.

Ah, it is hard when the younger generation is suffering. I hope all come put up n the other side well and whole.

[pinkytoe]

I am hoping 2018 will be less topsy-turvy but who knows? With DD expecting twins (medium high risk pregnancy) and our ongoing house remodel, I will be doing good to keep my head on straight. Yes, that is my goal - to keep my head on straight.

[Gardenarian]

Dd will be leaving home and that will be life changing for me as well as dd. Seems like it should be a natural transition, but I know for many parents and kids it can be quite fraught. I want to support and celebrate her growth, as well as this new stage in my life.

To support my own growth, I'll:
*Continue exercising.
*Make meditation a daily, rather than occasional, practice. Same for yoga.
*Civic engagement - trying to figure out how much time and energy I want to give to this. *Give more support to myself for creative endeavors. (Taking classes and blogging my efforts in painting etc. are steps I'm considering.)
*Cut down on sugar!
*Environmental activism - again, figuring out how, and how much, I want to do this.
*Continue to Kondo-ize my space. It's really a process of defining one's self - hard when I'm going through a lot of changes, but a good thing.
*I want to ride my bike for all in-town things, which means dealing with snow, rain, dark. I'm fairly well equipped, just have to get over some mental stumbling blocks. I never regret cycling, it's a joy, but there is some inertia there.
*Limit my work time. I don't want it to become a burden rather than a blessing.
*Swim outdoors whenever possible. It feeds my soul

[catherine]

We are closing on our new place in a week, so my big goal for 2018 is to figure out how to live with DH in a 700 sq ft home. I intend to really, really plan this. I'm researching small space hacks on the internet, I'm going to think through "a place for everything" when it comes to planning what we bring and where we keep it. I really don't want the place to be a cluttered mess, but it's very hard. I'm not naturally a neatnik.

In preparation for this change, I'm reading my favorite simple living mentors, like William Coperthwaite and the Nearings. I've also signed up for a weekly online course called A Year to Simplify Your Life. I know I've had this wonderful forum as "Simple U." for over 10 years, but I'm just getting some structured reinforcement from this online course.

I need to really Kondo-ize, and try to practice behaviors that foster simple living in a small space, like making sure I put things away after using them. It's going to be an interesting adventure!

[Teacher Terry]

If your DH is anything like mine he will probably be the biggest obstacle. When I lived alone my place was immaculate. Enter my DH who can take things out but not put them away.

[pinkytoe]

behaviors that foster simple living in a small space

Regarding this, I am in the process of figuring out how to live in a 450 sf basement for a month while we demo the kitchen. Today, I went through every drawer and cupboard and boxed up things I haven't used more than once in the past six months and duplicates. I think I can get it all down to one cupboard's and one drawer's worth. Kind of a good exercise actually and I thought I had culled so much when we moved.