HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR everybody!!! 

     My sister asked me what New Year's Resolutions I was going to make.  Well, actually, I don't do resolutions because I never keep them and then I just feel bad about myself but I can take a stab at it I guess...I will just adjust them so I don't set myself up for failure:

1. Try to cut down on my consumption of Dr. Pepper and Coke (that would be Coca Cola type coke) which reminds me of a funny story.  This is from way back when my kids were teens or preteens, all lived at home and people still wrote personal checks to pay for their groceries.  The 4 kids and I had gone to Safeway to buy groceries...at least A dozen years ago (yep, I have been trying to kick my coke habit that long!)  The lady in line in front of us had purchased a carton of cigarettes. I don't remember what it cost but it sure seemed like alot so as she walked away and I stood in front of the cashier I turned to my kids and....since I am always consumed with guilt over somethin' I obviously had just thought about the expense of my cokes... I said something like "Wow! That makes the price of my coke habit not seem quite so bad!"  Not being a drug user, Coke has always meant Coca Cola to me, or being from Texas/New Mexico Coke means any dark carbonated beverage, not an illegal drug.  When we walked out of the store my kids expressed their horror.  MU-therrrr......that cashier has our address from on your check, probably the police will be at the house before we are to arrest you for your admitted "COKE HABIT."  LOL! The police did not show up but my kids would not have been surprised. 
2. Listen to more music....maybe for at least a bit every day instead of oh, once every 6 months.  I thought of this one because I just heard The Band Perry (one of my favorites) sing "If I Die Young" (also one of my favorites) I truly believe music does a body good.  I have a little iPod shuffle and have it loaded with alot of country music I downloaded (legally) for free from my library website.  I am paranoid about my being hearing impaired.  My kids can open a door and walk in my house making all kinds of noise but unless I am in the same room as the door I will not be able to hear them and that bothers me.  If a burgler were trying to quietly break in I sure wouldn't hear that.  Now that my beloved Max has passed away I am left with my two girls, Zoe and Gracie, to be my guard dogs and truthfully, they are a lot more scared than I ever am.  The whole point is if I have my earbuds in my ears listening to my iPod I have to have it turned up really loud to understand it even with earbuds and hearing anything else is not gonna happen...but I am going to quit worrying about what might happen and just listen to music. 
3. Write down every penny I spend.  Maybe I would be more careful with money if I have to see exactly what I spend it on.  When you live on SS disability you just don't have any extra money to lose or waste or spend foolishly. 
4. I am not going to mention the D word (diet) but I think trying to eat healthier would be a good idea. The past 6 months I have cut way down on the amount of fast food I eat (although if I didn't already have my pajamas on that last Big Mac commercial might have convinced me to hop in the car and go waste some money...).  My meals consist of primary Dr Pepper, pop tarts, Donut Stop cinnamon rolls, shredded wheat, stew, beans and cornbread or scrambled egg sandwiches (cheap food).  Stew and beans/cornbread have been favorites of mine all my life and I never get tired of them.  I hate eggs but can swallow them scrambled until they are dirt dry and hidden between two pieces of toast.  A luxury is Oscar Meyer precooked bacon microwaved and strips covering my scrambled egg....ooh, love that bacon.  Dang, wish I had some of that bacon right now.  First craving a Big Mac and now bacon, obviously I need to get up and eat something.   My favorite meal is a sirloin, really well done, big baked potato, and a salad....I could eat that every day too but I just get it every blue moon in a month of Sundays.  I also love to go to the Plaza Restaurant here and get full on the chips and salsa before my food ever comes and then bring home most of the chili relleno meal I ordered for another meal.  LOL!!  I do that more often, maybe twice a year.  Yep, I know, I get out of the house way too much.   Anyway, I need to eat more fruit, and more veggies than the potatoes and carrots in my stew.
5. Drink more water.  I used to drink water like a camel.  Since August I have seriously slacked off and I have to get back to drinking water.  I really like water if it is icy, icy cold.  In August I started babysitting my granddaughter and at the same time a new convenience store opened a few blocks from my son's home with any size soft drink 79 cents.  My car automatically turns into the drive up window lane and I order a 44 oz Dr Pepper.  I babysit 4 days a week so I am spending a minimum of  $14 a month (and actually more like $30) just on Dr Pepper.  That would buy alot of apples and oranges and broccoli.  Besides that, I know I am dehydrated.  You know how you can do that pinch the skin on the top of your hand by your knuckles and if it stays pinched up you are dehydrated. Yep, I am way dehydrated.  I need to drink water.
6. Take my vitamins  I am horrible.  I have a basketful of vitamins, multi, E, C,  flaxseed oil, etc that I purchased with good intentions but I don't take them.  I think later tonight I will go get that basket out and see if they have expired and fix my pill boxes.  Really, before my nervous breakdown (from now on will be referred to as D-Day for darn debilitating depression) I used to do things like take my vitamins and fix my pill boxes.  I need to get my act together. 
7. Try to read something spiritual or inspirational every day.  My sister suggested getting back to reading scriptures every day.  I used to read them first thing in the morning and then some time before going to bed but for a l.o.n.g. time after D-Day I couldn't read and comprehend anything much less scriptures so there went that habit.  I used to love my church magazine but it made me feel guilty that I quit going to church after D-day so I stopped reading that too.  Maybe instead of starting with trying to read scriptures every day I will just read something inspirational from my church's website.  Guilt, guilt, guilt, get thee behind me Satan.
8. Find my sign language book and teach myself a new word or phrase at least a couple of times a week. Since I first purchased hearing aides in I think 2000, I could have learned a lot of sign language in this time.  I know some but not nearly what I should.  Why don't I do the things I know I need to do????  Maybe Taylor and I can learn together.  She is 13 months.  This month I taught her the sign for thirsty.  If I do that sign while I am feeding her she will pick up her cup of water and get a drink.  Not every time, but almost -  and frequently enough that I KNOW she understands the sign.  By now I should now every sign known to man (did I say I am plagued with guilt over everything)
9. Fold my laundry as soon as it comes out of the dryer.  I know, this is stupid, but I hate to fold laundry.  That isn't true, I like folding laundry, I just don't do it because my table is never cleaned off and I have no place to do it.  The couch smells like dogs and I don't want to fold my laundry there.  Or, the dryer goes off and I am busy playing Mahjongg on the aarp website or reading a book or napping or sitting in a depression stupor holding one of my dogs and doing nothing so the laundry eventually goes in a basket and sits in the floor or on a chair until I dig through it for things to wear.  This is so lame, I feel bad being rich enough to own a washer and dryer and water and detergent and I don't fold my laundry.  Guilt, I feel guilt. 
10. Get back on the flylady.net keep-your-house-clean schedule.  I swear, if you do her approximately 3 minute swish & swipe the bathroom thing your bathroom is never dirty. Her shine the sink really makes mornings alot more pleasant.  Her suggestions for the whole house are like that....quick, easy, pleasing, encouraging, confidence building. I need to just.do.it.  I have always been housework challenged.  That is just me.  I don't like it.  I mean I don't like not being a housework whiz.  I love a clean, tidy house.  I hate to do housework.  I am a mess. I wish I had a maid  Not really, I would be embarrassed.  Well, I could get over that probably.   If you don't know flylady then go to her website flylady.net, start with baby steps and she will help you get things under control.  The bad part is you can't just read it, you have to get up and do it.  That is my problem. In 2012 I am going to do something to clean house every day...I mean besides load the dishwasher (all I do on a typical day now).  I am rich enough to have a home, a vacuum, PineSol, my wonderful beloved steam mop.  Oh, dear. Now I really feel guilty. 
11. Write in my journal every day.  I really believe in doing this.  Before d-day I did that too.  If nothing else it is good to look back and see what you did when, who said what, what was good, what was bad, what worked out, how prayers were answered, how help came when you needed it.
12. Give my dogs a bath once a week.  I don't like to bathe dogs. I don't like to smell dirty dogs.  Well, I don't like to smell wet dogs either! I don't have grass so my dogs have dirt in their fur all the time.  My girls are really good about getting a bath.  I have this spray nozzle thing in the hall bath and it makes bathing them really easy.  I am just a bad dog mama.  I can do better.  It takes all of 5 minutes.  Oh, great, more guilt.

Okay, a dozen guilt provoking resolutions is enough for me.  I will report back every Sunday night, how is that?  So, what are your resolutions????????  and here is something to make you laugh, roll your eyes or somethin' ----- I am watching a New Year's Eve program and Justin Bieber is singing "Let It Be" ---  I LIKE that kid!  Yes, I AM 40 years older than his next oldest fan!!!!  LOL!  He is a cutie and I liked how he sang that Beatles song. 
   I have cupcakes on my blog because this is the month my friend Debbie celebrates a birthday and me too.  I will be 58 on the 30th.  How on earth did that happen?  58???? Really?????