So here it is... 2010 already.... and time to decide how we're going to make ourselves and our lives better in the coming year.
I, for one, am not sorry to see 2009 go... It had been a rough year for us. I'm hoping that 2010 holds new promise and good fortune. I am ready for the clean slate and a fresh start!
So here are my resolutions for 2010:
1) Spend more time with my family. QUALITY time! I want to do more as a family than just sit around the dinner table or television. Camping trips, nature walks, trips to the park with the dog... that kind of thing. I also want to pencil in some one-on-one time with each of my guys.... hubby included. They all deserve to feel the special love of some time with me all to themselves.
2) Take some time for ME. As a working mother, there just doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day... everyone is needing you for something. You're constantly giving of yourself, especially in the profession that I work in (medicine). I've decided that in order to be a better mother/caregiver/person.... that I need to treat myself to some downtime. A bubble bath here and there.... 30 minutes of uninterrupted time with a book.... time to work on my soaping/crafts.... a walk in the woods to clear my head... a night out with the girls occasionally. I need some ME time... I just KNOW that my family and everyone else would benefit from it as much as I would.
And, finally.. 3) I want to learn more. I have always loved learning new things, and that's one of the reasons I went into medicine.. it's constantly evolving. Besides learning little bits and pieces here and there... I want to learn how to make Cold Process Soap. I've been wanting to do this for a while now, and have been studying up on recipes and techniques. This is going to be a goal for me this year.... to buy the supplies, and make a batch of CP soap. I know it doesn't sound like much to most people.. but my goals are simple... Family, friends and soap. =o)
May 2010 bring you all nothing but happiness and good fortune!
I recently went to a juried craft fair, and was sadly disappointed. Don't get me wrong! The items themselves were wonderful, but the attitude of the vendors is what got me. Each booth I wandered into, I smiled and greeted the proprietor... and each time, I was greeted with a sour face and minimal response. These people were not happy.. they were not wanting to show their items... they were bumming me out! I made my way around the entire venue, with my money safely in my wallet, stashed at the bottom of my purse.
Apparently I am not the only one noticing this trend. I read Ann-Marie's (The Soap Queen) blog this morning, and she was talking about the SAME THING! The attitude of the vendor is what makes you want to open your wallet and spend your hard-earned cash. I do not want to give my money to grumpy people... though I will GLADLY purchase something from a smiling, bubbly happy person. (Even if I really don't need the item and will have to endure much eye rolling from my dear husband)
I think that people, as a whole, have lost the ability to be friendly and cordial. I am the type of person that smiles at everyone I meet on the sidewalk, say hello, and even hold a door for someone. *gasp!* And you wouldn't believe the responses I get! People look at me like I'm from another planet! Sometimes I get a "Hello" back, or a "Thank you".. but they are still looking at me a little sideways.. maybe wondering whether or not I'll let the door slam just short of their getting to it? I have no idea what is going through the minds of these people... all I know, is that I was raised to be polite, say hello, hold doors, wipe my feet, and smile.
I think that if more of us just took the extra minute to hold a door, smile in passing, and say "hello" while walking past a stranger... this world would be a much happier place to live in.
(If you come to my booth at the Christmas Craft Fair.... be prepared for a smile and a greeting! *gasp!* And maybe even a free sample! Be sure to say "Hi" back!)
As the weather starts to cool, leaves begin to change color, and the Holidays draw near... I think more about my friends and family, and how much I miss them. There are those that have passed on, and others that are scattered across the country. With having lost my job earlier this year, and the struggle to save my home.... I know that there won't be any happy reunions or visits in the near future.
These hard times make me think of my Grandma, and what an amazing woman she was. My Grandma always had a smile, hug and kind word for everyone... despite the hard times she had seen. My Grandma had a child out-of-wedlock in the 1930's (BIG no-no back then). She then married another man, had 2 more children, and then divorced in the 1950's (another BIG no-no). One of her children experienced a life-altering accident that left them with epileptic seizures and special needs.
Yet my Grandma just kept moving forward. She went to work everyday, took care of the home, raised 3 children, kept flower and vegetable gardens, and went to church. She didn't have much money, she didn't have much support... she just did whatever needed to be done, and she did so with a smile. I never thought much about it as a child, she was just my Grandma and that's the way it was.
Now that I am older, I can see her life in a whole new light. I can see how alone she must have felt, and how she must have been desperate at times, wondering just HOW she was going to make ends meet, caring for 3 small children on her own... but she DID it! She MADE it work!
Something that my Grandma told me one afternoon when I was little has stuck with me... and now I can see that it pertains to EVERYTHING in your life:
"Never let the seeds keep you from enjoying the watermelon"
Losing my job... that's a seed. The possibility of losing my home... that's another seed. Why should I let those "seeds" keep me from enjoying the rest of my "watermelon"? I have 2 beautiful little boys, I have wonderful friends and family that love me... no matter how far away they are, and I have a wonderful opportunity to decide every morning how I am going to view the day.
I want to be like my Grandma... enjoying my watermelon, and just tossing aside the seeds. =o)
So here it is... my first blog. As the title states, I am just getting started. This doesn't only pertain to the blog, this statement lends itself to a number of different things in my life at this time.
My older son is just getting started with first grade. New homework, new friends, new issues! Ha!
I just had another baby boy in January... so I am just getting started with his wonderful list of firsts... first tooth, first time sitting up, first steps, etc...
I lost my job in May... so I am also trying to get an online business started via my Etsy store, and hoping to only grow from there! I have made native-style jewelry for a while now, and am just getting started in the world of bath and beauty products.
For instance... last night, I got started with making some luxurious solid bath sugar cubes.
They turned out wonderfully!
These hard economic times have motivated me to GET STARTED with what I like to do. I like making things.. I'm a crafter at heart and can't bear to sit still. While I am still looking for "real" work, I decided that I would refuse to sit and wait for someone else to deem me worthy of employment. I would GET STARTED and employ myself!
For those of you out there that have dreams and aren't sure how to achieve them.... nothing will happen unless you take the first step and GET STARTED!
