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It’s My Birthday–and a few other things to celebrate

Today, January 21, is my birthday. I did a little research and found it’s also the birthday of Placido Domingo, Hakeem Olajuwon, Jill Eikenberry, Geena Davis, Benny Hill, Charlotte Ross and Telly Savalas. Not to forget Ethan Allen, the American Revolution fighter who helped found Vermont, Stonewall Jackson, Confederate general, Rasputin, mystical adviser in the court of Czar Nicholas II of Russia and Christian Dior, French fashion designer. Plus numerous other people I’m less familiar with.

AdobeStock_241373127 smallIt’s also Squirrel Appreciation Day. Now, I don’t mind squirrels, and my cats love watching them. I certainly don’t want to run over any. But actually appreciating them? I looked it up and while there was a bit of information about the species, there was nothing telling me the why375px-Rocket_J._Squirrel of the celebration, unless it’s a general appreciation of wildlife. I get that. Or appreciation of Rocket J. (aka Rocky) Squirrel.

AdobeStock_399788441 smallMore importantly, perhaps, than squirrels, it’s National Hug Day. No need to justify the raison d’être for that one. These days, what with the pandemic and all, many of us are falling short of our usual hug quota. But consider reaching out and giving a “virtual hug” to someone who could use a little pick-me-up. How that virtual hug manifests itself is up to you.

Granola bar with nuts, fruit and berries on white.AdobeStock_70508848 [Converted]It’s also National Granola Bar Day. In lieu of birthday cake, we can all have a granola bar together. But let’s not overindulge, as this year, January 21 is Women’s Healthy Weight Day (Thursday of the third full week in January).

Plenty to celebrate today, but the biggest reason of all for me is, gosh darn it, it’s my birthday!

Birthday cupcakes

Image Credits: Cupcakes ©Ivonne Wierink – stock.adobe.com; Women chatting ©ayelet_keshet – stock.adobe.com; Squirrel Appreciation Day ©Flavijus Piliponis –stock.adobe.com; National Hug Day ©bulgn – stock.adobe.com; Granola Bars ©nadianb – stock.adobe.com; January 21 ©Елена Николаева – stock.adobe.com; Rocky Squirrel courtesty of CreativeCommons.org.

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Welcome, 2021

Last week my dad told me about one of his earliest memories–certainly the first New Year’s Day he remembers. He was about three or four, and when he woke up on January 1st, he ran to the window, fully expecting all the snow to be gone. It wasn’t, of course, and early on, he learned a valuable lesson: not much changes between December 31st and January 1st.

That’s not to say things won’t change in the new year. They will, and I think most of us are hoping for a better year. I had high hopes for 2020. It wasn’t as bad a year for me as it was for some, but I agree with those who say:

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I’m hoping 2021 doesn’t require the same resigned sense of humor and that things will be better. I’m hopeful the new vaccines will do the trick and that COVID-19 won’t be the threat to us it is now. I’m hopeful that jobs are gained back. I’m hopeful for a little more political integrity.

Not much may change in one day, but we have reason to be hopeful. For all of you, I pray your year may be filled with unexpected blessings, big and small.

Image credits: Snowman ©Lilya – stock.adobe.com, Stink/Stank/Stunk © Ak7studio-stock.adobe.com

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Changing Habits and New Year’s Resolutions and Such

I’ve vowed to start eating healthier, and that includes cutting back on my Diet Coke intake. A friend suggested I try flavored waters, and I was delighted to find cherry limeade flavored water at the local Neighborhood Market. Problem was, once I switched addictions from Diet Coke to cherry limeade flavored water, I discovered the my new favorite contained aspartame. So I’m back at square one, with a refrigerator full of both soft drinks. Okay, I’ve cut down on the Diet Coke and at work I drink lots of water. But at home I’m not sure I’m much better off.

Changing habits is never easy. I hear that sitting is the new smoking and I just don’t know how to keep from sitting as much as I do at home. I’m trying to cut down on screen time as well, but I’m having a hard time coming up with alternatives. Yes, I can read, and I do that, but one of my alternatives to watching TV is to write and that puts me plunk in front of my computer screen. Yes, I could get out and walk, and I do that, but that doesn’t take up as much of my time as I’d like. So I end up watching a lot of TV, reading and writing, all of which have me sitting.

I’m fortunate in one sense that my current job has me on my feet a lot, moving around quite a bit, so I keep myself “active” in that way. It’s not the same as aerobic exercise but it’s certainly better than sitting at a desk all day. I do sit for a couple of hours a day, but the rest is up on my feet.

I say it again: changing habits is never easy. At least, changing some habits isn’t easy.

I’m lucky that I’m relatively healthy. Sure, I could lose ten pounds (and there we go with that changing habits thing again), but a recent physical and the resulting blood work showed some positive results, better than I expected.

But I need to change some habits, so this year, for the first time in decades, I’m making some New Year’s resolutions. I’m going to exercise more, drink more plain water and eat healthier. I have a plan for each and I’ve already started to implement these plans (why wait?).

My cats have agreed to hold me accountable. Okay, I’ve developed some other accountability systems, hopefully better equipped to help me than my cats.

So here I go…

Image Credit: ©Tierney – stock.adobe.com

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It’s Caturday Again!

Walter undercover

Walter has gone undercover…but never fear, he will be back.

Image credit: Cesar cat © Belinda O, Paws in Heart © Bigstock.

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Merry Christmas and Happy Blogging Anniversary To Me

Hope Santa Paws was good to you and yours! Merry Christmas everyone!

It was six years ago today that I first started this blog. I had no idea what I was doing, and thankfully they didn’t have these blasted blocks for me to deal with. I also was in a dark place and needed an outlet for my pain. In the past I’ve reposted that first post on this anniversary day, but since I’ve come so far since then I’m going to forego that tradition.

Blogging is a funny thing, and my blog has gone through several transformations (none of them deliberate) to become what it is today. Four years ago, I was posting two or three times a week. I had a bi-weekly feature, Classic for a Reason, where I featured movies from the golden age of Hollywood. That feature became its own blog and I’m still posting there today (classicforareason.com).  Check it out if you’re a fan of classic, I mean really classic, films.

Today I have much less time to dedicate to blogging, but it gives me a great deal of pleasure to see that many of my old posts are still viewed. Of course that doesn’t compare with the pleasure of getting to know my many blogging buddies.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Image credit: ©Anton – stock.adobe.com