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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

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Santa and the Pandammit

Just for fun, here’s a short short story I wrote for my writing group. We each wrote a one-page, double-spaced story (making it really short) for our final meeting of the year. Merry Christmas!

They couldn’t visit Santa Claus because of the pandammit. Mommy said lots of people were getting sick and Santa had to stay well for Christmas. Keri understood. Sort of. Wasn’t Santa magic? How else did he visit everyone in one night? Couldn’t he make himself better if he got sick?

Keri helped Mommy and Daddy decorate the Christmas tree. Daddy said he had a big surprise for her. “Keri, since we can’t go to Santa, I thought we could bring Santa to you. Here’s a Santa ornament. You can tell Santa what you want for Christmas this way.”

Mommy smiled really big. “Go on, honey. Tell Santa what you want.”

Keri looked silently at the ornament. The real Santa sat at the mall. “Should I hang it up, Daddy?”

“Of course, kitten. How about there?” He pointed to one of the branches closer to the bottom. “You don’t have to talk to Santa right now. He’ll be right here when you’re ready.”

Keri nodded and picked up another ornament. Mommy sighed, but Keri couldn’t help it. She wanted the real Santa Claus.

Later that night, a long time after she fell asleep, something woke her up. She didn’t know what it could be, but she did know she felt hungry. Mommy had baked some cookies right after they decorated the tree, and Keri knew where to find them.

She tiptoed through the living room on her way to the kitchen, looking over at the tree as she passed by. Wait. Something twinkled. Like a star. Keri walked over to the tree to see what it could be. The Santa ornament! But wait again. Santa looked different. Did he just wink at her?

“You didn’t believe I could really be Santa, Keri.” The ornament talked to her! “But I am. Tell me what you want for Christmas.”

Keri smiled. Daddy had brought Santa to her.

Image credit: ©ezstudiophoto – stock.adobe.com