NEW BEGINNINGS

Yesterday, January 20th, Joseph R. Biden, Jr. was inaugurated as the 46th president of the United States, along with Kamala Devi Harris as vice-president (first female VP, first Asian American VP). They're making a new beginning. Our country is making a new beginning.

In a couple of days, I'll start my ninth decade. (Remember? Age 80 means the end of the 8th decade; please don't get confused.) On Saturday I'll celebrate being 80 with a Zoom party--a couple of hours in the AM, then a couple more in the PM. Cake, candles, and singing at 5 PM. COVID isn't going to keep us from having a party!

So I'm making a new beginning also. Besides the one on January 1st, I always begin a new year with my birthday. And again in the fall when school starts, and that's my real, true, and personal New Year. (Not a religious thing, just a feeling that life starts up again when school doors open.) And no, I'm not really 160--the new-year starts are more metaphorical or philosophical or just plain "because I want to."

Last time we met I suggested some words for us to consider for the coming year. I listed only seven words, and there are so many more--you can easily find a word that conjures up meaning for you and your situation.

I've pretty much come down to Think and Create. Maybe I'll choose both . . . Thinking is always a good thing to do, and I certainly do a lot of it when I'm working on a novel. Creating is my personal favorite, but without Thinking, the Creating part would be sadly without substance. Or maybe just more difficult. Possibly even impossible!

So--Think and Create.

Here's my agenda for the months to come:

--finish some quilt Works in Progress (WIPs); several of these are to be given away to folks who need them. I finally got a line on a couple of places to donate finished items.

--finish the novella I'm currently writing (slowly); it's a mystery and is part of a series of short stories and novellas featuring The Rev. Dr. Abercrombie as the sleuth. After I finish this one, I can go back to writing other stories.

--try to complete some knitted items; tendinitis limits the amount of time I can spend with needles in hand, clicking away.

--stick to my goal of reading 50 books this year. So far, January is going well--I've managed 4 books in 4 weeks, and one of those was 491 pages! The other three were considerably shorter.

--stick to another goal--personal fitness. I now have an exercise bike at home, and I've done yoga for years with CDs from a class I used to attend and DVDs I've purchased. Health is a priority at my house.

--try something new--revive my watercolor painting (lapsed for several years), try mixed media art and make greeting cards or small "paintings."

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Next time we meet I'll be 80 years and 5 days of age. A great place to be!

Blessings, one and all!

Make mine carrot cake!