New Year's Eve Reflections

The closing of a year is a time of reflection for a lot of people. A lot of writers, myself included, take time away from writing stories to write a retrospection of the year. I'm working on mine which will post at Between the Keys on January 2, 2024. I'll come back and drop in the link when it goes live.  That 2023 Retrospection is about what I achieved (or didn't) in my writing life. What about my personal life? 

Things did not remain status quo in 2023. The Lord of the Manor began the year as the man I've known since the early 1980s, and he's ending the year visibly aging and in declining health. He'd been on a slow slide for years, but 2023 has been disastrous for him. 

My own health remains good. Yeah, I need reading glasses now but who doesn't? I'm aware that some foods I used to eat with impunity need to be off the menu. Hot and spicy hasn't quite dipped to mild and boring but it's definitely headed to medium heat. Caffeine is restricted to coffee in the morning. I've been careful about soft drinks because of both caffeine and aspartame, aspartame being the more evil of the two to my system. Water is now my beverage of choice. 2024 will be the year I embrace flip flops for around the house, too. I went barefoot too much this past summer and now I'm paying the price with dry soles. 

This past year was disastrous on the financial front, too. Stock market gains? You jest. The Dow broke 37,000 in December 2023, but it was well below that for most of the year. I'm among the group who depends...well, maybe that's not the correct word. My personal spending reflects what the markets are doing. Necessities only when it's down and a few trinkets when it's up. 

The Garden. I jumped the gun in 2023 and started cuttings waaaaay early. Live and learn. The same goes for some seeds. The 2024 garden will be more diversified with less emphasis on tomatoes. I will probably want to can tomatoes and I'll pay the price for a bushel from local growers. I want to have fun with (and within) my garden this year. I spent peaceful hours in my garden last summer. 

What's on tap for 2024. A lot more of the same day-to-day *stuff*. Replacement windows are an expensive project coming up and I'm sure there will be others. My Charger needs a few things like new brakes and the backup camera replaced. They're not major auto repairs, but I'm sure they will cost a bundle. Perhaps I'll get around to doing a much-needed power-washing of the house this year. 

With my husband's declining health, I find myself unable to create visions for the coming year. So much depends on what happens with him. I've been in training to be on my own for many years, and that may manifest itself in 2024. I'm living in a sort of limbo.

But I will keep right on living. I will be doing more to please myself and no one else. None of us should allow the physical and/or mental disabilities of those around us to dictate what, how, and when we do certain activities. That may sound cruel but if we are to continue, sometimes we need to come first. 

That's where I need to be in the coming year. Doing what needs to be done, doing what I want to do, and letting go of what I can't prevent. It may be more difficult than it seems. 

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor/The Hideaway

Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, New Year's, rural living, health, well-being, end-of-life issues, planning ahead, gardening, a writer's life, Between the Keys blog, country lifestyle, disabilities,