This is a shot of my Phalenopsis orchid, which began blooming after the New Year.
Lose weight? Did that this week. I'll probably gain it back by the middle of next week. Some of you know what I mean-- for these who don't, keep on walking, quietly. Losing weight is a goal, not a single action.
I prefer to resolve to act, since it's easier to know that way if I am keeping my resolutions or not. So here's a sample list:
* Get my Christmas cards out this month. They're more Chinese New Years' cards now. Really a chore, not a resolution, but even chores are part of the greater pattern.
* Learn and do videography, which means also working on editing and making clips. In progress. Step 1: find video editing software that works for me, and so on ad nauseum which eventually leads to a final product of some sort. Low expectations, just breaking a new flower bed and seeing what happens,
* Setting goals for my writing, not just my writing habits. Take new steps to submit for publication. Done. I'm glad to have been connected with new resources for querying, freelancing. It's opening my mind up to possibilities, like a good seed catalog should.
* Keep training Manitou this winter and plan to try him for a CGC-A obedience title, try a pre-novice leg this spring if possible. Also get a second opinion from an organization on him to finetune his training, He passed his CGC in November.
*Work on my back and shoulder rehab and see about reclaiming some yoga moves I've lost. I'm glad to say this seems to be working out (including rediscovering some yoga moves!) and I hope to be stronger enough to accomplish many goals I could not do as I hoped in the last half of 2014.
Rehab and yoga make a resolution which takes work, like writing and dog training, or gardening, but which will help me work on all these goals. I was upset to be unable to garden (or walk/train the dog!) very well last summer between the floods, the ravaging hordes of mosquitoes, and being physically kaput.
But I can do these exercises daily and know if I'm better, worse, or same as last week.
I have committed to doing what I can to make 2015 better than 2014-- I'd like to cultivate my ability to do what gives me joy and purpose. Gardners are optimists. Every spring brings hope that with planning, shrewdness, and a properly trained dog who doesn't freelance in the garden, this will be THE year of bounty.
But I have to say that a little water, lots of sloth, and a comfortable windowsill can work great wonders in the bitter cold of winter. Even if it's just one plant, look at it. It blooms, with -25 F outdoors. I sense a certain kairos, the opportune moment, in its timing. I can never schedule that; I can only provide, predict, and hope, as I have done for years.