An invitation

My New Baby

Today, I got an unexpected phone call from the owner of a local bar. He called to invite me to perform at their Songwriters showcase on January 15th.  What an exciting way to start the New Year!  As always, I'm a little nervous, but looking forward to the opportunity to be on stage again.  Guess it's time to get my head in it and write another song. Would hate not to have new material and do the same stuff I did last time! Now I just have to pray for some inspiration. I havent written a new song in years.  But I DID make it one of my New Years Resolutions, to begin creating again. The universe was definately listening, and is now pushing me lovingly along.

Quiet Christmas

Merry (belated) Christmas everyone.  The day just kind of got away from me this year.  With the snow and ice coming in, I allowed the kids dad to come pick them up early on christmas eve, which meant it was a quiet christmas for me and my two mutts, Lucky and Mitzy.  Bet you can guess which is which!

So there it was, Christmas Eve, the snow blowing like crazy, leaving drifts like ocean waves (to be fair, im talking atlantic, not pacific), and I nestled in with a good book, and good company (the aforementioned pooches).

Of course, it was such a good book that I couldn't help but continue on Christmas day.  ALL day.  I finally finished it at 1030pm on Christmas. I haven't read like that in a long time.  Maybe that is why I had given up on my novel. I'd just lost interest. I think I'm regaining some of that interest. Now I just have to get reaquainted with what my publisher is looking for these days, finish that final chapter, and do some major editing.

So this morning I thought I would sit and think about what committments to make to myself this year, and how im going to fit it all in. Top five include working out, playing guitar and working up some playable sets, reading more, finishing my book, improving my home and landscaping my yard, to include a wonderful garden. Fitting all that in with a full time job and spending as much time as possible with my kids will be a challenge.  But a challenge I welcome.

 

I did learn to get an early start on one of those resolutions.  I've played guitar a bit more this week and have a full set together now.  Those songs are:

1) Shoot the Eagles - an original

2) Deaf, Dumb, and Blind - another original

3) You Were Meant for Me - Jewel

4) Who Will Save Your Soul - Jewel

5) The First Cut is the Deepest - Sheryl Crow

6) The Climb - Miley Cyrus

7) Talking About a Revolution - Tracy Chapman

8) Bubbly - Colbie Callait

9) Dear Mr. President - Pink

10) Me and Bobby McGee - Janis Joplin

11) Theres More to Me Than You - Jessica Andrews

12) Jolene - Dolly Parton

13) Inside Your Heaven - Carrie Underwood

There are others I can play, but these are actually stage ready. Mostly. Theres always room for improvement. My new one is "Before He Cheats" by Carrie Underwood.  Realized I needed some more upbeat stuff unless I wanted a sleeping crowd.

Today I head to the gym and renew my membership and get that first workout over with....again.  Feels like I'm always starting over. At present, I weigh... 285 lbs. Oh god, I said it.  Out loud.  Ok, so it was out loud in my head, but boy was it LOUD.  Needless to say, I've got a long way to go to reach my ultimate goal. But for now, I only plan to worry about 10 lbs at a time.  My goal is 10 lbs a month. So by next christmas, if I can maintain that momentum, I will be so close to my goal weight.  I'm also thinking of starting a seperate blog just for my weight loss.  I don't want to muddle up the 'fun' stuff with the mundane, but I still want to feel I'm holding myself accountable.  In fact. I think I'll get that puppy started. Happy Holidays everyone.

A new beginning

Hello, everyone. Well, another year has come and gone. But where did it go? It seems I ask that every year, and when I reflect on the year, I mean when I truly put some thought into it, I realize it didn't really go anywhere. It was spent creating memories, and growing. And though I am pleased with what the past year has given me (a wonderful new job, a new awareness of myself as a woman, another season of watching my son play football and of my daughter playing softball, a wonderful new furball of a dog, and a puppy that has blessedly grown into a much calmer and loveable beast, a beautiful new guitar, and a renewed joy in my music, and a deeper appreciation of my dearest friends, and an ever widening circle of new ones.)

But even with all of those things to be thankful for, I find myself still feeling like another year has slipped by without having accomplished anything new. I've nurtured what I've already created, but haven't created anything new. So I've decided that this will be the year I embrace my spirit of creativity once more. I think it's time I break out of my comfort zone.

So in the spirit of new beginnings, here are my goals for 2010:

1) To lose weight. (Oh, come on! How many women DON'T top their list with the 'diet' resolution, whether they need to or not?) I'm not going to set a goal weight for the year. Rather I am just going to love myself and be happy with what progress I make. And when I DON"T make progress, I resolve not to beat myself up over it. That's how I got this way in the first place!

2) I will keep my home remodeling and landscaping work going. Having finally paid my home off, I look forward to turning my house into the home I see when I close my eyes. The first project is nearly done. I'm just waiting on the contractor to return to paint and trim it out. I'm so excited. The next indoor project will be quite the undertaking. Next we tackle the bathroom. However, now that my first indoor project is basically done, I'd like to get to work on the outdoor project next. What is it you ask? (OK, so you probably didn't ask. But here it is anyway). I want to get to work landscaping the backyard so that I can get my garden in on time, and begin entertaining friends through the summer.

3) I will learn to become more self-sufficient. From gardening and food storage, to soap making, to whatever else I can learn to do on my own.

4) I will take my children on a memorable vacation this year. It's time we got to do something fun together. It wont be long before my now 9 and 11 year olds are 'too old' to hang with mom, regardless of how cool the activity is. I've already missed out on those years with my oldest, who will be graduating in June. (Again, I ask, where did all those years go?)

5) I will continue to play music, and will kick those creative juices into overdrive. It's time I started writing again. I have a nearly finished romance novel which I havent touched in years, and a short set of songs I've written. I think it's time I let the juices flow.

6) I will love myself more than ever. I will spend less time vegging out on the internet or in front of the TV. I will spend more time reading, doing things with my children, entertaining friends, and enjoying the tranquility of my home. I'll cook more and eat out less. I'll treat myself, and my children to the little things that we don't realize we've missed, like fresh flowers and the joy of dancing in the rain.

This list will most likely grow. I mean, who says we have to wait til the first of the year to make positive changes in our lives. Right? And I thank all my fellow bloggers in advance for the inspiration I've already found, and that which I know I'll continue to find as the year flows by.

May everyone have a memorable, and joy filled holiday season!