Resolutions

I know, it’s a little late to making New Year’s resolutions,  but due to strange health happenings and anesthesia brain, the New Year came and went without much thought.

Then EarthandInk had this wonderful idea to wait until the Chinese New Year to finalize our resolutions.  And so, after much thought and consideration, here are my goals for 2015.

Inspiration

My inspiration for this year is:

“Do small things with great love.”  - Mother Theresa

Intentions

I always wake up every morning and set my intentions for the day.  Included is a list of things I want to accomplish but in addition to the to-do list, I have set my intentions to:

• Make someone smile, everyday.  It is amazing how easy this is.  I just make eye contact with a person in a store or office and smile at them.  9 times out of 10 they smile back.  And then I try to add some pleasantry about the weather, or compliment something they are wearing. They leave smiling, and so do I.  

• Find the magic in the everyday.  The way the snow flashes all the colors of the rainbow when the sun hits it just right.  Or the way icicles dazzle like crystal.  Now I am enjoying the magic of baby plants sprouting and unfolding into the miracle of flowers.  I do think magic is all around us, but I often have to remind myself to notice.

Resolutions

This year I am resolving to reduce my negative impact on the earth.  I have always done the generic things - recycle, walk instead of drive, use environmentally friendly products, etc.  but this year I want to really kick it up a notch. So I resolve to :

• Have meatless meals at least 3 times a week.

• Compost more.  I started a compost pile last year, but now I want to be serious about it.

• Grow and store more food.  I am an amateur gardener and usually grow easy things like tomatoes and beans. This year I want to learn to grow more variety, plant some fruit trees and most especially learn how to store food for year round use.  

• Drive less.  Last year I put 5,000 miles on my car.  This year I want to reduce that to 4,000. Much of my driving is volunteer based which I won’t stop, but I often make unnecessary trips and could be much better in consolidating trips with other family members.   Come better weather I hope to bike the 5 miles to the gym.

• Line dry clothes when weather permits.

• Convince Martha that keeping chickens or bees would be fun.

2015. The year of the sheep and, for me, the year of doing small things with great love.