Saying goodbye...

...is easier when you are leaving for new adventures.

EasiER. But not easy.

My consolation:

1. I would not have these friends if we didn't move around.

2. The Internet makes staying in touch convenient.

3. It's a small world and we shall meet again.


Changing subjects (because that's how I deal with my emotions), Myrtle Beach is supposed to be cold and rainy this weekend, but Northern Virginia is supposed to get 6" or more snow. I got out just in time.

The truck has not exploded, but the driver can't find a crew for Sunday, so we'll have to wait until Monday for our stuff. I'll be lounging in SC, but our family vacation gets cut even shorter. Oh, well. Knew things couldn't go 100% according to my plan.

My husband, the pessimist (he calls himself a "realist"), always expects our moves to be a disaster.

I, the optimist (he thinks I'm on drugs), always expect our moves to be smooth.

It's halftime, and things are going so well that even I, the optimist (or druggie, depending on who is talking), wonder if things aren't too good to be true.

I have NEVER heard a good story about moving. There's always SOMETHING. The biggest complaint I have so far is that WE have so much stuff it took them about ten hours to load the truck. They didn't finish until about 6 pm. I was hungry and wanted dinner. Moan.

The truck wasn't even scheduled to be here until today, so we're already 24 hours ahead of schedule.

And normally when a truck departs, you are left with a dirty house. This time, however, I busted my rear end last week and moved furniture around to vacuum under and behind everything. On Monday and Tuesday, I was working behind and around the packer to wash floors, vacuum cobwebs, and wipe down kitchen cupboards. I had a lady scheduled to come clean my kitchen and bathrooms yesterday afternoon and did not cancel her when the truck got moved up. By the time she finished those, they had removed the last of our things to be loaded, so she was able to sweep the floor that had been under our bookshelves and give a nice mopping of the living space. Meanwhile, I did touch up vacuuming on the rugs, and the last thing loaded on the truck was my Dyson. The truck pulled away from a clean house.

And that's as perfect as it gets.

OK, so my back is killing me, I boxed everybody's pillows forgetting we would need them for camping in the empty house, and I fear I will forget the laundry in the dryer. It's still perfect.

And that's why even I, the optimist (Pollyanna), am certain the truck will explode en route.

Music to my ears

Driver: how soon can I deliver your stuff?

PCS Move Part V

At the end of the work day, the packers leave your home a maze of boxes. They also leave their packing supplies behind, which gives you an opportunity to pack a box or two of things they refuse to touch.

This is the second time we've had movers who won't pack up alcohol. The last time, they wouldn't touch the wine or the liquor. This time, the wine was ok, but the booze was not. We have about a hundred pounds a few bottles of alcohol that I wrapped and boxed last night.

Also left behind were any liquids in my pantry, even if they were factory sealed. A bottle of cooking oil, vanilla and almond extract, rice vinegar, Worcestershire sauce. These things add up in weight and volume and cost. I am unwilling to give away that much of my pantry staples, so I wrapped them up too.

On one move, I didn't check the kitchen cupboards until long after the truck left. The packer missed a big lower cabinet that held all my tupperware and all my cookbooks. So I try not to wait until the last minute to check for missed items. Sure enough, last night I found a skipped drawer that held my measuring spoons and cups. I could have pointed it out to the packer today, but these light objects helped fill one of the very heavy boxes full of liquor.

Before I went to bed, I remembered they hadn't yet gotten to the bathroom and there are tons of things in there they will reject. Right after my shower, I will box them up, too. I think I'll have three self-packed boxes when I'm done which I will slip in with the others.

Lastly, the movers will not take anything flammable or explosive. This includes innocuous items like kitchen matches and cooking spray and more obvious items like propane tanks (even empty ones). If the truck took these items, they would have to follow procedures for transporting dangerous materials, which is a hassle. Although it seems like a good idea, I'm sure sneaking that Pam spray into a box violates all sorts of laws. Therefore, I, being the scrupulously law-abiding citizen that I am, would never do such a thing.

PCS Move Part IV

The packers are coming in two hours, if they are on time (more likely 3 or 4).

Naturally, I have paced myself over the last few weeks, and everything is good to go. I'm relaxing and having a nice cup of coffee before taking up another chapter in War and Peace which should kill the time until they get here.

Yeah, right.

My main goal has been to put things away, which makes sense, but it has also been to "think like a packer." That means realizing that everything located within one room (or nearby rooms) will likely get packed together. Now sometimes this makes sense. You do want all the books on the bookshelf packed together. But perhaps you happen to keep a jar of rosaries on the bookshelf as well. You may or may not want them together, especially if you want the rosaries, but you have left the 85 boxes of books as lower priority in unpacking. It's not easy digging through 85 boxes to find the one you want, but moving the rosaries to another area may make finding them easier.

This theory really comes into play when you have, for convenience, put things in different rooms of your house. For example, school books are not necessarily consolidated because some books, mainly history, might be read anywhere. Or you may have, for lack of wall space, hung decorations in bathrooms or halls or odd spots that you would not necessarily choose to repeat in another home. Or you may have stored things, like tablecloths and cookbooks and your entire liquor inventory, in cabinets and shelves in the living room because your kitchen was too small.

So, I've been feverishly working to put apples with apples, so to speak. And I'm almost done and very pleased. We'll see how it goes on the opposite end when we open up a box and find things from two entirely differently parts of the house, which has happened before.

One new thing I will try is to put up signs on various doors/areas indicating what labels I want on the boxes. This was a tip on my mover's information sheet, and it seems a no-brainer, but I've never done it before. This will be especially helpful if I can get the packers to label the school books (located in the downstairs family room) as such and can distinguish them from the other books (located in the upstairs living room). The school books have a higher priority in unpacking.

Well, off to War and Peace...? Truthfully, after my shower I have to sort a few cabinets in the kitchen, straighten up my bedroom, do more laundry, pull clothing out of drawers so we have something to wear for the next week or so...and hope that the packers are a wee bit late.

New Dodge Grand Caravan TV

H/T to The Pious Sodality of Church Ladies

Of course, my husband outgrew our Dodge Caravan few years ago.

If you give a mom a pie crust...

There was a pie crust in the freezer.

It would be a terrible thing to waste a pie crust. Almost as bad as wasting cider.

I wanted something that required very little purchasing of ingredients, and settled on Black Bottom Pie (similar to Martha's, but not quite as fancy and using whipped cream instead of meringue). The only ingredient I lacked: heavy whipping cream.

I happened to need to go to that big warehouse store because my membership conveniently ends in another week, and diapers and dog food happen to be cheapest there, and we needed diapers and dog food. They had heavy whipping cream. In quarts. I only needed a pint, but I whipped the whole quart anyway.

I made Black Bottom Pie and shared with another family. It is all gone. Yum yum.

But then, I had two cups of homemade whipped cream.

It would be a terrible thing to waste two cups of homemade whipped cream.

And then I noticed, in my rapidly emptying refrigerator, a container of chocolate syrup. Chocolate syrup would never go to waste. In fact, I tried to bestow this chocolate syrup on a friend a week or so ago, but my children caught me. They didn't seem to mind me giving her the teriyaki sauce, but the chocolate syrup? No way.

Anyway...inspiration hit, and I went to the store and bought ice cream.

Now, the whipped cream is almost gone and the chocolate syrup is almost gone, but we have a whole container of ice cream left.

No worries. There is no way ice cream will go to waste.

But as I consider the girth of my hips, I wonder: couldn't I have made a quiche instead?

Not impressed

Have you seen Bump+? Having heard many stories and known more than a few women who were unexpectedly expecting, I have a hard time finding ANY of these characters believable. It really seems as though the show is geared to be a platform to convince us that abortion is the best choice for these women.

What woman is going to confess to adultery on a reality show if her motive to have an abortion is to conceal it from her deployed husband? Like nobody would see it and tell him?

Sheesh.

Give me the intelligent college girl with the bright future. Give me the 18 year old good girl who left home and is shacking up with some 30 year old unemployed slacker. Give me the unwed career woman or the pregnant with #5 welfare mom. Give me likeable women.

And let's admit that it's all acting and not pretend that these women are actually going to take advice from random strangers on the internet.

Dialogue, yes.

Pathetic reality show-esque acting, no.

Because we just can't return a not empty keg

The kegerator, unbelievably, still has cider bought before Bill deployed. It was only a sixth of a keg, but I guess I've proven I'm not a big drinker.

We are moving. The kegerator must be emptied.

I remembered this as I passed the appliance on the way to the storage room for more cleaning.

"We must drink the cider," I thought, and went back upstairs for glasses.

"We must drink the cider," I told Bill when I returned. But I looked at the clock. "Do you think it's too early to drink?"

"It is only 9:40," he said. "Perhaps we should wait until 10 out of a sense of propriety," he said with little conviction.

"Yes, we shall wait out of a sense of propriety. Not any real feelings of propriety, but just for the sense of it."

We are on our second glasses, and it doesn't seem ready to quit yet. This pre-moving business is rough stuff.

Those naughty movers who swipe children's artwork and other valuables

Yesterday a friend watched the kids so Bill and I could do some cleaning and decluttering. Our main focus was the kids' rooms and toy room.

At one point I asked Bill's opinion about some "prized possession." Bill hypothesized that the owner would be very upset if we got rid of it. "Only if he found out," I assured him. Nevertheless, that item stayed.

Just before picking up the children, we stopped at the post thrift store to deposit some things. It really wasn't much, but it was probably the third or fourth trip we've made. Certainly, our children have way too much stuff. It is one reason I proposed a nice vacation in January as a family present for next Christmas.

This morning, Jenny asked me, "How come the packers and movers always lose our stuff?" Other children have suggested that Dad drive the moving truck to ensure nothing is misplaced. It's so nice to have a scapegoat.

PCS Move Part III

"If I only had a brain," wished Dorothy's scarecrow. Well, having "lost my mind" many times, especially every PCS, I can assure you that you can have a smooth move, even without a brain. It just takes a bit of organization.

One of the most important things you can have during a move is a notebook. I prefer mine to be pretty.

In this notebook, I keep a running to-do list. Things like "mail forwarding with Post Office" and "mail deposit for new water company." It is also where I list all the utilities and services I am starting or canceling, their phone number, my account number, and any other important information. This way, if the cable guy does not show up on the appointed day to install my service, I have all the contact information in one place. I will also use it temporarily as an address book, especially at the new home where I may get a few suggestions for a piano teacher or a babysitter and I need to call around until I settle on someone who will go in my more permanent address book.

And then, those last days at the old home, I have handy sheets of paper where I can scribble notes to people to leave on doorsteps: "Thanks for loaning me this book. Sorry I missed you. See you in two years."

Next you need a big, zippered envelope. This holds all of your PCS related paperwork: receipts, the papers the movers give you, the papers the transportation office gives you, half a dozen copies of hubby's orders.

I also have this small, portable filing bin that I use all the time. This is the last thing I would remember in a fire, but the first thing I would wish I had grabbed. It contains the most important documents: birth certificates, marriage certificate, passports, kids' immunization records and their most recent physicals, dog's shot records, our mortgage, rental agreements, social security cards, and similar papers. We have other filing bins that we let the packers wrap up and the movers transport, but this filing bin goes in our car.

Lastly, I will keep my address books with me. Someday, I will have all that information in electronic form, like on my iTouch or in my cell phone. But for now, the old fashioned kind is all I have. I must admit that I do not have my parents' home phone number memorized. They relocated to Florida after the invention of speed dial, and I have never forced myself to learn it. However, they are probably the first people I might call with a question like, "Mom, can you google the phone number for the cable company that I forgot to write down in my notebook?"

Friends and family are always a good backup for a missing brain.

Working hard

It's hard work taking down a trampoline. It's best to pace yourself and take a break every now and then.

And once you get to be a certain age, stopping to stretch will aid in preventing injuries.

This is a good stretch for your hamstrings and your back. Your partner provides the resistance. Reach, Bill, reach.





Here you see an assisted glute stretch. Isn't Fritz such a helpful son?


I think in this one, Bill is getting into position to show Fritz a stretch or two.



We've been enjoying the warm weather (obviously). Extended forecast is calling for snow on one of the days we're packing. Nice. At least we're heading south.

To boldly go where no tenant has gone before

Last week, in search of missing socks, I moved the washer and dryer that came with the house. My reward: one sock and a dime. I washed years of yuck off the floor. All day I smiled in that part of the house. I just felt cleaner. Dirt, even hidden dirt, weighs me down.

Saturday, I was working on the toy room. I know it is unreasonable, but LEGOS in the Playmobile bucket really irritates me. There are now only Playmobile in the Playmobile bucket. Today I plan to finish sorting through the toys. I will set my children to task in assembling puzzles. Any puzzle missing pieces will get the boot.

Moving is work, and moving frequently is a headache, but it gives me a chance to really declutter and organize and clean. And that, my friends, makes me feel so good. I don't know how you civilians do it: staying in the same house year after year. Do you ever feel completely organized and clean?

Final Frantic Run for Healthcare

One key obstacle appeared on its way to a resolution when Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., requested the elimination of an intensely controversial, one-of-a-kind federal subsidy to cover the entire cost of a Medicaid expansion in his home state.


Then Judas, his betrayer, seeing that Jesus had been condemned, deeply regretted what he had done. He returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, "I have sinned in betraying innocent blood." Matthew 27: 3-4

Nelson is giving the money back because Nebraska told him they don't want it. I'm not sure he has even as much remorse as Judas had.

Fun in the Sun?

We took advantage of yesterday's sweltering temperatures (50 degrees!!) to play and work outside.

Down comes the swing set. My husband is insisting this is it's last move.


I'm just happy we're having this heat wave. Last week's bitter cold (OK, nothing like the Midwest, but once you get below freezing and the wind is howling, cold is cold) had me concerned that my husband would abandon the swing set altogether. I didn't even like going from the house to the car, so there was no way I would make him work outside for hours.


One final jump. Trampoline comes down today.



Notice the very non-wintery clothes. It was hot, I tell you. Well, not me. I was wearing a sweater. Kids, though, seem to have different thermostats.




Un-excavating the raised garden that I never filled with vegetables.

Little boys feeling the enormity of the task.

These boys zealously spent hours digging a bunker in the garden. I told them they could, but they'd have to put the dirt back before we moved. Now that it's time to fulfill the promise, digging is no longer such a fun job. Every five minutes they would ask if they could have a break.


Admittedly, the job is a little harder this go round. The ground isn't frozen, but it sure is hard. I spent a few minutes manning a hoe, chipping away at the mounds. Then I decided I had better things to do. Besides, I didn't make the hole in the first place.

Temperatures are expected to remain above freezing, even at night, for the next week, so hopefully the job will get easier.

Two Jokes

My husband read me a joke he received from a friend via email. It was about a dad playing with his 2 year old while the mom was out. The little girl had a tea set and kept bringing him cups of water which he would drink and say how delicious it was. When the mom comes home, he tells her to wait and watch their little game.

At this point in his reading I interrupted with the punch line. OK, Moms, what did the mom know immediately that the dad didn't?


**************

Then my husband read me this joke, which really had me laughing. Maybe it's a military thing.


A U.S. Marine Colonel was about to start the morning briefing to his staff. While waiting for the coffee machine to finish brewing, the colonel decided to pose a question to all assembled. He explained that his wife had been a bit frisky the night before and he failed to get his usual amount of sound sleep. He posed the question of just how much of sex was "work" and how much of it was "pleasure?"

A Major chimed in with 75-25% in favor of work.

A Captain said it was 50-50%.

A lieutenant responded with 25-75% in favor of pleasure, depending upon his state of inebriation at the time.

There being no consensus, the colonel turned to the PFC who was in charge of making the coffee and asked for HIS opinion? Without any hesitation, the young PFC responded, "Sir, it has to be 100% pleasure."

The colonel was surprised and as you might guess, asked why?

"Well, sir, if there was any work involved, the officers would have me doing it for them."

PCS Move Part II

The packers come in 11 days!

Last week, I had a few goals: weigh vehicles (I did one of the two), declutter the bathroom (um, failed on this one), and start giving stuff away (I'm working on this - so far, so good).

Today I am canceling utilities and services. In fact, I am on terminal hold with a faceless, mammoth TV/internet provider. Good thing I have nothing better to do, right?

I've now canceled: electric, cable, water, trash pickup, newspaper, fencing club and the Officer's Club (pool). The only thing I didn't cancel was the heating oil because the last delivery's check is in the mail, and I want to wait until they get it before I call them. Side note: I use Quicken to keep track of bills and expenses, so I went through the last month or two to make sure I didn't miss any services (like the newspaper).

I've set up a walk through and key turnover for our rental home. Can you believe it will take them up to 45 days to give us our deposit back? Thieves. We'll be rolling in the dough in March. February might be a bit tight.

********

I had wanted to live on post for a variety of reasons, but there was no room at the inn. We could have put ourselves on a wait list, but this would mean either living apart for months (didn't we just do that?) or finding temporary housing for months (and then moving again). Since neither of those appealed to me, I chose to find a house to rent. This makes moving that much easier, since I can tell the movers exactly where to take our stuff. It also gets me a headstart on setting up utilities at our new home.

I am now on hold with faceless, mammoth internet/TV provider #2 to set up new service. It's been a long day.

OK, I have done electric, cable, gas and I have only water left (hours are 9 to 12 and 3 to 5...what's up with that?). Newspaper can wait. Trash pickup is provided.

Besides water, I need to make hotels reservations for me and 4 kids for the two nights between leaving our current home and our reservations for vacation at Myrtle Beach (the realtor doesn't work weekends or I would camp out here) and reservations for Bill and 2 kids for the night before he can get the key to the house and get our stuff delivered. He'll have the dog, so hopefully the hotel will accommodate that. I have already made reservations for the dog to be boarded at the new vet while we are on vacation.

Besides that, this week: weighing the other car, decluttering the bathroom, and continue working on organizing and thinning out our stuff. Oh, and, trying not to hyperventilate.

Apparently, you CAN buy love

Revealed: Top Commentator on Health Bill Under $400K White House Contract

Out, out, damn spot!

InsideCatholic.com - Catholic Campaign for Human Development Still Funding Abortion Promoter: by Deal W. Hudson

Really. There are so many decent charities out there, why would any good Catholic contribute to one that has ever had any questionable relationships? I don't care how much they try to clean up their act (and they don't seem to be trying), my donations will go elsewhere.

Lunch Date

Bill's parents are in town and watched the kids yesterday so we could go out. We ate lunch at the Dogfish Head Ale House. I don't get the name. I don't care.

Bill, noticing the Wi-Fi sign on the door, said, "It's a good thing I don't work near here."

Normally, I would drink water, especially with lunch. But I knew ordering a beer would make Bill really happy: see New Month's Resolution for August (2008). So I pondered the extensive list of craft brews and picked the Fort because it has a raspberry flavor.

"Sorry I picked such a girly beer," I apologized.

"It's not such a girly beer," he said pointing out the 18% alcohol content. He went with the Raison D'Etre at 8% ABV.

When the server helping our waiter delivered our drinks, mine was in a cordial glass. "And who has nothing else to do today?" he asked regarding my selection.

I ate a lot of carbs. And drank a lot of water. I was cheerful and warm.

Unfortunately, they do not sell the Fort for take home. I guess you can't bottle happiness.

If you live in my neck of the woods and have not eaten at the Dogfish Head Ale House, I really recommend you try it. Bill has eaten there three times, and I have eaten there twice. We have never been disappointed. Although I am moving, I know we will be back here in a few years. This place will be one thing to look forward to when that time comes.

The Joker

When 4 year olds write their own jokes:

"Mommy, what did the M&M guy say when he got run over by the boat?"

"What?"

"OUCH!"

Where my Yankee colors start to show

My husband has to plan a reception for next month, and he asked me to look at the menus provided. Fried chicken, smothered pork chops, salisbury steak, collard greens, sweet potatoes, red beans and rice, and okra and tomatoes.

Um. (No, I did not leave out the "Y".)

Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore.

PCS Move Part I

It was with a certain amount of panic that I realized on Monday that WE ARE MOVING THIS MONTH. Bill went to Transportation yesterday and, officially, the packers will be here in NINETEEN days.

For you non-military types, let me assure you that this is not nearly as big a deal as if we were doing it all by ourselves. I have no boxes to pack, really. Nothing to arrange, really. They come, they pack, they move. (Anybody want to provide the Latin for that?)

I thought I would chronicle the steps to a PCS move for those in the military, and also for non-military families too. This will be our 5th military move in less than 5 years, and we've gotten pretty good at it. May as well share the knowledge, right?

As I said, Bill went to Transportation and made the arrangements for the move. We always do what is called a "partial DITY" or do-it-yourself move. You have to tell them before you move that you want to do this. Then you have to weigh your vehicles at some point (empty). Many truck stops offer scales for a low fee (perhaps $5) and some military installations have scales for free. If you have a hitch, you can rent a trailer to haul stuff, or you can just load your cars to the gills. Even if all you put in your car is your clothes for a few days, it's worth the money. They pay you for the weight you move, so you'll have to weigh the vehicles again after loading them up (children don't usually count as household goods, FYI).

Goal for this week: weigh vehicles.

Next, I picked a spot in my house where I can put things I do not want the movers to pack. Things like: the dog, our clothes and toiletries, sleeping bags, snack food for the drive, valuable paperwork, the laptop, other valuables. I picked the master bathroom because it is big enough to hold all that stuff, yet the amount of things to pack out of there is very small.

Goal for this week: declutter this bathroom and relocate any items in there I want them to pack to the other bathroom.

The packers will box up anything that is not nailed down. I now need to put things where they belong so that when I open a box it makes sense. Right now, on my desk, the pile includes a video, some books, a cookbook, some toys, my camera, coupons, CDs, bills, the lid to the container for Fritz's Latin flashcards, kids' artwork, and reference material that belongs to a friend. My life would be much easier if all of these things were put away properly BEFORE the move. I am resigned to some amount of decluttering AFTER the move, but things, especially things that belongs to local friends, should be put away first.

Goal for this week: put things already slated for "give-away" in the car for drop off at the thrift store tomorrow night. And drop them off, too. Make a list of give-away items for a friend who may need them.

Since it's Wednesday, I think that's quite enough work for this week. Stay tuned for more tips on moving your household goods 900 miles in less than three weeks.

A Salute to West Point

My husband was commissioned via an ROTC program, not a service academy, but some of the sentiments in this article are true for anyone who chooses to serve in the military.

A Salute to West Point: "So his loved ones are a little saddened when we come across people apparently unable to process the idea that an intelligent young American with the world at his feet could be led by a sense of duty to West Point in a time of war."

Adultery in the kitchen

"I'm cheating on you," I confessed to my husband as he was pouring his beer and I was making dinner.

"Oh?" he said with mild curiosity, but not a hint of concern. He barely glanced up from his task.

"I'm trying to clear out the freezer and I found some frozen meatballs that have been sitting there. I don't know why I bothered to buy them; they're Swedish meatballs. So, I'm using them for the Guinness meatball recipe.

It's my sauce, but somebody else's balls."

And he laughed. As did I. It is good to laugh again.

Just so you know, the Guinness on the left is for drinking, and the Guinness on the right is for cooking. One bottle is the perfect size for double this recipe, and you will want double. Store-bought meatballs are adequate, but just adequate. If you want to impress the friends at the Superbowl party, make 'em from scratch.

Product Review: Bedwarmers

It's winter. It's cold. What helps me get through these frigid nights? Bedwarmers.

I have several models. The first is called HUBS. It is nearly six feet long and can conform to your body. You put it either behind you or in front of you for full length, head to toe, warmth.

Another model I have is called TOT. This is a fraction of the size of HUBS, but packs quite a bit of heat. You cannot use it to warm your feet (it will break), but it works very well for upper body warming.

I also have an older TOT model - over 4 years old. I have noticed that over time these models tend to expand with age. While this means more surface area of warmth, the dynamics of the model change as well, and it is not well known for its ability to remain in one position for a long period of time. In fact, my particular model often turns 90 degrees and pokes me uncomfortably. I've been through several other TOTs now, and for me, by the time they get about 3 years old, they are not the best choice for keeping a bed warm.

Unlike electric blankets, none of the Bedwarmers needs a power supply. They do, however, require daily maintenance, even throughout the year. With proper TLC, some HUBS have lasted 50 or 60 years, providing a lifetime of warm winter beds.

I am very fortunate to have found my Bedwarmer (HUBS) back in the early 90's when there was a plentiful supply. Today's newer models just don't suit me, and the older models are hard to find. I do recommend getting a HUBS before getting a TOT. Since TOTs only last a few years and their performance is erratic, a well-cared-for HUBS is essential for continuous warm winter nights.

Disclaimer: I received no compensation for this review. Good Bedwarmers are hard to find and results may vary, since each one is unique.

New Year's Resolutions

I suppose many people posted resolutions yesterday. Resolutions never start on January 1st, of course. That day is a freebie. It's a holiday.

And this year, with the 2nd and 3rd being a weekend - and Epiphany, too - I don't see how resolutions could start then either.

Mondays are always good for fresh starts. So, nothing I post applies yet. This is all stuff for next week and beyond.


First of all, DIET. I've been eating way too many Russian Tea Cakes (made with pecans, not walnuts, BTW) and drinking too much eggnog. I've put on the usual 5 or so holiday pounds. Time to stop. This year, in fact, I think is the perfect year to go vegetarian. Why not? I hear it's healthy, so let's go healthy. I'm going to eat only organic, locally grown, raw fruits and vegetables. And since local temperatures are in the 30's, I'm pretty sure this will mean no fruits or vegetables until we move to Georgia. But it's what they say is the best way to eat, and I'm all about doing the best things. I'm also going to make my own bread, from my own ground wheat, grown locally and organically. And since I'm not going to be a vegan (really, there is no harm to a chicken when you take the egg), I'll churn my own butter to put on top.

Next, EXERCISE. Three marathons. I can do it. I just need to set my mind to it.

SLEEP. 10 pm to 5 am every day. No exceptions.

READING. Two books a week.

WRITING. I know there's a 500 page novel inside me. I will get it out.

DECLUTTERING. I'm thinking Japanese simplicity. We don't need toys anyway.

PRAYER LIFE. Daily rosary followed by daily Mass. With all the kids. Just think how many souls will get out of purgatory.

BEING A WIFE. Dates once a week with my husband. I will not get annoyed by his behavior. I will not nag him. I will not complain about how many hours he works or if he is late for dinner or if he doesn't like my tofu and bean sprout stir fry.

MOTHERING. I will never raise my voice. I will never get angry. I will follow through on all declared punishments. I will never ignore noises from three rooms away when I know they are misbehaving. I will always get up immediately to respond to a child who is ignoring a direct order. I will hug my children at least 5 times a day, especially the older ones.

MONEY. I will put half our income aside for the children's college fund. The other half I will give to the poor.


Dream big. I am pretty sure I will have as much success with these resolutions as I would with any others.