Gloomy Days

Natalie's post this morning got me thinking. I think it's true that many of us censor ourselves when posting on our blogs. We want to present the light side of our lives and leave the rest in dark corners. Sometimes we write a post ranting or venting about things that aren't so perfect, then we delete them. Well, the following is an example of one I wrote last night while in a funk. I wasn't going to post this, but now I think maybe I should, to illustrate that all of our lives are not perfect like Martha Stewart... come to think of it, her life hasn't been so perfect either. And look at Oprah. She has all the money and power in the world, yet she is admitting she gets depressed and struggles with her weight.


"I hate to sound depressing, but I am depressed. My husband has been working at home for the past month. He broke his wrist in October, had the cast taken off in December, and is having a lot of pain in the arm. He goes to physical therapy and does the exercises, but is getting discouraged. Many nights, he has to take pain medication to sleep. He has been letting his beard and mustache grow, and looks all gray and fuzzy and rumpled. Most day he works in his home office, wearing sweats and a bath robe.

I have not been motivated to go out of the house or to get any exercise. I've been loading up on sugar and carbs. I watch too much T.V. Days and days go by, eating too much and watching too much news. It all leads to depression. It's hard to break the cycle. I look at my four walls and get more depressed. They are dark and mud-colored. My old house was light and bright with bay windows and sky lights. This house seems dark and confining. When we moved in, we left the walls and window treatments from the prior owners, and I tried to talk myself into liking it. But I can't... I want to have it all repainted. I want things to be light and bright, to take down the bamboo shades and put up lace curtains. Of course, with the economy looking so bleak, it's difficult to justify spending money on the house. The 401K I accumulated while working is now a 201K."

Okay, if you are still with me... that is what I wrote last night, when I was exhausted and ready to go to bed. This morning looks a little bit better. The sun is shining and the television is turned off. I am going to go out and conquer the world today!

Our New Surgeon General?

This man could be our next Surgeon General.

He could be the best-looking man in government!

A Monster Landed in My Living Room

We finally decided to buy one of those new flat-screen T.V.s. I went to Sam's Club last week and saw a cute little 26-inch number. It was petite and streamlined and I thought it would be perfect to replace our old model with the rabbit ears. I called my husband on my cell phone and asked what he would say if I brought it home. He said he wanted to wait until he had a chance to look. So, last weekend we went out and looked.

This is what we came home with. It's a monster! It's huge! He had talked me up from the cute little 26-inch to a 46-inch screen. That's when the salesman told us the 50-inch was actually less expensive than the 46-inch. So, we ended up with this 50-incher. I feel like it has taken over the whole room, the whole house. I feel like I have to redecorate all around it. It's just sitting on a tiny little table. Everything around it looks insignificant now.

My brother-in-law says we should mount it on the wall. That would make me feel like I was living in a sports bar or a hospital waiting room... no T.V. stuck to the wall for me! I've seen nice-looking wall units made to fit these monsters... they come with shelves and cabinets and take up the whole wall. But they are expensive! We are trying to save for retirement, not at a stage in life to buy new furniture. So, now what do I do!

Clutter, Clutter, Clutter

I have too much clutter in my life and can't think straight! Clutter in the basement. Clutter in the closet. Clutter in my brain!
It all feels related. I have got to get "stuff" out of here or I will go crazy. What is it about a new year that makes us feel this
way? Right now I would like to just get away to a little island with no "stuff" but the clothes on my back. (And my cats, of
course.)

You probably know what I mean. The closet is full, but there is nothing to wear. You find things back in the corners that you
forgot you had. You buy a book, get it home and realize you already have a copy of it. Too many things!

So, right now, I am going to stop writing and start de-cluttering. A stack of newspapers ready to go. Bags full of magazines
and catalogs ready to go. Up to the recycle bins behind the public library. Racks and drawers full of clothing that just isn't
quite right, things I put on, then look in the mirror, and take back off. It's all going! Old lamps that don't work, knick-knacks
that make no sense... all going to the Goodwill. I love to drive up to the Goodwill with a trunk full of stuff, and the guys just
run out and take it all away!

So, here I go... see ya later!

Big Goals, Little Goals... Baby Steps?

It's time to think about setting goals for the new year, right? Trouble is, I can't think about big goals right now. My mind is cluttered with too many little details that are begging for my attention. So, before I can think about my goals for the year, I have to tackle the following:

See my new note cards? These are for the thank you notes I need to write for for all the Christmas gifts I received.
I got the note cards last weekend in Philadelphia, at a store called "Blue Tulip". See the small blue bag from "Blue Tulip"? It's a very nice little store that I liked to visit when in Philadelphia. I had to say goodbye to it, though. It is closing this week due to the economy.

See my new book... "The Flat Belly Diet"? I have to go shopping for the grocery list in the book so I can start on the diet.

And then there is the stack of magazines and catalogs I have to go through. They accumulate so quickly! I'm sure I had a reason for keeping each one, but I'm running out of room!

Finally, look at my little table. It's a mess... covered in clutter. I have to do something about that too!

Back to Normal... a Quiet Sunday

It's kind of nice to be back to normal life, after all the excitement of the holidays. Just a quiet Sunday at home is such a simple pleasure. Getting the house back into order... yesterday I took some clothing to the consignment store, and dropped off a load of stuff at the Goodwill. I am planning to do more of this in the next few days. There is something about a new year that makes me feel like making a clean start, clearing out all the things I no longer need.

This evening my sister and her family came for dinner. It was nice to have all seven of us around my table, just relaxing and talking. For dessert, we had an ice cream smorgasbord... I had six different kinds all lined up on the kitchen counter and everyone helped themselves... plus whipped cream! My new favorite is Pomegranate Chip by Haagen Dazs.

Such simple pleasures, family, ice cream, sharing a meal. Now we are watching an old Pink Panther movie with Peter Sellers. It's a nice change to laugh, getting away from all the troubles in the world.

The photo is my cat, Katie, in a quiet moment of her own.

An Excellent Way to Start the New Year

What a fabulous couple of days! On New Year's Eve Day we flew from Kentucky back to Philadelphia... our adopted home town and a city that I love. We stayed with good friends, friends with whom we have traveled all over the world and had some fabulous times together. Our friends live in a lovely condo building full of fun people. We stayed with them and joined them for a New Year's Eve party. There was lots of festive food and many, many bottles of wine. At midnight, we raised a toast to the new year with a bottle of Dom Perignon.

On New Year's Day we surprised our former next door neighbors. We lived next door to them for sixteen years, and we love them. Every year they have an open house brunch on New Year's Day, and for sixteen years we never missed it. This year we flew back to surprise them... they didn't know we were coming to town. It was wonderful! We talked to all of our former neighbors and caught up with everyone. It was the best!

It was a sentimental journey back to a life we left behind three years ago. It did our hearts good. We talked and laughed more than we have for the past three years. It was as if no time at all had passed!

Now I have high hopes for 2009. I feel happy and inspired. I have been stagnating for a while now, but that is going to stop. I am going to start living a full life again! Seeing all my old friends and neighbors reminded me of what I've been missing.

I would like to post some pictures, but I was too busy having fun to take them!

Let's all hope that 2009 turns out to be a good year.