My New Year has brought about its usual activity. I'm so predictable. I like to have a clean slate when I begin something and a new year is no different. Okay, so you probably know about my cleaning frenzy on New Year's Eve. As is custom in my family, I waited until Epiphany to remove my Christmas decorations, pack them away, and clean my house again readying it for my "winter decorations". I'm not Catholic and honestly, I don't think Epiphany has ever been mentioned in my church, but it is on the calendar and it gives me a reason to allow decorations to linger a bit longer in my house.
Epiphany is a day some cultures recognize the coming of the Wise Men to see the baby Jesus. Some recognize it as the day Jesus was baptized; still other celebrate this day as the true Christmas. It is also the day after the 12th day of Christmas. We usually reserve this day to remove the decorations from the tree and haul it to the burn pile for a magnificent pyre.
My house is down to simple decorations and clean surfaces. I'm a snowman fanatic, so they appear in various places in the house along with gilded pinecones and red candles. I love the KISS philospophy of decorating at this time of year.
Another thing that I've done is to renew my commitment to fitness.
The year 2006 brought about a need to reevaluate my fast & furious approach to exercise. I've been exercising the same way for a decade. The only difference the 40's brought along is that I stopped running - my knees won't handle the pounding any longer, so I find the elliptical an apt challenge without the stress on the joints. Otherwise, I continued throughout my forties to do ridiculus repetitions of sit-ups. My weight lifting regime was rigorous and thorough. I included yoga or pilates occasionally. And I was faithful to this regime five days a week. Last year, I was forced to recognize I couldn't keep this pace.
This year I turn 50, and like George Bush, I'm considering a kinder and gentler approach to life. I'm doing more walking and less work on the elliptical. I'm doing three days of total body weight lifting instead of four and attend a yogalates class twice a week. I still hurt, but I think when I overcome the inertia of the last few months - my hiatus from the gym - I'll start to feel better.
I'm hoping that I feel a renewed sense of energy between a cleaner house and a stronger body. So what do you do to get a kick?
IF I got my decorations down before the end of January, I'd be having an epiphany (I know.....it doesn't quite work....). It takes me so long to get to decorations in December that I'm usually unwilling to let them go. On the other hand, we decorated minimally this year, so I could take down the stockings and we'd be almost back to normal except for wreaths.
"Read" any good books lately as you walk? I just got my hands on the unabridged version of "A Breath of Snow and Ashes." 45 disks! I'm going to have to listen in my sleep to hear it all before it has to go back!
We went back to exercise this past week. Monday was hard, Wednesday harder, but by Friday I was moving a little better.
Like you, a clean house, and exercise. Two more things might give me a lift.....getting all my thank you notes written, and being able to see the top of my desk!
I "read" the abridged version and then went back to your hard back to be sure I understood the ending since I was baking cookies while I finished it - which also means I was fair game to the teens in the house. (Too many interrupts made for a crabby nanny.) At any rate I have been listening to Cold Sassy Creek which was a must read at our local library last year. There's not enough decent weather to ensure uninterrupted reading, so I'm not far enough along in it to decide if I like it yet. It's due in 2 weeks, so I better get on with it (lots of disks in the set). I'll let you know if it's worth the time!