Hooray! I made it through the longest and my least favorite month of the year - January.
January Poem by John Updike
The days are short,
The sun is a spark
Hung thin between
The dark and dark.
The snowy footsteps
Track the floor,
And parkas pile up
Near the door.
The river is
A frozen place
Held still beneath
The trees' black lace.
The sky is low.
The wind is gray.
The radiator
Purrs all day.
Updike sure got it right in describing the sun coming out in days between dark and dark! This month went more quickly than I expected. I never made any resolutions at the new year. Part of it was that I knew the early months of the year were going to be hard enough to get through. What was the point of piling on more pressure? I just read that we shouldn't make resolutions until the middle or end of the month anyway. After we've had a chance to let the dust stirred up from the holidays settle and a chance to reflect more consciously.
I am feeling somewhat energized just at the fact that I've made it through a bleak month financially without too much struggle. It wasn't as bad as I'd expected.
Some January Accomplishments
1. Studied for, took and passed the CNA State Certification Exam.
2. Read five novels.
3. Started cleaning out the storage shed.
4. Made a cake and cookies. This is good for someone who loves to bake but hasn't been doing so in about a year.
5. Maintained a pretty optimistic attitude throughout the month despite hardships.
6. Helped the boys study for their finals.
7. Helped the boys settle back into school after their three-week absence.
8. Knit and gave two gift sets as thank you acknowledgments.
9. Made effort to spend more time on self-care than I have by giving myself mental health breaks and focusing on updating beauty routines.
10. Helping Sam out of a jam in regard to his mortgage payment.
Today I am grateful:
1. That the temperature won't be bitterly cold this week.
2. For my morning cup of tea.
3. For the honking call of geese.
4. For antibacterial wet wipes.
5. For oatmeal topped with brown sugar.
First off, I didn't realize you already learned of your passing the CNA exam. Congratulations! Second, though the winter in SF is definitely not as bleak, it was a difficult months to get through, so I thank you for pointing out this milestone.
ReplyDeleteAll in all, I would say you have accomplished a lot during the past month. So, once again, congratulations.
I must say, everytime you mention your knitting, I think of the mittens you knitted for your son's girlfriend. It always puts a smile on my face.
I just received the results on Sat. Thank you for your congratulations.
ReplyDeleteThe mitten as big as a hot mitt is pretty funny. I will post a photo as soon as I figure out how to do that here - getting pictures on my blog is my #1 goal for this year.