19 Things for 2019

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Last January, over on my Organizing by STYLE blog, I suggested 18 Things to Try in 2018. Because the blog focuses on organization, all of the items were organization-related.

Here on the porch swing, I focus more on the mom/teacher/writer part of me, and I thought it might be fun to try the same thing. And, since it's 2019, I need to up the ante by one as well.

So, without further ado, here are 19 things I want to do this year -- some big, some small.

1. Come up with a title for the final installment of the Marita/Angel/Charli series.
2. Publish two books -- one fiction (see #1 above) and one non-fiction (Know Thyself: The Imperfectionist's Guide to Sorting Your Stuff, due out in June).
3. Re-release Casting the First Stone, with a new cover.
4. Read more and write more -- and figure out how this is possible.
5. Eliminate one thing/activity/pursuit that's not worth the time I put into it.
6. Continue my Year of No philosophy. 
7. Visit my daughter in Ireland.
8. Drink more water.
9. Find homes for all of the things I brought to my house from my parents' house.
10. Finish revising my "new" novel -- the one I've been working on for more than five years.
11. Get an agent for #10.
12. Finish planning my newest novel -- the one whose characters have been tapping me on the shoulder since last summer.
13. Spend time at least one day a month organizing/clearing stuff out of the basement and/or crawlspace.
14. Put the Sketchnoting book I got for Christmas to use.
15. Do at least one home improvement project (painting, new lighting in the family room, etc.)
16. Cut the number of emails in my inbox in half (based on today's number, which is obscenely high).
17. Go to the beach.
18. Make at least one weekend each month a weekend instead of an extension of the work week.
19. Plan a mini writers' retreat.

How about you? What's on your list? 

geralt via Pixabay

White Lights and Chrisnowvalday

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Happy Chrisnowvalday!

Confused? That's okay. Welcome to my house. Have a seat and I'll explain.

Or, just take a look around. Here a Christmas village (and a Christmas tree), there a snowman, over there some ahead-of-the-game hearts.

Yes. 'Tis the season for three seasons in my house. In what I'm choosing to view as an extension of my drop and run organizational style, my house is an eclectic mix of celebrations, as the remnants of Christmas intermingle with the I-don't-want-to-undecorate snowmen and the gee-aren't-they-cute Valentine's Day hearts.

Apparently, I am reluctant to let go of the holidays. Or at least their accompanying decorations.

This is not news. Every year, we leave our tree up until at least Epiphany (one of the advantages of an artificial tree), and I'm pretty unapologetic about that. But this year, due to a late-ending fall semester, the trees went up much later than usual, and so I'm even more hesitant than usual to say goodbye to them.

Other Santas and Christmas trappings inspire much less loyalty; in fact, I put a whole pile of them away yesterday. My husband took down the outdoor lights on Saturday, and, if he hadn't been battling a cold, the holiday villages would have come down, too.

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Typically, as the Santas come down, the snowmen go up, so that the house gradually returns to an undecorated state, rather than going from festive to stark all in one day. But this year, it's been so warm that it seems strange putting out snowmen, and, since there are several spots in the mudroom (where our main tree is) that lend themselves well to February decorations, the Christmas tree and the hearts are currently coexisting.

Truth be told, it's the lights I hate letting go of. There's something peaceful about the glow of white
lights in an otherwise dark room that feels warm and comforting. Consequently, I've wrapped a mitten garland around the white lights on our banister, hoping to convince my husband that they should stay up a little longer. The heart garland is waiting on deck so I can stretch things until at least mid-February. By then, I think perhaps even I'll be tired of the lights.

Photo: Veggiegretz via Morguefile

If not, I can always retreat to my office; white lights are strung along one wall in there year round. And, when the weather gets warmer and my husband puts up the screened gazebo around our patio, there will be white lights there, too.

By next weekend, I'll be ready to let go. The trees will come down and the organized part of my personality will revel in the cleared space. But for now, I'm transitioning, replacing one tchotchke with another as I move forward into the new year.

Friday Freebie: Just Right Resolutions

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Making resolutions today? They can be a challenge. Deciding what's important, selecting just the right ones, staying motivated. Most people don't make it past the end of January.

Fortunately in resolutions, as in many other things, we can benefit from the suggestions of others. In preparation for this post, I checked out a few articles on resolutions. Some were too serious, some too intimidating, but this piece from The Huffington Post was just right.

Regardless of what you decide, I wish you luck and a happy new year.