My New Year's Resolution

I admit it is a bit late—but better late than never.

This has been a difficult year for our family. Nothing life-threatening, nothing that has affected any of us in a crushing manner. Of course, you can't live in this country and not be troubled in some way by the economy and the trickle down problems, but we have had some great times. The stressful situations have been ones which required waiting and wondering. I find it hard to settle down. I couldn't take a trip to England because a phone call might come . . . even though I now see I could have spent six months there and it would have made no difference. As the year progresses, it is clear that some situations will be resolved soon. All those tasks I put off because there would be plenty of time the next day will soon be adding up to an unconquerable mountain. So it is time to make a list and get going on some of the projects that have been floating in my head since January 1.

Not as easy as it sounds. The mornings are always my most productive time. By afternoon it is nap time. Then I have to get dinner and after dinner I find myself nodding off. I have a couple of appointments with doctors this week. Did all those B12 shots make a difference? Doesn't feel like it. Why those Vitamin D capsules? We'll see.

One thing is clear. Fall has arrived and with it all those tedious tasks—storm windows, de-moth-balling the winter clothes, cutting down all the dead and dying plants. I want to deliver on my promise of flannel night gowns and p.j.s for my grandchildren. Any pots left outside will crack and break over the winter. My neighbors were treated to the sight of me in my nightdress dragging in the two large ficus plants which spend their summer outside when my pre-bed-time check of the computer announced the probability of frost.

But those are all routine tasks. What about the list from January 1? Well, there are two ways to deal with that. One is to actually do the tasks. I have made some headway with that, though one of my resolutions was, in fact, to accept the fact that to accomplish everything was impossible. Photographs are just not meant to be organized. The other way is simply to cross them off unattempted with no guilt. That takes care of goals like polish the boiler room and lose 50 lbs. So if I can move more resolutions from the first category to the second, I am all set to score A for effort.