Word for 2015

I’ve been thinking about where I want my focus to be in 2015.  I think for my year word I am going to choose “space” or “spacious”.There are going to be some bigger changes in my life next year. Some will build on this last quarter of 2014, but some will be new.

 

I will be on Medicare starting in January; my insurance premiums for basic Medicare, a medi-gap policy, and prescription drug plan will be less than half what I am paying this year. This will free up funds for other things. I think I will join our local YMCA (which just opened a new facility) in March. Space for organized exercising in my life. I have been watching what I eat, including smaller portions since September 25th. I have lost between 11 and 12 pounds and am now back to what I weighed in 2007 when we moved from Texas to Indiana. I think to lose more will require an increase in activity. Hopefully, roominess (space) in clothing will ensue.

 

With less health insurance expense, it will free up money for some special gifts to ministries or projects. We still keep up with two couples that worked for us in the library at the seminary. One couple is in India; the other in Jordan. We did not commit to monthly support for them, but in 2015 we will give a few hundred dollars to each couple as special offerings. We already give to Grace Village projects; we may try to give more there as well. Spaciousness and graciousness in giving in 2015.

 

Continuing to declutter and winnow down possessions should lead to a spacious home; an improved living space. We already are sprucing up our living space by reupholstering our 15-year-old recliners. They should be back within the next week. I will continue to look for a few decorative items. A new antique mall is opening up in February 2015 about 5 minutes from my house.

 

The adding of the Grace Village library books to LibraryThing data base should be done in 2-3 months. That will free up time for me. I will use some of that time to weed the library collection to make shelf space for newer books. However, I should not need to spend so much time in the library. That will create space for new activities. Haven’t decided what yet, but I am mulling a few ideas.

 

And lastly, I hope we explore other space, i.e., travel to more places, take more trips in 2015. I am toying with going with Elder Hostel to Williamsburg next December to see the Christmas decorations and activities. We may try to go to Springfield, Illinois and to see the covered bridges in Indiana.

 

Yes, space/spaciousness fits well with my intended focus. What year word will you select?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Word or Phrase for 2014

Several of the bloggers I read have the habit of choosing a word or phrase for the new year. Gretchen Rubin, Tonia Peckover, Ann Voskamp especially have embraced this idea. A reluctant embracer is Diana Trautwein. I guess I fall more on the Diana side, but I have for a few years tried to think of a word on which to focus for a year.

 

I actually chose my phrase back at the end of October. Originally, the word generous or the word relinquish came as possibilities. We have spent so much on health care costs in retirement and earned so little on investments that I thought since we now would have reduced costs because of the new Affordable Care Act and our mutual funds are doing better we should look for ways to spend on others and increase their happiness.

 

I also considered relinquish. Relinquish has kind of a negative tone to it. Giving with regret or under force comes to mind. Then the two ideas sort of blended into “letting go”. Letting go of expectations, letting go of “rights”, letting go of the hope of being pain-free in this mortal body, letting go of accumulated funds by being more generous. Letting go of judgmental thoughts and critical spirit. Letting to of trying to control what happens in my life. Letting go and letting God.

 

This phrase stood me in good stead as I found I would need surgery and have a long rehab. No, it wasn’t 2014 yet, but this was a good practice of the concept. I had to let go of my cleaning and cooking standards and let my husband do things his way. I couldn’t be hovering over him, especially the first two weeks post-op when I was only to be up and about for bathroom duties. I had to let go of the ability to drive. I had to let go of easily getting about and out.

 

I learned long ago that living in a place where heavy snow, drifting, even blizzards can change your schedule, you have to let go. I have experienced plenty of that this week. We didn’t go to church because lots of snow was predicted and getting around on a knee walker is hard enough in good conditions let alone in snow drifts. Our church talked about cancelling services but then decided to go ahead; however, by 9 a.m. the snow was falling steadily and did so throughout the day. We also didn’t go out to a restaurant for Sunday dinner. I needed to shift my planned menu some. Monday and half of Tuesday we were snowbound. Our retirement community workers plowed out our driveway about 11:40 a.m. Tuesday, too late for me to make it to my 11:30 haircut appointment. When we woke up Tuesday morning, the pipes to our toilets had frozen. Not real easy to balance a bucket of water to flush while balanced on a knee walker either, but my husband did finally fill the empty toilet tank so I could use the flush handle instead. The toilets finally worked around 5 p.m. My husband had tried a hair dryer throughout the day, but it probably was the fact that the sun finally shone on the west wall that thawed things out.

 

Then this morning at 8:12 I received an automated call from my foot surgeon’s office; my appointment today was cancelled. Today was my 6-week follow-up and I was to learn if and how to start walking on my foot again. When I called the number given for rescheduling, the lady told me it would be February 3rd before I could see the doctor. No way! I asked about walking on my foot, and she transferred me to a nurse. The nurse managed to schedule an appointment with the Physician’s Assistant for Friday. I had to cancel my physical therapy appointment for Thursday also because without a new order from the doctor the therapist could not show me or try any new therapies.

Lots of letting go this week. I wish I could say I did it all peacefully, but there has definitely been anxiety. Makes me wish I had chosen a different phrase LOL.