It is that time of year when we take stock of where we have been and make plans for where we want to be next year, New Year’s Resolutions.

Last year I vowed to lose weight. My body sports 15 less pounds this January, but that is nowhere near the 50 pounds I need to lose. At least it is in the right direction. At the rate of 15 pounds a year, it will only take 4 years to drop the rest of the weight. That is doable, and an easy resolution to make again this year. Heated indoor swimming pool at Healthtrax here I come! I will soon be doing the breaststroke in the outermost lane again.

My memory fails me, and the rest of the resolutions I made last January have faded into the background, making their significance wane. Saving money is a new goal. Somehow, I have been frivolous with my spending. Of course, Christmas time is here and multitudes of monies have changed hands in order to purchase thoughtful gifts for each of my children and grandchildren: the perfect college sweatshirt for the wrestler grandson who will be looking to attend a college where he can be on the wrestling team, preferably on a scholarship, a deep purple purse for a granddaughter with 50 dollars hidden in one of the secret compartments, an ice making machine for Hubby, who insists on purchasing a bag of ice daily to keep his drinks cold, and a bright orange NIKE sweatshirt for Steven, a color which can easily be seen by drivers if he is out on the street hooking a car up to tow. Gifts were needed for a mother-in-law, husband, five adult children and three spouses, twelve nieces and nephews and eight great-nieces and nephews. Thoughtful gifts. Expensive gifts. Money sucking gifts. To save money this year, I vow to pour myself a travel mug filled with Diet Coke and ice (freshly manufactured from the ice making machine,) rather than stop at McDonalds to spend money on a soda for 99 cents. I do love that bargain, but not buying it at all will save money. I will encourage Hubby to prepare his gourmet meals for dinner rather than order a pizza from Dominoes or take-out food from the Islander. I do not need to purchase any additional clothing. After all, next year I will weigh 15 pounds less and most likely be in a smaller size. We have downgraded our cable television and WiFi to a fifty-dollar internet box from T-Mobile. Hubby, at first, was annoyed he could not easily get the local stations, but, since then, has purchased an old-fashioned antenna for the TV which gives him all the major channels, 2, 6, 10 and 12.

We will not be taking any major vacations this year. After all, we have a tiny house in New Hampshire with gorgeous views of the mountain and a nearby lake, and that is all the vacation we need. The house is conveniently accessible, which makes it easy for our adult children to come visit with their children. Story Land may not be Disney, but it is a whole lot cheaper.

We have no need to buy anymore “stuff”. (Oh, but the ice maker was important!) We have enough televisions, refrigerators, and beds to last a lifetime, so there is no necessity to buy any more. Once the spending is under better control, it should be easier to pay off the credit cards and other bills.

My New Year’s Resolutions have focused on less, less weight and spend less money. However, the real change that needs to be permanent is to do MORE. More smiles as I hold the door open for shoppers, more patience with unruly grandchildren who are not unruly at all, just children, more help to others who are living alone and may not be as lucky as I am to have a great family for support, and more general smiles and cuddles and laughter and joy in everyday life. Who knows how much longer I will be roaming the earth; I want to get the most out of life as I can.