New Year, Old Habits
I began this article on January 1, feeling flush with the possibilities that only the beginning of a new year can bring. I didn’t get very far, and now we are hurtling toward March, with no posted articles since before Thanksgiving. What gives??
After the hubbub of the holidays I had planned to write yet another in a saturated social media environment of New Year’s reflections, but somehow never managed to sit down and organize my thoughts. Instead, I dove haphazardly right into the year, trying yet again to institute new “habit-hopes” (activities designed to turn into actual habits through repeated practice, in case you are unfamiliar with this term) designed to keep myself grounded and feeling like my life has meaning. Yes, some of those habit-hopes are just rehashes of old habit-hopes that never became habits. Hope springs eternal, as they say. Don’t give up. Try, try again. If at first you don’t succeed, etc. etc. Happily, there are some new habits that are actually becoming ingrained, while others remain in the “hope” category, more sporadic and random. Sadly, those are the ones that are probably doomed to failure. All this to say that my 2026 successes thus far are inevitably offset by many “could do betters.”
I find that when I’m not travelling I can easily lose myself in the the rituals and routines that make up my home life. I do try to keep my big picture in mind, such as it is, as I wander among the weeds of daily living. In the dead of winter that follows the holidays I tend to stay in a lot of the time, although I do enjoy a cold winter walk when I get around to forcing myself to bundle up and get out. We have had a very cold, very snowy winter here in Michigan this season, and I could go days and days without leaving the house if I’m not careful. Poor Sadie gets very bored and tired bouncing around my small house, or patrolling the perimeter of my small fenced yard. She gets me out most days even if for a short time, but in her mind it is never enough. She loves the snow and wants to run and jump and play in it for hours.
Sadie loves a snowy day.
She would happily spend all day everyday out in the cold and snow, as long as I stay out there with her…
After a winter romp outside with Sadie, more mundane activities take center stage. Within seconds of Sadie coming inside, she is shedding her blond winter coat all over my warm cozy house. It is as if my vacuum cleaner were on reverse while she wanders around the house, scattering big clumps of fur over the dark wood floors within minutes of her entering any room. Throw rugs lose their color, glazed over with fur that gets embedded in the fibers as I walk around the house. I wipe her feet but see doggy and kitty footprints everywhere all the time.
This cycle of building up her winter coat when she goes outside and then throwing it all over the house when she comes back in keeps both me and my vacuum cleaner quite active all winter long. Casper the cat follows the same routine, his thick, gray, silky winter fluff making him look twice as big as he actually is. His fur is much finer and silkier than Sadie’s, and resists most efforts to pick it up. You might suggest that I brush them everyday and empty it in my trash bins, and I would except for the fact that I have discovered over the years that the more you brush a dog or cat, the faster the fur flies, exponentially increasing the outflow with every brush stroke. You never get it all, and when they finally walk off, the amount of fur still flying off their bodies is enough to fill a pillowcase (well, that may be a slight exaggeration, but not by much…).
Casper and Sadie care nothing about shedding all over the house all day and all night.
Their constant need for my attention and care can be so annoying at times. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I digress.
Even though we are now two months in, as a person who likes to strategize and plan ahead, I can’t help thinking about the abundance of opportunity that 2026 has yet to bring. The early portion of a new year is still a natural stepping off point to possibilities, and is very seductive to someone like me, who never turns down a good (i.e., affordable or free) gimmick that promises to improve my life. A new crutch, if you will. Something to motivate me where other tactics have failed. So here I am.
At the beginning of 2025 I had a number of big goals that centered on several discreet themes: music, writing, travel, creative arts, and a catchall that doesn’t have a name but is very important. Even though I have no specific New Year’s Resolutions pushing me, I nevertheless entered 2026 with a holistic perspective, trying to keep a vague bigger picture in mind as I randomly pitched myself to and fro among various activities. When I get to December 2026 and look back, what do I want to see? What would a “successful” year look like? Building off what I did in 2025 and trying to think ahead to the coming months, here’s what my unplanned plan looks like so far:
After six months away, I have returned to my memoir. Thinking I needed structure and accountability (which was so helpful to me last year) I signed up for another online writing class, only to discover that I’m in a different place in my writing process than I was a year ago. Which means that the class I thought would help propel me back into a focused and frequent writing mode actually did the exact opposite. So I am adapting the requirements of the class to fit my need. I am a rule-follower at heart, and it wasn’t easy breaking free from the online class structure. I don’t know what the instructor will think about the writing samples I’m planning to submit, but so be it. Finding my own path to progress is more important than pleasing the teacher, and I am rebuilding some of the momentum that I had last year before I took time off to go on my two month Lewis and Clark trek.
To further encourage my memoir writing, I joined a small group of highly credentialed women who meet twice a month to share and critique personal writing samples. The critiques are couched in supportive and positive comments, but include honest and direct feedback, and that is exactly what I need right now. I don’t necessarily agree with all their suggestions about how to improve my writing, but what they say has weight and helps me see my process from different perspectives. I always come away with fresh ideas to think about.
I am continuing my push to become a better banjo player. I truly love this versatile instrument and am still trying to be more intentional and focused in my learning process. I will never be a professional, but wouldn’t it be fun to jam with other like-minded folks on a regular basis? And it is good brain-building activity, so I’m told by experts on brains, especially aging ones.
I will be attending at least one banjo camp this summer, and plan to take advantage of other opportunities to go to festivals and jams. In the meantime I am playing (almost) everyday, and getting guidance and new knowledge from several online teachers that I subscribe to. I hope to be more of a participant than observer this year when it comes to making music with others.
I also invested in a digital piano this year, and have played that instrument more in the last month than I had played my old piano over the last ten years. As I said, new gimmicks (or in this case, a new toy) can be very motivating. At least for now…
I decided that I need to add Spanish to the list of new skills I am trying to learn. Not because it is another well-established brain exercise that helps the aging brain (among other important benefits), which it is, but because 2026 may be the year I finally get to Peru, and I would love to be able to have a fighting chance at understanding even a miniscule amount of the language when I go. Google Translate is helpful, but only gets one so far when it comes to having an actual conversation. Stay tuned for more info as we get closer to September! DuoLingo and Babbel are guiding me, and I have my daughter-in-law Maria and her friends to practice with if I ever get courageous enough to speak out loud in front of others.
Committed to improving my health in 2026 after being diagnosed with osteoporosis in 2025, I put my money where my mouth is and joined a health club. Following years of sporadic, mostly failed attempts to establish a regular fitness routine that would stand the test of time, this is the latest effort to instill a vigorous sense of duty and responsibility for maintaining my physical (and mental) health for as long as possible. Complacency when it comes to physical fitness just doesn’t cut it anymore (not that it ever did, but before I retired I could pretend that I was more active because I was working, even though I spent most days sitting at a desk, which isn’t so different from now if I’m being honest…).
There is no shortage of research establishing the health benefits of moving your body regularly. If I want to build bones back up I need to do the right things immediately, no more waiting around for my skeletal frame to magically get stronger while I sit at my desk for hours on end writing (or shopping, or researching, or watching YouTube videos, or checking FaceBook, or, or, or…). This means doing weight-bearing exercises at least 2 or preferably 3 times per week, engaging in an aerobic activity most days, and eating the right bone-building foods. (Who knew that prunes were so important to bones?? I discovered that once you get used to them, they can be quite delicious …)
As of today, I can report mixed results in building new, regular fitness habits. It is slow going because I’ve never been an athlete and have not had a consistent exercise regimen since the summer I was studying for the bar exam in 1983. I passed the bar that year, so I can’t argue with success. (On the other hand, I also passed the North Carolina Bar four years later without following that strict regimen.) I need to revive the urgency of that experience to get myself back on track, but, sadly, face so many compelling obstacles. For example: I’m retired… I’m older… I get tired more easily… I have too many other interesting ways to spend my time… I have places to go and people to see… you get the picture… (For the record, I count all the exercise I get vacuuming the pet fur off the floors everyday as part of my exercise. Is that cheating??)
I continue to nurture the artistic, creative side of my brain, a quest I began a year ago when I attended an amazing four day creative retreat in Taos, New Mexico with the inimitable Jill Badonsky. I learned so much from her and the other artistic muses who attended. Ever since then I have been ignoring conventional thoughts on what it means to produce art and I try to incorporate creative expression in the form of drawing or painting into my everyday life.
The craft parties that Celeste and I host every month or so are still a big hit, and we enjoy choosing a different creative art form to focus on each time. My latest artistic endeavor is a form of drawing called Zentangle. It is so easy and accessible while appearing to be complex and formidable. You can do it anywhere, and all you need is a piece of paper and a pen.
Several road trips are in the works for 2026, beginning in March. My camping buddy Kim and I are getting ready to take our first long road trip together. She has a new Scamp trailer she will be towing and I, of course, will be traveling in NelyBly. We leave March 11 with our dogs on a BBQ and Brew tour through the South. This will be my third consecutive year visiting the southern states in March - may have to make this an annual tradition! Each time has been a different experience, all equally rewarding. I do expect to blog along the way, but my frequency may depend on how much time Kim and I spend at the breweries and BBQ huts, or beach, or hiking…
Looking back, 2025 was a good year with many ups and a few downs. I am grateful for my friends and family and know that whatever happens in 2026 “my” people will have my back, and I theirs. I am blessed with a close family and friend network and good health, at least for now, and I have the freedom to make choices about how I spend my time and energy and with whom. I do worry about the state of our country and the world, and hope that 2026 brings more positivity than negativity. I struggle to understand the motivations behind many of the actions of our current administration, and wonder how so many people can be so tolerant of the gratuitous cruelty and hate I see on display daily.
While this blog has never been about politics, the turmoil in our country and around the world surrounds us and permeates our days and hours and thoughts whether we want it to or not. For many of us, it’s easy to sink into a deep hole of despair if we aren’t careful. I plan to spend this year balancing my fears and anxieties with travel, music, art, and other pursuits, while also looking for opportunities to repair some of the damage I see happening around me.
In her TED Talk, Amie McNee makes a compelling and convincing case that finding and nurturing our creative impulses is one of the most important ways to cope with the chaos and violence of the world and work toward saving that same world. Watch it when you have a chance. She’s talking to all of us.
I am also convinced that maintaining connections with loved ones, especially those who may be on the other side of the political fence, is incredibly important to stabilizing and resolving the political divide. That is the only way we will all get through the violence swirling around us. At the end of the day, world peace is dependent on how we manage our everyday relationships, how we find our own sense of inner peace and happiness, and what we choose to leave behind as our personal legacy to the world. Acting out of respect, love, kindness, and honoring the humanity of every person is something we can all do. If we begin with those close to us then eventually our better natures will collectively radiate upward, demanding the same of our leaders and decision-makers and those who would abuse the power they are entrusted with. This is an important election year. Let’s all be mindful as we educate ourselves and make our choices at the ballot box.
2026 has the potential of being a very good year, and I hope that it is for all of you. As always, keep your friends and family close.
Stay tuned!
If it helps, picture this face of innocence and unbridled optimism as you contemplate the best path to preserving the planet we want to leave for future generations.
