Welcome Kind readers to 2014.  I tell you, it seems to me like the days are passing by faster and faster with each sunrise and sunset.

I wonder is this just a phenomenon unique to little old moi? After all, I can remember being 8 years old and that time between Halloween to Christmas seemed like it took for dang-ever to approach.  Sure, there was Thanksgiving stuck smack dab in the middle of them sort of like it's the holiday hump day much the way that Wednesday is the weekly hump day. And getting to Thanksgiving wasn't too difficult.  But Lord have mercy - those dreadful days we had to wait for Christmas to come in full force was something that made this hyperactive, overly intelligent 8 year old quite antsy.

And now here I am at the age of 43 (at the time of this posting) wondering how in the world it can be that my days seem to be zooming by me where as the younglings I know claim their days move along at a snail's pace. Sure I know it's because as an adult, it's because there are so many other things that are going on in our respective lives that we become super involved in them that when those 'holidays' some creeping up on us - we realized that we were too busy to enjoy the anticipation of the build up to those joyous days.

Christmas is an important time in my house. My family isn't large. It's just me, my husband Todd, and our daughter Jessica.

My mother, Lavinia, lives with us because she's not quite ready for an assisted living center but we don't feel comfortable enough to let her live 'on her own' because she needs a little help moving around -- and she needs to be moving around (which she doesn't do nearly enough of) and we worry she might not eat the way she should to stay in as best health as she can be. So even though we harp on her that she needs to 'move it-move it' we're not cramming it down her throat. We're just glad she's as healthy as she is. Of course, she does have 73 years under her belt so no matter how annoying it can sometimes be to feel like I'm the mom and she'd the kid, I still cherish the moments with her because I know that she won't be here forever SO we say I LOVE YOU to her every morning and every night.

But that's not just a grandma thing - we have a fast and steady rule in our house... If you can't think of anything to say - just tell the person next to you  that you love them. Odds are likely they'll say it back.  Granted, the first time I did this to Jessica's current bestie -Allison- I'm sure she thought I was nuttier than a fruit cake.  But when Jessica explained the rule of when it's too quiet and you can't think of something to say 'I love you' is always a good thing.  And it holds so many meanings. (Of course, Allison isn't the 2nd child to experience this. My daughter has a friend back in NC named Hailey who used to spend so much time at our house in Stokesdale that we called her 'second daughter' and she called us 'Second Parents'/Second Mom/Second Dad -- And shouldn't we all live a world where our children feel safe enough to view other people in parenting roles as their 2nd and 3rd parents?  What a beautiful world it would be if that's how we viewed one another...not as different - but as extensions of a giant family.

So now here it is 2014... And I've got a master plan....SERIOUSLY!
1. I will NOT resolve to lose 20 lbs.  (It would be cool to do so - but I'm not going to beat myself up over the idea that I'm not down to my tiniest - I'm a 43 year old woman - our 'real estate' shifts - but if we tend it well - it can last for many many other years of service!

2. I will also NOT resolve to exercise 4-5 times a week. That's too much pressure!  I will exercise. And when I do...I'll share it with the world.

But what I do resolve to do is:


1. Get my Flying Bookworm Tours (a virtual book tour company) up and running in the next couple of weeks.  It's a challenge. But I'm lining up all the necessary ducks and hoping when I've gotten them all safe to the other side of the, I'll be able to give a sigh of relief.



2. I will post here on the old blogsite - my oldest, and most dear spot in the blogoverse at least 3 days a week.  I figured I needed to set a really good example and post today!


3. With the $$ I plan to earn at The Flying Bookworm Tours, I'm hoping to not only get my own book edited by a professional - after all one can only read ones work so long before piles of poop look like fields of daisies!

4. Create a true web presence for Jessica. Her musical ability has really skyrocketed and I want her to have an 'official' webpage.  I cannot believe my baby is entering the 2nd half of her Junior year. Next year she'll be a Senior and then...whoa...hopefully she'll have a good head on her shoulders and a dream in her heart filled with music - which I feel is her true calling!

5. I think these are good, obtainable goals.  And Lord knows, I'm going to give it my very best shot!\\

So, why don't YOU tell me, Kind Reader, some of YOUR resolutions!