Sunday, December 30, 2018

A Look Back at 2018

Goodbye 2018

I had high hopes for 2018. I set some lofty goals.

My Health
My goal was is to stick closer to my paleo diet. That went so-so. My thyroid and everything is working great. However, the weight loss didn't happen. The reasons (excuses) for that will become evident in a bit.

My Reading Life
I met my goal of 50 books for my Goodreads challenge. My reading was not where I want it to be, but we had a strange and challenging first semester at school. Blending an elementary and middle school was not as smooth as I thought it would or should be. I have students this year who don't seem to care if they get work in on time or at all. Having to grade papers due to late turn in cuts into my reading time. 

My Writing Life
I actually spent less time writing. However, I got to work with and encourage several middle school students who are currently working on writing a book.  I put my energy there instead of on my own writing. Again, the reason for that will soon become clear.

My Creative Life
My plan was to start painting and quilting again. I haven't begun painting. It was discovered when we cleaned out our shed that I lost most all of my paints. I have filled four sketch books with drawings and doodles and colored them. I have been creatively sewing throughout the year and have really enjoyed it.

My Work Life
Knowing that I have always put my job first made me work harder at leaving my job with limited work. This was made easier at the beginning of the year when another teacher and I arrived as usual an hour early. We both pulled our bags out of our cars and discussed how we didn't get anything graded over the weekend. She informed me that another teacher told her that what we take home is a bag of lies. We lie to ourselves that we are going to work on these things at home then bring them back ungraded. I asked myself throughout the year if I was truly going to work on those things. I seldom took anything home with me. We learned before Thanksgiving break our Principal is going to be heading up the new middle school that will open next school year. However, that means that when we return in January she will be gone. She must ready the new school. I look forward to the challenges of the new year.

My Family Life
My husband and I had been trying to capture small amounts of time for ourselves as my mother lived with us. In February my mom fell in the bathroom and cracked a rib. This led to the discovery of a spot on her lungs. A biopsy in April found stage 3 lung cancer. She started having trouble with her heart, blood pressure, breathing and sugar in June. At the end of June she was hospitalized for two weeks and then sent to a rehab facility. She seemed to be improving when the props were knocked out from under us. Her breathing became worse. The cancer had taken over one lung. She was told that on a Saturday. On Wednesday the following week she was put into a hospice facility where she died the next day. After thirteen years of her living with us, we had to learn how to live just the two of us. It was quite an adjustment. This death was followed in October and then three days before Christmas by the death of two brothers-in-law.

This has been a tough year. The daily visits to the hospital and rehab facility meant we ate out more. There was no energy left to cook. I had to give daily updates to family and friends both here and in four other states. That was a 2 - 4 hour job every night. Eating out meant I put more weight on and spent less time exercising. I have begun to lose it again.  My mother was very proactive in everything. The week before she died she gave me daily "To Do" lists. These were things like; go through her things, get rid of her clothes and bedroom furniture, sort everything. She asked for a daily update. I had no energy left for writing. I would get ideas and jot them down in my journal, but no work on any of my projects. Drawing and doodling, along with coloring became my down time activity. Even now when I am stressed or have writer's block I doodle and that frees up my mind.  I am not going to get down on myself for the things I didn't accomplish. I will look at the things I was able to accomplish through all of these trials. The new year will definitely bring some changes.
Check back with  me on Monday to see what my plans are for the new year. 

2 comments:

  1. Hey Sandra. 2018 sounds like it was challenging year. Sorry to hear about your losses. I hope that 2019 brings you good things and you find a balance that gives you more time to stop and smell the roses 🌹

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  2. Hey Sandra, it sounds like 2018 was very challenging. I’m sorry to hear of your losses.We lost my m-in-law a couple of months ago. I hope that 2019 brings you good things and that it gives you a chance to bring everything into balance. Remember to take time to smell the roses ��

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