My Take On New Year's Resolutions

Does this look familiar?

     Every year after Christmas I put away the decorations, sweep up the glitter and ribbon remnants from the nooks and crannies where they magically appeared, and clean out the refrigerator preparing for the inevitable diet to begin in the New Year.  As I put the house “back together” I find myself taking stock of what needs to be done in the coming year and what I want to accomplish in my role as wife and mother and grandmother.  That can be a little disturbing when I see that the master bedroom needs painting, the laundry room shelves need organizing, the bathroom cabinets need old medicines tossed, the floors need waxing, and the linen closet needs a solution for overflowing stacks of pillowcases.  Add to that the too tight jeans and I can easily get overwhelmed at the total makeover my life needs!

     I'm one of those bloggers who is in the Winter of her life and I'm going to Celebrate not only this season but also the New Year and my successful completion of the last one!  I hope you join me in that celebration.

     Instead of focusing on the stuff that needs fixing in our lives, the ways we need to improve, the resolutions we need to make – and keep - this year….. let’s focus on all the ways we’ve been successful in 2010 - the things we’ve quilted, stitched, crafted and/or knitted and ways we’ve made a home for our family!  Let’s celebrate our role as the keeper of the home.

     Let’s look around us….certainly we all have beloved decorations we’ve crafted or sewn – things we carefully store away and then drag back out as a holiday approaches.  There are valentines that remind you of your son’s first Valentine’s Day when you couldn’t wait to make him something with hearts on it even though your husband said “that’s too girly!”  

There’s a red, white and blue throw pillow and even a patriotic tea towel for the kitchen.  

Halloween has all kinds of things you’ve made – goody  bags for the kids, costumes that they fell in love with two weeks before Halloween and hated one week later, and ghosts hanging from the chandelier.  

Oh, and Thanksgiving – well autumn leaves make great coasters, pumpkins tumble down the side of a wall hanging, and placemats grace the table.  And that’s not even touching on Christmas when we all seem to go crazy with Santas and snowmen and Angels.

If you’re reading this post you’re probably a quilter so there are likely quilts on all the beds and even hanging from the walls.  There’s a table runner on the dining room table and a candle mat on the coffee table.  

There are potholders in the kitchen and decorated tea towels hanging from the oven handle.  

There’s an apron hanging on the peg waiting for you to cook dinner.  There might be a purse in that little girls room and a crayon bag in the toy box.  

There are burp pads and bibs in the nursery and a pin cushion nearly finished for your sister’s birthday.  

There may be a hooked rug in front of the fireplace and an embroidered throw pillow on the couch.

Now’s the time to celebrate the things you’ve made from that precious fabric you've been hoarding.  Look around.  Take stock.  Don’t look for what’s left to do; look at what you’ve done.  Grab a cup of tea, sit by the fire, and celebrate you – the glue that holds everyone together and makes your house truly a home.  Life is a gift to you.  The way you live your life - and celebrate it - is your gift to those who come after.

blessings, marlene