Well, how many days before christmas? Yikes! so how are folks doing? What are your holiday plans? What are your reflections about this year, which will soon be coming to an end, and thoughts of the next? What are some things that are worrying you? What are things you are really looking forward to? What the songs you are dying to download, the fitness things you cannot wait to start, the recipes you want to try, the books you wish to read, etc?

what is UP???

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...so how are folks doing?

Right now, I feel like the roof of the Minneapolis metrodome football stadium - collapsed due to excessive snow.

My shoveling chores seem never ending.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Sheltieguy,

for this entire week, i plan to box every day. yesterday, i forgot the gloves so i have black and blus and bloody knuckles. today, i have training gloves. it is SO much fun to get back to something i love doing.

today, i am going to a friends' house to teachher how to make flan. more importantly, this is something i never do when i am working because i just don't have time. so time to socialize, linger around a stove and oven with a girlfriend. life be groovy!

This year has been a mixed bag for us too, mostly good but some bad. I am not taking care of myself properly, and that is one thing I want to pay more attention to next year.

Our holiday plans are modest and involve staying at home and doing family stuff. I am actively looking into taking some time off in the near future. I'm also looking forward to getting back to a healthy diet. It's been a while since I had a good food and exercise plan.

susan, thanks for connecting. good and bad--we are connected on this wonderful board.

wishing you many many moments of joy!

So much to say, good and bad, about this year and this holiday season. Starting with the good stuff in December: I've been consistent and diligent with my workouts. The Concept2 web site runs a holiday challenge -- row 100K or 200K meters on a rowing machine between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Once you hit the 100K mark, Concept2 makes a donation to the charity of your choice (of their three chosen ones for the year). I passed 100K yesterday. If I work hard, I'll get to 150K by Christmas Eve. I'm also exercising with a trainer twice a week, just for December.

The workouts have been necessary because the eating is really ugly. Not many parties, but we have seemed to eat out a lot. Either we're too busy/tired at the end of the day to cook, or I'm at the mall at lunchtime, or friends want to get together over brunch, or something. Whatever the reason(s) it's adding up to way too many restaurant meals. I baked cookies for the fourth grade class party but kept only half a dozen for us. Then the teacher gave me a box of cookies as a thank you for being room mom! *Sigh.*

We're hosting a fairly small New Year's Eve party here, and I will be glad to see 2010 come to an end. It started badly and got worse. Crime, job losses, miscarriage, divorces, deaths, and then my cancer and surgery. Yet DH and I have agreed that we are much stronger and closer as a couple and a family for what we've been through. We have much to celebrate and that is where our focus is.

Thanks, Iz, for giving me the chance to articulate it all.

i am starting my 2 weeks of vacation--yeah! i wait for this all year long so i plan to really relax. last year taught me a huge lesson--i cannot do it all. i rather have a dirty house, and meals which are only semi-homemade than be exhausted. i am really valuing my respite these days, perhaps due to my age (hee hee). i still need to work on asking for help. i seem to recognize when i am not being my best self--those negative thoughts start and they are usually "nobody appreciates me, nobody thinks of me.." so i know i am downward spiraling, and i am getting better at catching it and stopping it before i take it out on those i love.
as for music--yes, more of it. more to download, more to listen to do, more to motivate me with fitness. fitness--i want to get back to boxing more. i really miss it.
i just got two Dan Chaon books. i am giddy with joy! plan to read as much as i can! my birthday is coming up on the 25th , and that will be nice to be with the family.
as for the future--letting go of fear. more harm is done to myself when i am fearful. i need to learn to have more faith, connect with my spiritual center, and surrender. this is a real baby-steps kind of thing for me but glad to report those steps are in the forward direction.
wishing you all so much peace and joy!

How am I doing?: All is well on my end, just super busy. DD had way too many things going on this month - concerts, ballet, xmas pageant and we've had something going on 7 days/week since Thanksgiving.

Holiday plans: DD is off from school for 2 weeks. We'll be doing a bit of travelling, lots of skiing and spending time with friends and family.
We are hosting x-mas eve and doing a big new years party at our house.

Reflections on the year: I've done a lot of spiritual and emotionally growing this past year so its been a good one!

Music, fitness, recipes, books, etc.:

I need to really get back to my food plan. This month has been a train wreck for me!

I want to download a bunch of dance music for my workouts - Kesha, Rhianna, Pitbull, etc....

I'm hoping for the Wii Fit dance disc for x-mas and am pining for a Kindle : )

Hope everyone has a super happy holiday!

quote:

Originally posted by iz:
Well, how many days before christmas? Yikes! so how are folks doing? What are your holiday plans? What are your reflections about this year, which will soon be coming to an end, and thoughts of the next? What are some things that are worrying you? What are things you are really looking forward to? What the songs you are dying to download, the fitness things you cannot wait to start, the recipes you want to try, the books you wish to read, etc?

what is UP???

How am I doing?: Good, have to work a lot this weekend but am excited to see my parents when they arrive on Wed 12/22.

Holiday plans: Work Christmas Eve-YUK, spending Christmas morning w/dd and SO and afternoon/evening with family at my sister's house. NY's Eve dinner out and working NY's Day-again, YUK!

Reflections on the year: It's been a good year. It's been a tough year. As the year comes to a close I have so many things to be happy about and thankful for. Putting the past problems of 2010 behind me and looking forward to a new year.

In answer to your other questions (music, fitness, recipes, books, etc.): Too much music to list here, I am doing a walk/run fitness program in an attempt to train to do a 5k, I have asked for the Glorious Greens cookbook from Santa so I'm hoping to try out some fabulous new veggie recipes, and books well same as music-just TOO many to list!

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah(which I know has passed), and any other holidays/celebrations that are important to you and help make your life special. Peace, Love, Joy, and Comfort to all.