Each year I look forward to the new year, a chance to leave behind those things that did not work for me and begin with a clean slate. This year the thought of wiping the slate clean brought trepidation and angst. With the death of my sister I thought starting anew would mean saying goodbye to her forever. But then I realized my New Years resolutions had everything to do with Denise, for she was my inspiration. No longer were my goals dependent on a quick fix, they are about changing my lifestyle to live more and be around longer, so here they are:

1. Take pride in my house by organizing it, decorating, and sticking to a cleaning schedule.

2. Plan and implement the garden, in advance

3. Realizing that Keaton's education lies in my hands (thanks Carla) I need to find ways to make learning easier for him.

4. Paint creatively again and not worry about perfectionism.

5. Write more, on my blog, etc. Not worry that it has to be well written. It is a journal of my life.

6. Travel more.

7. Enjoy my friends.

8. Learn photography.

9. Start my young adult novel.

10. Live life more fully.......create daily.

11. Look into an etsy site for jewelry.

12. Let Denise's death be a motivator to lose weight.