Happy New Year & Word of the Year 2023

The year 2022 is closing out and the new year is being ushered in. 

I want to wish you and your loved ones a very Happy New Year!

I've been thinking about a new theme word for 2023.  My thoughts have been mulling around new beginnings. Fancy words like commencement  and recrudescence were considered but didn't quite do it for me. 

(Commencement means both “the ceremony of conferring degrees or granting diplomas at the end of the academic year” and also “an act or instance of commencing; beginning,” reflecting an earlier use of the word. It comes from the Latin cominitiāre (“to begin”).

Recrudescence means “breaking out afresh or into renewed activity.” As the Latin root suggests, this word was first used in medical contexts to describe a recurrence of symptoms after a period of remission, but it later took on a more rosy sense referring to the revival of something good.)

I'm still dealing with activities from years past including 2022.  So new beginnings doesn't quite capture the activities that will carry over in 2023. New beginnings is also 2 words not one, lol.

So I've decided on the word 'Start'.  I think it will capture both activities that are on-going from prior years and any new activities related to house, home and family. To start or begin, tells me it is good to just begin. By beginning something, anything large or small, things get done. Start also gives grace not to have to complete something in a given time frame. Start also gives flexibility to deal with new things that arise. I'm excited to see the year unfold and to 'start'. Have you set your goals or selected your word for 2023? I'd love to hear it.

2022 Theme Word

Each year many of us take stock of the year just passed and reflect on where we spent our energies. We also make a few plans about what we'd like to do in the coming year. Some make resolutions, some set goals, some simply choose a word to guide them through the year. 

I haven't set any resolutions since my early 20s when I was still in university. I stopped setting them after I realized I wasn't very good at keeping them for more than a few weeks. Over a decade ago I started setting goals in various areas of life (physical, spiritual, financial etc.) and at the end of the year I would take stock of what I was able to accomplish. This system worked very well for me. Then I heard about people selecting a word for the year and I thought it sounded like a good idea. At the time I think I was also under a lot of time constraints due to my dear late mom's growing health needs and challenges. Setting a word for my intentions for the year worked well enough though I think it's missing the structure I need. I think goal setting works better for me but takes a lot more thought and preparation so for now I use a theme word.

In 2021 my theme word was 'completion'. When I selected the word I knew that many things needed to be completed before Jonah could join me in Canada.  The biggest part of that was decluttering and much of it was accomplished.  In 2022 I chose the word 'renew' (to give new strength or energy to; to reinvigorate).  Chief among the things that needed renewing was my home so that it could be ready for my DH Jonah to join me in Canada. Decluttering also needed to continue because I never got through everything in 2021.

A lot of documents and photos related to travels to Kenya had to be reorganized.  In late 2021 while looking for the right documents and photos, I started the digital culling and digital file organization and continued into 2022.  Another thing that needed renewal was getting proper legal assistance.  This turned out to be more complicated than I thought it would be.  So many lawyers, so many years of experience, yet also many frauds.  The legal search went on in early 2021 and we had a wonderful lawyer but before we could hire her she had big changes in her life and we had to shift and find new legal counsel.  This happened in the Fall of 2021.  The law firm we hired assigned a lawyer to us and she left the firm in early 2022.  There was a 2 month delay while waiting for the new lawyer to start work and get up to date on all her files. The shift to a new lawyer turned out to be a very good thing.  Our new counsel was very experienced in all aspects of immigration and had just the right credentials to make us feel confident.

Anyone from Canada who has been involved in spousal sponsorship knows the process is not that straightforward. It took 2 months for Jonah and I to prepare and review the first drafts of the application and required documentation (completed in early 2022 before the new lawyer started working on the file).  It took another 5 months for the lawyer to review the application, make refinements and suggestions and proof-read etc. (completed in June 2022).  The process is very labour intensive, intrusive, expensive and time consuming. Added to that were the delays and inefficiencies caused by Covid and the need for biometrics and medicals in another country.

Fortunately for us our application went relatively quickly once the review process actually started.  The application 'sat' somewhere for 4.5 months.  During that time I became concerned that each step of the process would be equally slow. I needn't have worried.  Once the application began to be processed it only took 4.5 months to make a decision. That is very quick! We were giving all praises to God for answering our prayers. 

Since we completed the immigration process, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has undergone radical transformation. The process is now done completely on line which is more efficient.  Some applications now take only 2 months to thoroughly vet and approve or refuse. This technological improvement is couple with greater staffing, improved work flow and better communication tools.  The overhaul is long overdue and no doubt things will continue to improve as time goes forward. One thing I discovered during Covid restrictions and lockdowns is that the pandemic exposed many weaknesses and gaps in our institutional processes.  Little by little the issues at IRCC  will hopefully be corrected because there are people who have had horrendous experiences and waited years for their applications to be processed. Much of the issues stemmed from Covid closures but that was not the only issue.

Some things still needed completion from 2012 such as decluttering of papers, possessions and digital clutter. I made a lot of progress giving away things, shredding papers and deleting and reorganizing digital files. I am pleased with what has been done so far but there is still more to do. I got rid of everything that used to be 'hidden' in nooks and crannies and can now see the last of what needs to be done though it will still take time.  If you have a lot of digital clutter you may be interested in this post I wrote in the Fall. Getting rid of more things and moving things around is fulfilling my word to 'renew' and more of it will continue going forward.

Jonah arrived in early May 2021 so we have had a refreshing of our relationship, a chance to build and strengthen it as a couple. There was a lot that needed to be done to lay the groundwork for Jonah's new life here in Canada but in between we also relaxed, went out for meals and did a bit of sightseeing. There is a lot more for us in future and now we are together to be able to do it. 

The condo needed a lot of small do it yourself (DIY) projects to renew it and make it cosier for us. A lot of progress was made but there are still things that need to be done.  I simply ran out of time in 2022.  One can read more about it here if interested. 

My back and neck also needed some renewing in 2022 due to the bus accident I had in September 2021. I completed the second phase of physiotherapy in December 2022 and feel much better than I did a year ago. I have one more phase of physio to complete.  It's called 'active rehab' which consists primarily of exercises to recondition the body so as not to reinjure oneself. I expect that will be started some time in January 2023 and will no doubt take up a lot of time going back and forth and so on.

Credit: Image by Freepik

Sometime ago I mentioned that I wanted to save my files and get a (re) new computer. That was because my computer was very, very old, took up a lot of space and showed signs of being near the end of its life. It was also past the point of being able to update its drivers (for using the printer/scanner) or coping with certain Windows updates. My printer also needs replacing for the same reasons. I finally took the plunge in November 2022 and bought a Mac Mini. This one appealed to me due to its very small size. I didn't set it up until mid-December and that included saving all the former files both on the hard drive and on an external hard drive I purchased as back up.  I used the opportunity to get rid of more old files and photos. Now I need to figure out the next steps of how best to deal with photos. I need to get a new camera phone and I'm very tempted to get an iPhone because it would be very efficient due to the ability to sync with the Mac mini.  However they are very overpriced for what they offer and I'd actually prefer a Google Pixel phone.  Going the latter route means extra steps in dealing with photos. I'm dealing with that issue right now because I now have a Mac computer and an Android phone. It's actually very annoying and a time waster.

I found it very time consuming to deal with all the various needs in 2022.  I just didn't seem to have as much energy or perhaps it was the intensity of the work required that made me tired. To make best use of time available I tried reducing other obligations that took up a lot of time; mainly reading.  Reading is the activity that I rely on for relaxation or when I'm looking for something quiet to fill my time so it's hard to reduce it when it is something I really enjoy.  However, I did manage to reduce my reading from 69 books in 2021 (21, 683 pages) to 46 books (16, 286 pages). 

Well friends, this concludes my review of activities related to my word of the year for 2022.  I have some thoughts about a new word for 2023 and will post about it soon.  Thanks for stopping by. If you have a moment, I'd be interested in whether you set resolutions, goals and intentions or theme words each year. If 'yes' what method do you prefer?

Word of the Year - 2020 - 2022

 

As the new year begins I thought I would take a moment to review my words of the year for the past few years and see how accurate or helpful they were. 

Theme Word for 2020

In my search for my theme word I discovered I didn't have one! That was the year that things got off to a very bad start when my nephew and the horse he was riding were struck by a moving train in a blinding snowstorm. At the time (and continuing to now), we have been unable to make a road trip to where he lives or to where any other loved ones live. As the year progressed, a lot was accomplished including reading a record number of books, sewing and mending, a bit of painting and furniture rearrangement, setting up a shelving unit to act as a kitchen pantry and a significant amount of decluttering which included copious amounts of paper and documents.

Theme Word for 2021

Completion was my theme word for 2021. I chose this word because I had been in the middle of trying to accomplish many things for a few years and progress was not fast enough for me.  I felt I needed to complete some things so I could move forward.  It turned out to be a good word for the year and I accomplished a lot of the things that had been on my list for a long time. 

At the start of the year I set a goal of reading 45 books, a reduction from the previous year.  The reading goal was again reduced to 25 books with the idea that I could accomplish more around the home if I spent less time reading.  However I ended up reading a record 69 books. I don't read as voraciously as some people but I usually have a book on hand for the quiet times or late at night when I am unwinding.

In 2021 I also limited the time spent on crafting.  However, I did make a few dishcloths to keep in my stash which dwindles at birthdays and at Christmas. I also completed an afghan throw as a Christmas gift for a dear friend. She surprised me by saying she had been waiting patiently for me to make one for her, lol. She had seen many other afghans I had made and gifted to family members and other friends.

One big digital project I wanted and needed to complete took up almost half of the year.  Completion date was far past the original timeline of mid - January 2021.  It was early June 2021 before it was all done. Several other people were inputting and so the delays were caused by their other time constraints.  Needless to say I was thrilled when everything was finally concluded!

That digital project needed to be done before I could commence a larger scale digital decluttering project. To date I've deleted thousands of photos and documents, unsubscribed from countless online newsletters, blogs and vlogs and unfollowed multiple social media accounts. I've always had an innate curiosity and desire to learn new things or keep on top of subjects and issues. These days I no longer have the energy or time to do it all.  Like many other people, I am trying to focus on the things that matter most although I admit to still trying to do too much.

Beyond the digital realm, I accomplished a lot in the physical realm of my home.  The decluttering of all things large and small continued along with a few modest decor changes which I had started late in 2020. Some of the decor changes included:

•    Unpicked, washed, re-stuffed and restitched a few kapok cushions
•    Purchased a blanket ladder for the living room
•    Purchased 4 new to me dining chairs to replace the antique ones I gave away
  
•     Purchased a lot of planters and plants
•    Purchased a small chest freezer 
•    Purchased a new lighting fixture for the dining room   
•    Purchased 2 area rugs (dining area and living room) and blackout curtains (living room)
  

 

I got long curtains to reach the floor

This is to replace an all silver fixture

Two area rugs which are interchangeable between dining and living rooms.

 

These projects had been on my list for a very long time but I either didn't have the time or the budget. Even seemingly simple things take so much time.  For example, the kapok cushion refurbishment sounds rather simple.  But it took a good week or more to unpick the cushions, take out the stuffing which flies all over the place, wash the covers, refill the cushions (again the kapok flies all over the place) and stitch the cushions back up. I also had to go to the fabric store to buy muslin to make more covers and check the on line shops for a few, new cushion covers.  It's a 'small' project but altogether the time commitment put me off of it for some time. I'm glad it's done now.

For the other projects, I needed to make time to sit down and scour the internet for best prices, then try to coordinate colours through photographs before buying. Inevitably something ordered does not work and you have to try something else. It all takes time.  I wanted to spread the purchases out over several months so it would not have negative impacts on helping people through the Kenyan Missions of Hope. Feeding people and getting them medical care is far more important in the long term than whether I get a blanket ladder or an area rug. But in 2021 it all came together and I was able to spread out the purchases (most are pictured above) over the year.  This helped the budget. I've written about most of the above in various posts during the year.

The intention of all of changes made in the home is to make things "cosy" and to 'finish' the spaces.  I also wanted to open up space in my small home and use it more effectively.  The purpose of something like the chest freezer is to take advantage of sales on fresh and frozen foods and from time to time to cook and freeze ready meals. 

I can't begin to tell you how difficult it is for me to decide on what to buy.  Not just because of cost but also because my decor style is rather eclectic. Consequently everything looks like a 'mish mash' and doesn't always go together the way I'd like. I'm trying to change that.  Since I'm not a spender when it comes to home decor and I don't tend to change things every year, I need to try and stick to a theme I can live with for awhile. I chose ethnic/tribal bohemian.  This way I can incorporate plants, some of the African items I picked up in Kenya and some of the First Nations pieces I've had in my possession for awhile.  I hesitated in this decision because once I decide to sell, I think some people will have an issue with seeing beyond what I have in terms of decor. These days people seem to like the hotel look where I live and it has been trending for long. In any case, that is what I've decided and if, and when, the time comes for selling, I can pack up some of the pieces and store them away.

A lot of outstanding paperwork was also done in 2021.  I'm mostly caught up but still have to sort and shred a lot of paper. I also have more work to streamline the closets full of clothing and shoes. This job seems to be a never ending one because I've been giving away things for years.  The problem is I keep buying clothes and shoes due to weight gain then weight loss over the years.  I expect to lose more weight and so I see more clothing purchases and clothing decluttering sessions in my future.

In conclusion, completion hasn't been fully realized in 2021 but the majority of things that needed action were acted upon.  I was also able to clear away a lot of old things and whatever is left will likely be dealt with much more quickly.

Theme Word for 2022

Now that 2021 is over, I've decided to pick a new word for the year.  My new word is "refresh".  The meaning is to "give new strength or energy to; reinvigorate."

When I think back over the past 5 years I realize I have been through a lot. The death of several close family members and friends, near tragic accidents of loved ones, personal health challenges, an accident in late September, responsibilities with the Kenyan Missions of Hope, and a global pandemic over the past several years have all been a bit much to contend with.  Prior to that, I had many very emotionally and physically taxing demands relating to care giving of two now deceased family members. I have responsibilities for one family member.  I don't regret any of this but the time demands did mean that I had to put a lot of my own life and needs on the backburner.  Some things piled up which now have to be dealt with. 

I am grateful for everything I've experienced in my life, the good, the bad, the ugly. It all made me who I am today and every year I hopefully learn and grow into the person I'm meant to be.

I'm very grateful to God for helping me through everything and keeping me strong enough to deal with what was on my plate.  I will continue to move to complete things in 2022, but I am also moving into a rest and refreshing stage.  I have some ideas about how I will go about it.  My story is to be continued as days, weeks and months go by. 

~~~

 "Maybe you're not perfect, but you're willing to actually look at yourself and take some kind of accountability. That's a change. It might not mean that you can turn everything around, but I think there's something incredibly hopeful about that."
--Brie Larson

 "[I]f you are grateful for your life ... then you have to be grateful for all of it. You can't pick and choose what you're grateful for."
--Stephen Colbert

Looking Back, Looking Forward

Hello friends, 

I'm popping in briefly to usher in the New Year. I'm easing my way into 2021 as I started the year feeling very tired. I'm still working on an intensive paper project and I find it difficult to find "free" time each day to work on it but I'm doing my best and I hope I will be back to usual activities in a few weeks or possibly sooner.

Let me wish you and all your loved ones a blessed 2021 as we begin this New Year. I'm grateful that my friends and family and I have made it this far and I look forward to a breakthrough in 2021 through this pandemic in a way that will see us being able to meet up once more in person. That is my hope like I know it is the hope of many of you.

 

Though I'm technically still on a social media break I have been reading a number of your blogs here and there but I've restrained myself from commenting so I do not get too distracted.  Some of you have written about choosing a theme word for the year. I too have been doing this now for a number of years but only realized a few days ago that I didn't choose a word for 2020. I guess it's just as well since my year got off to a really bad start personally and then got worse for the entire world as the months went on. I'm so glad to see the end of 2020 and I'm truly hoping that 2021 will be much better for us all though it will take some hard work getting there.

The year wasn't entirely bad. I have to say that I had one huge benefit in 2020 and that was time. I finally had to stay put and couldn't go anywhere.  I was very good about social distancing and keeping to my very, very small bubble.  So it meant that I had a chance to do a lot of small jobs and odd jobs that don't usually get done. 

I was able to work on catching up with taxes that had not been filed.  I also finally started working with a new financial advisor.  I have modest investments but I want to make sure they are handled well. Then Covid -19 hit so it's anyone's guess where things will end up.  I was also able to continue downsizing and got rid of some larger items that took up too  much space in my smallish home (6 huge, antique dining chairs to a cousin of mine) and 1 large, motorized wheelchair.  Friends have been fundraising to do some work on the chair and gift it to a needy person.  The funds are now in hand but now it's a question of when and how best to undertake the repairs and get the wheelchair out of my home. I will be so happy when that day comes but I have to wait for my very busy friend to move things forward.   I've given away a lot in 2020.  The decluttering is something I've been working on for years already but decluttering never really ends.  In 2020 I decluttered lots of books, clothing, knick knacks and the large items I've mentioned. I also decluttered a lot of digital files and photos and made some progress on paper files. I also underwent a successful colonoscopy "do over" and got half way through fitting a partial denture before Covid -19 hit. I'm not happy with the fit so far but don't expect to return very soon for further work. I should at least call the denturist.

In reviewing what I achieved in 2020, I decided that my theme word for the coming year is "completion". I intend to continue with all the time consuming clean up of paper and digital clutter, clothing and odds and ends. I guess I need to add photos to this task because I even have boxes of mom's old photos. Many of them are photos I gave her so they are duplicates and triplicates. Hopefully the task will not be that difficult and if I only make a start on the photos that is okay as the paperwork is what is bothering me most (perhaps I should just save cleaning out the storage room for 2022).  I hope that by December 2021/January 2022,  this huge decluttering task that reflects decades and decades of accumulated 'stuff' will be done.

Completion will allow me to put the past baggage (stuff weighing me down mentally and emotionally) and focus on new activities, new beginnings, new plans and so on.

Another thing I spent a lot of time on in 2020 was cooking. I don't actually enjoy cooking all that much except from time to time I do enjoy baking. However, one needs to eat and especially during this time when one cannot get to restaurants it is important to invest some time and energy into cooking. Particularly, if like me, you get bored with the same old meals you need to put some thought into creating variety.  The word variety is a matter of perspective however since I'm not one to go all out and learn all kinds of new dishes. I prefer to tweak and vary dishes I already know how to make or create my own dishes as I go along.  A little meal planning also helps me minimize food waste though I don't usually plan more than a few days to a week ahead.  I've found planning for 2 -4 weeks at a time doesn't work for me and cooking ahead doesn't work so well either.

Here are the meals I made since the New Year. I don't tend to eat breakfast or lunch that often but I might snack on some leftovers before making dinner which is the primary meal of the day.

January 1, 2021 Store bought frozen lasagna, sour dough toast and green salad with feta cheese

January 2, 2021~ Chicken and rice soup with dumplings

January 3, 2021 ~ Stew:  sausage, navy beans, barley, sweet potatoes, russet potatoes, kale onions and carrots in chicken broth

January 4, 2021 ~ Tiger Prawns in soy/chili sauce served with spaghettini and stir fried onions, carrots, mushrooms, zucchini, Napa cabbage, garlic

January 5, 2021 ~ Seared, marinated tuna steak (soy sauce and sesame oil), served with steamed rice and salad (honey, orange, ACV, oil dressing)

Wednesday's dinner will be hamburgers on buns with french fries and green salad.

Thursdays' dinner is roast pork and mashed sweet beef and potatoes.Friday's dinner is fish and chips or sausages and roasted potatoes. will be spaghettini, meatballs and salad.

 

I had a goal of reading 45 books in 2020 and read 67 though I didn't spend much time reading until late March when we were restricted from going out to all but essential services.  The library was closed for most of the year due to Covid. Instead the library increased the digital inventory which meant I mostly read ebooks. I discovered it is quicker to read an ebook than it is to read a paper book.

 

I planted 2 gardens as I usually do.  The first photo is my patio garden which did reasonably well. But due to Covid 19 I never spent much time caring for the community plot (second photo) and it didn't do too well.  I've asked my nephew's girlfriend to do the gardening in 2021 and she agreed.  She was experimenting with patio gardening in 2020 and seemed to enjoy it. All she needs to do is buy the seeds, water them and weed. The compost and tools are all provided.

Last, but not least,  the Kenyan missions kept me busy. 

 

We worked unsuccessfully to have a young Engineering graduate join university studies in Canada. He is now looking for opportunities at home and also exploring the possibility of Master's degree studies in Europe. 

 

Ernest was hospitalized twice due to serious leg injuries (first due to being run down by a vehicle and second due to a bad fall on a muddy path). He is now recovered and wishes to try to find work. Due to his diabetes T2 and Covid 19 concerns, his doctor advised him to stay out of town (thus no looking for work).  We've been trying to keep him nourished through food and vitamins as well as cater to his monthly doctor visits and medications.

 

Eunice continues to be in hospital far from home and has her ups and downs. The Lord has kept her this far and she has hung in there for 2 years. We provide special food every month to keep her blood as strong as possible and also intervene with medicines (eg. blood thinner) and other things (eg. oxygen, blood transfusions).  We were hoping to make some progress with moving her back home in 2020 but other things took our time. We still hope in 2021 to be able to move her somewhere close to her home. The issue is she needs an intensive level of care but she comes from a village near a small town. She would not have access to the same level of critical interventions if we move her home. On the other hand, she would be nearer to family members who could potentially visit her once we are past this Covid pandemic. It is very sad that she is far from home and no one has been able to visit her since March.  We also continue to try to get her the small pension to which she is entitled and will need a lot more prayer on this need.

 

Pastor Jonah too has had a few health issues (serious food poisoning and root canal problems) that we've needed to deal with. The root canal work ended up being very stressful and also very expensive. In the end the right services were provided after trying at two different hospitals and the work was either not properly done in one place and no service was provided at the second hospital due to the overly long queues of people every day for a week.

 

Carolly, my young doctor friend found a job in a small, rural clinic which provides primarily maternity services so he has been delivering a lot of babies. Sadly, his grandmother died just before Christmas so some small helps were needed unexpectedly.

 

There are many other people too numerous to name who needed food relief during this past year and especially at Christmas. We are grateful for what we were able to provide.

 ~~~

Summary

I didn't have big goals for 2020 due to almost losing my nephew through being struck by a train and having a guest visit just before the Covid 19 pandemic was declared.  Like everyone else, I was focussed on trying to educate myself, about the pandemic, implementing safety protocols and discussing with others in my family and in Kenya how to keep safe as well as providing food and masks when quarantines were put in place. I knew I would be decluttering in 2020 so I focussed on that rather than making new goals.  The grinding household tasks were balanced with cooking and reading.  There was one new thing I wanted to do in 2020 but had to forego, and that was taking a weaving course.  I am pleased overall with what I managed to accomplish in 2020 despite it being a strange and challenging year. 

 As I look forward , I don't think I will have much time for crafting in 2021 though I will probably do some crochet and simple knitting here and there.  I hope to read at least 45 books, complete my paperwork decluttering, some small painting projects and general maintenance work. Every summer I plant my patio garden and this year will be no exception.  Though as I mentioned, I will have someone else take care of the community garden for the summer.

I've been pondering how better to serve the Kenyan missions so there may be changes on the horizon.  The first step  will be seeking direction through prayer. In the meantime we continue to serve a few people and their families in different parts of Kenya.

 

 If anyone can contribute to the important work of feeding, clothing and helping the people with medicines and so on,  donations will be gratefully received. You can send through Pay Pal to kerichojoy[at]gmail[dot]com

Thank you in on behalf of the people.

 

Last but not least, thank you all for being faithful readers and blogging friends. I really appreciate you all and am so glad to know you through blogging. I wish a great year in 2021 for each of you and to all of your loved ones.

It's a New Year

These first two photos were taken with my phone camera about 1 hour before the last two photos.

The light changes fast at this time of year.

Last year I chose two words to guide me for the year rather than setting out a long list of goals like I have in year's gone by. The list of goals really helped me and for the most part I achieved them but I now feel like trying something a bit different so will choose one word this year to guide me.


The word is

{You can see my review of  2014 in pictures here}.