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)
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I got long curtains to reach the floor
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This is to replace an all silver fixture
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Two area rugs which are interchangeable between dining and living rooms.
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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.
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"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
