Keepin' It New--or--We Dig Our Own Ruts, Ya Know

"Behold, I am doing a new thing;
    now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?"   ... Isaiah 43:19


******


January! Always this month flies because--finally--I'm free to do the myriad creative things which always zoom (unfairly, really) into my head each November, but which I can't do because, hey! One must slog through the Christmas month first, after all.

Er hem.

But now it's January, a Christmas-free month, but not birthday-free because Naomi's is Saturday. Yet way-gone are those years I'd spend January wringing my hands wondering how to make Naomi's birthday perfect when you just knew it'd be the snowiest, most inconvenient day for everyone, ever.

But now she's turning 38(!) and will create a fun weekend for herself--whew. Those Mother-Must-Be-Wonder-Woman-And-Remarkable days are over for this aging lady.

So yes! It's January, a time for us to seek new ideas, hobbies, books and ways to live our hours. And a terrific month to stop waiting, yearning for some vague Prince Charming-type (or Calgon) to come swoop us up and take us away to a place where--magically, without our effort--we ooze with contentment.

A time to ask God for fresh eyes to view what we have and the can-do-spirited gumption to actively search for what's still missing.

Especially as we grow older. Oh my--all those cranky, "Well, in the old days, we---" ladies out there. They make me cringe. And sad.


Debra's new January things?

My second photo book is finished and I learned all sorts of creative techniques. The book arrived this week and I swooned. What a marvelous idea, these books, and what a wonderful life (I was reminded) we've experienced during our 25 New York years.

Also, I'm playing with another book of blog posts, this one in a Word document which requires relearning now (it's been ages since I used Word) and a learning of new things later if I decide to actually publish this. We'll see how that goes.

Then there's that iPad I told you about. I'm becoming a whiz at the Kindle part--I've read three or four books so far. I deleted tons of old emails via the iPad and I even snapped a picture and emailed it to myself. Wow. Moving right along. 😉 

Here's that photo--

                        My world during Winter.

Oh, and for Christmas Naomi also gave me one of those new-fangled SodaStream machines and yikes! My mind got stretched there, also, just learning how to put it together, then fizz-up the water. But now it's second nature (and tasty).

And I'm still walking over to the coffee shop once a week. Went there yesterday and the funny thing? The sun always shines there, even when my walks begin beneath grey clouds.


Anyway, during Winter it's super easy to let our mind slide into deep, numbing, sad, boring ruts, but don't, ok? Fight, if need be, to stay above dullness. Stretch and learn and keep moving forward.

But should we slip,  immediately we can ask God to lift us up--and out. Way up and way out to where He always is, waiting to make things new even in a very, very old world.

******


"If you keep your mind active, regularly take on mental challenges, and continually think about the right things, you will develop the disciplined thinking that will help you with whatever you endeavor to do."
... John C. Maxwell


******

Something else new? The documentary, California Typewriter. I watched it twice via Hulu and both times came away utterly inspired to view things with a different spin and outside of the same ol,' same ol' box.

So there you go.



******


More ideas for s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g ...


Read books you wouldn't normally read.
Drive or walk a different route.
Find a new hobby.
Collect new items (or declutter your home).
Live as creatively as you can in all ways.
Speak to a neighbor you've not yet met.
Change things up by listening to different music.
Dive into those free kindle books you've collected (hint, hint, Debra).
Begin a new exercise program.
Call or email a friend you've not talked to in years.
Visit a new 'mom and pop' business/store/coffee shop. Leave a favorable review on their Facebook page.
Clean out a closet then donate the unneeded items.
Try a different form of social media.
Study fashion-for-you and plan a new wardrobe.
Begin developing a new skill.
Write an essay or a book about your life.
Watch a new-to-you tv show.
Volunteer.
Rearrange your rooms. Organize them drawer by drawer.
Plan this year's garden and yard changes on paper.
Hang wallpaper or paint walls or furniture.
Thoroughly study subjects online which have always interested you.
Try new recipes and/or a different way of eating.


******