#922 and Counting!

Can you believe this is blog #922? I am proud to celebrate three years with WordPress, and having a home for Kathy Raabe, Author. My electronic footprint, now well established, leaves me feeling enthused about whatever is ahead. Onward!

I ran out of time yesterday (again!), devoting time to the Income Tax return. Looks like I’ll learn something new there, too. The software is telling me something about one topic I’ve not seen before. More research is in order. Was hoping it would go easier. Another life lesson for me. This is the latest I’ve ever filed. I will not be recreating this form of tardiness!

Also, yesterday had all the hype of a terrible weather event brewing. The news and social media was all about it again all day long. So, we were at the ready to take the girls and adjourn to the basement. Never happened. Lexie hides in the master bedroom closet. Goldie sits by us and shakes. All good. Bad night’s sleep, but no tornadoes, large hail, or damaging wind. Color us happy after all the hype.

The temperature and humidity reminded me of a hot July day in Nebraska. Windows were open. The grit that blew in the windows remained on everything in the kitchen – the table, the countertops, the chairs. It covered every surface it met. Today will be a major cleanup. If you run your hand over the surfaces, you will feel the grit and see the dirt. It was crazy! I am ready for the winds to calm down forever. Yes, except for breezes. Breezes are good.

Grandma Babs is a 73-year-old woman who is now a TikTok goddess. She began two years ago, while living with her daughter during the pandemic. The daughter had two toddlers and was pregnant with the third child. It was her daughter’s suggestion she develop a persona on TikTok. Grandma balked at first. Then she tried it.

Grandma cooks and bakes, tells stories, and imparts a lot of wisdom with her demonstrations of all things wonderful in the kitchen. These are things our young people don’t learn. I watched my Grandma Jewell bake, cook, and all the things she did so well. Most people don’t live near their grandparents. I’ve thought about doing a podcast reading children’s books. Feedback? I’d love to know what you all think. Comment, please!

Today, I will resolve the problem of Income Taxes for 2021. I will file it, finished it, and forever banish it from my brain. Then on to the fun stuff. Getting ready for my kid book preview. It should happen early in May. I cannot wait to see what Jordan has dreamed up. She is a creative soul if I ever met one.

As I prepare to slay the dragon that is the IRS reporting, I feel confident by 1 p.m. I will slay the beast. Tuned in tomorrow for the next exciting installment! Have a beautiful day.

Tuesday, The 14th

What a day! It’s been a little crazy. Lots going on. Meeting at the Post this morning, stopped at the printer’s (not for me, for the Post), stopped at the Humane Society for verification of Lexie’s Rabies Shots for her new license. Then, a stop at JoAnn’s Craft and Fabric store. It’s been forever since I’ve been there. Totally remodeled, I felt like a fish out of water. The Humane Society was all remodeled, too.

I felt like I was a visitor from a strange land. I’ve come to realize in the last few days I might need to get out more. Seriously. I need to leave the house more and mix with people. Have I become an introvert? I’m not sure about that. I’m just so contented at home. Are you? Or would you rather be out and about?

Another weird thing that happened twice today. Since before Christmas, the Babe and I switched vehicles. I previously drove the Passport, he drove the Ridgeline Truck. He has too many miles on the Ridgeline, so he’s driving my car, since it has low miles on it, and 5K more allowed per year. Turning in the truck could be very costly when the lease ends. I don’t like some of the things about the truck, it’s harder for me to get the depth perception straight, but it takes practice.

As I went into the fabric store, a man standing outside asked me how I liked the Ridgeline. What?? That’s a new on. What’s the opposite of a chick magnet? Maybe it’s the new way to meet people. Huh. But wait, there’s more! I went to top off the gas before it gets colder again, and a man came up to me, asking me if I was an Army Veteran? The Babe has Veterans license Plates, so it was a valid question. He was a Marine for 12 years, and a nice man. People really are basically good, and they are neighborly. I need to get out more.

The Christmas tree is officially down, tomorrow I will finish putting things in their proper places and be finished for last year. More necessary papers for filing Income Tax, that will be the next big thing for our household.

I have a new illustrator who I’m sure will do just fine. She’s a busy young woman, and I can’t wait to see what she can do. A soft target date to publish my first kid book is May 22. I’ll explain more as we go along. In the next few weeks, I’ll unveil new business cards, an additional page on my website, and maybe an additional FB page for kid books. Stay tuned! Progress!

Thanks for checking in today, we’ll see you tomorrow!

Progress

I have named my word for the year as Progress. I thought it would make a good foundation for planning the year. And since it’s only the third day of the New Year, we have been mindful of progress. I want to feel like there is progress each and every day.

There is a Chinese saying:

Talk doesn’t cook rice.

Progress is indeed something measurable. Some things, like reducing clutter, are easy to measure. Finishing the laundry (folding and putting it away counts for as progress). Planning without action is not progress. It doesn’t cook rice, either. If I vacuum every couple of days, I’ll have proof of my progress. If I look at the lower wood part of our coffee table and it’s shiny and free of dog hair, I’m making progress. When I look at our kitchen counter that seems to attract stray papers from the mail, and it’s clean, I’ll have made progress. It hasn’t happened yet, but it will.

Little bits at a time. I have to stay positive about it. Some days will work, some days will not, depending on interruptions, the Babe’s schedule, helping Mom. I may have to reschedule tasks; but I will get things done. I also need to go easy on myself. I have to remember habits take at least 21 days to make. I need to celebrate small steps and achievements. We all do.

Relief doesn’t happen immediately. Change doesn’t either. You have to be steadfast and unrelenting. How badly do you want it? How much to you want to finish your novel, your children’s books, your lyrics to a friend’s song, your remodeling projects, your refreshing your decor, your . . . (fill in the blank). How badly?

Stopping OD’ing on sugar is hard. I splurged a bit too much over the holidays. I freely admit it. Now I have to renew the hard work to eat properly. No big deal. Not blaming anyone. I can fix it. Progress can be mine in this area. It can be mine in writing, blogging, and making progress. Yes. It all depends on how much hard work you put in.

What’s the biggest waste of time? Probably video games/apps, etc. followed by Facebook. It’s a deep, complex route of deep, dark caves you can fall into. Often. I do it all the time. That time, spent writing, could be critical to achieving my goals in 2022. I have to be very aware of how I spend time. We all do. Let’s do it together.

Wow! I’m amazed. Mail call today was interesting. I received the natural gas bill, it wasn’t too bad, and I was amazed. Then, the good old State of Nebraska sent an income tax form to fill out; nothing in, most of it goes out, so we’re good. (Cue dun-dun-dun music!)

And here it is! Sarpy County Jury Commission. What? Well, that will certainly put a crimp in my timeline and planning! But maybe I can get some ideas for a book! Wouldn’t that be fun! January 31 – February 25. 8:30 – 4:30 I think. Wow. Four months away from the age you can be to take an age exemption. We’ll make the best of it, boys & girls.

See what we mean by the best laid plans of mice and men? Have a beautiful rest of the day, folks. We’ll see each other tomorrow. Thanks for reading.

Happy New Year!

So far, so good, right?

We had tickets for a dinner/dance at our VFW last night; it was pretty icy all day from fog, frozen particles, we decided to stay home. It’s not worth the risk when you’re living in the 70’s (again). I hope all our friends are safe and warm this morning.

I’m usually late to the party, but here goes. I’ve heard many folks talk about not making resolutions but selecting a word instead. I want to expand my horizons this year, publish the kid books, finish the novel, and keep expanding the audience for my blog. Not sure how to select one word to do that.

Maybe progress should be my word. In any area of my life/business/health journey I believe I should make some sort of progress each and every day. Progress, no matter how slight, is still progress. Each day should end farther along the continuum than where I was before. It sounds simple enough. Resolutions are pretty easy to overlook, to stick in the back of the closet, top shelf, and quit. Yes. It is.

We all know ourselves, whether we want to admit it or not. We know what will motivate us and what will not. We know what we need to do; whether it be cut carbs, exercise, work harder at keeping the clutter down or just finishing the laundry by folding the clothes as they come out from the dryer. A little movement forward in each of these areas could lead to significant progress by this time next year. While one grand, great, successful sweeping gesture could get us there with a flourish, chances of it becoming a real changed behavior are slim.

We can change dramatically when we commit to making long-term pledges. Who do we make the promise to? Ourselves. And God. No one else really needs to know. I tend to hold my feet to the fire by sharing what I’m committing to. It’s done to keep me on track, not to show off.

I’m going to work on more plans today; personal, business, writing, publishing, websites, and social media. Plans, schedules, and even scheduled free time are important, especially when they help you achieve your goals. Goals are no good if you achieve them but are too burned out to enjoy them. Balance and rest are key. Don’t forget them.

Enjoy your day today. Think about your word. Think about your goals. We’ll see each other tomorrow. Be safe out there!