Hello 2026
on entering the year differently
If you were to walk into my home today you’d likely be surprised to see that all my Christmas decorations are still up. No, we haven’t been sick nor have we been traveling. It was a conscious choice we made due to starting the year in an unexpected way. Our decorations are cheery and nostalgic. And who can say “no thanks” to a Christmas tree? With twinkle lights and vintage ornaments, some of which date back to the 1940s…
My goal every year is to enjoy our decorations through Epiphany (which is the 12th day of Christmas - and it honors the day the Wise Men visited The Christ Child). And our plan was for JB to take this week off as we put away the decorations and began some deep cleaning of all the hidden places (closets, storage room, etc.).
But that plan was smashed to smithereens when Jury Duty on Monday led to him being placed on a Jury. For a murder trial. All week. Though he was an alternate, he still had to sit through the trial, view all the horrific photos, visit the scene of the murder, and hear all the testimony.
I offered to put things away, but instead we’ve elected to keep them up just a little while longer. But coming home at the end a long day in court hearing and seeing terrible things to his wife, a hot toddy, and a twinkling tree was balm to a tender soul.
The case ended on Friday. He was not part of the final deliberation but there was a guilty verdict on all counts. He was finally able to tell me about his week on Saturday. Yes, he took the instructions to speak to no one about the case very seriously.
We are now in a reset mode with a return to work for him. And some shifts on household priorities for me.
My new goal is to have everything put away before Candlemas. That’s the 40th day of Christmas and represents when The Christ Child was presented in the Temple. And if you look at history, you’ll see I’m not completely off my rocker.
As I mentioned earlier, we chose to spend Christmas with JB’s family this year rather than New Year’s. We ended up staying at The Ritz-Carlton in downtown Chicago and it was such a wonderful choice for us. After a leisurely breakfast, we got in a workout and a swim. We showered for the day and had time to go to the cemetery to drop of Christmas bouquets before heading to to the (big - 20+) family gathering.
We loved the hotel - the service was stellar and the location was lovely. It’s our new favorite Chicago hotel and we look forward to returning in the future.
With snow here (and in Chicago) on New Year’s it was smart not to be on the road.
New Year’s Day I did a traditional meal: pork loin, sauerkraut, and black-eyed peas.
Though the household may be a bit behind when it comes to my New Year’s goals (I haven’t touched a single closet), my work writing has been back up to speed.
My work goals for 2026 are firmly moving forward.
My “Clearing Clutter” newsletter went out for January. And I’ve published at least three posts a week this year. I especially want to call your attention to the piece “Winter Reflections: What This Season is Good At” as a companion to all the push to jump into your goals for 2026.
I have all my posts for the rest of January already scheduled (3 to 4 a week) and will begin editing all my February posts this coming week. That makes me happy to be ahead of the publishing curve again.
When it comes to my personal goals for 2026, those, too, are starting out in a softer, more gentle way.
I made it to church three times last week to pray my Rosary - hitting my weekly goal of at least three in-church prayer sessions a week. I have yet to visit a new-to-me church in the area. My goal this year is to visit as many of the Catholic Churches that were built prior to 1950 this year. There are a lot! And I’m looking forward to be in sacred places where thousands of others have prayed.
I’ve worked out several times this year, though I have yet to go to the gym at the base. I’ll return to a schedule of sorts when JB heads back to the office on a regular basis.
And I haven’t yet returned to a logistical approach to lunches, something I’m apt to skip on a regular basis. Again, one of my goals is to better tend myself with a solid approach to (healthy-ish) lunches.
How about you? How is your New Year going? What are your goals for the year ahead? I’d love to hear all about it…