New Year, New Hopes and Dreams, New Thoughts

  

It is the second day of the new year, 2025!

Wowsers, time flies by sooooo fast.

I want to take this moment to thank the faithful followers of this blog as well as those who stop by just once in awhile.

 You give me hope and happiness every time you visit.

You are so very precious to me, more than you probably will ever know.

Writing Straight from the Heart started in the fall of 2009 and it is now 2025.

Never once did regret rear its head about starting the blog.  

It is daily source of joy and deep satisfaction.

I feel a little bit like the darling amaryllis shown in today's post.

She started out just being a tiny dot of green on her round, paraffin base.

I had no idea what to expect her future would hold.

Day by day, throughout December, she grew. Her green tips shot up in the air.

When buds popped out, it was exciting to see what color they might be.

She was nourished and told how sweet she was and very, very loved.

Then came the day when the first blossom appeared, a bright and beautiful red.

There are many more blooms to come and each one fills my heart with joy.

Just like Followers of this blog, you make life better, more meaningful, and richer. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR, 2025, dear blog Peeps!  

May many of your dreams come true!

New Year, New Plans

 

It's hard to believe we are in a brand new year of life.

As the calendar pages flip by, year after year, like a huge wind is blowing them, each new day becomes extra special.

It's exciting, in a way, to think about the new year and all that can happen in it.

A daily reminder around here is going to be that one's attitude determines one's altitude.

It's easy to fall into the doldrums but it's equally easy to stay positive and staying positive can help keep us healthy.

Stress plays a huge role in one's health, that's for sure.

Shown in photos today is a visit to a dear friend's place for breakfast.

We whipped up pancakes with real maple syrup (perish the "fake" syrups after tasting real) and, of course, had fresh blueberries and raspberries as well as coffee.

Friends are precious gifts that we also must cherish.  Imagine what life would be like without them?

So, hopefully, today you will enjoy each moment, including those in which you are doing mundane tasks. 

New week of the new year, here we come!

New Week, New Year, New Life

It's already page 3 on the 2022 calendar.

There's a lot to do this new week of life.

Many Christmas decorations must come down and be either put into the charity pile or be packed away.

 Every single room in the house needs to be cleaned, vacuumed, and so on.

Bills need to be paid.

 Clutter needs to be addressed.

The papers pile is exploding.

All of it, yes, all of it will get done but leisurely.

No sense to hurry, hurry, hurry.  

 The de-cluttering process works best if it's done one drawer or cabinet, or one corner at a time.

Wishing you peace and contentment on this first Monday in January, 2022.

HOW DO YOU PRIORITIZE YOUR DAILY LIST OF THINGS TO DO?

New Year, New Hope

Happy New Year!

That is what I wish for all my sweet blog friends. 

You make life so much more interesting and fun, too.  

What would life be like without sharing with others? Without thinking of writing blog posts, taking photos, and eagerly reading your comments as well as visiting your blogs?
 
The lighted Christmas tree and other holiday decor will soon be just memories.

Then, the task of taking everything down, packing it, and hauling it up two flights of stairs will take quite a few hours (days?  months?)

It is always daunting to welcome a new year.

Part of one's feelings are excitement and anticipation but there may also be some fear and a bit of trembling, too.

The most important thing is that the new year means new opportunities!

New experiences!

New thoughts and new habits, if need be!

A blessed and most fulfilling new year to you!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!  WHAT IS ONE THING YOU WOULD LOVE TO SEE HAPPEN IN THE WORLD THIS YEAR?

New Year, New Thoughts!

It's a new year!

We can have new thoughts and goals. too, instead of resolutions.

At least that's what I plan to do.

For so many years of life, resolutions took over when the clock struck midnight on Dec. 31st.

Of course, the resolutions lasted for awhile but didn't stick for the whole year. 

That was a set up for failure and for feeling bad about one's self.

This year, this brand new, precious year of life, I can change my thoughts, have goals and just live life, appreciating every breath that I'm privileged to take.

WHAT ARE YOUR OWN THOUGHTS AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS NEW YEAR OF LIFE? WILL YOU SHARE SOME?

All Good Things to Come....

As I write this, a fire is crackling in the fireplace.

 The rotating Christmas tree is still doing its slow, sparkly twirl and the white lights of the mantel look like little stars twinkling in the green garland.

It is now 2017. 

Just to write that makes me feel a little old. Yikers. The years are flying by faster than Santa's reindeer.

There are always lots of mixed feelings at the end of one year and the start of another. 

Enthusiasm, a bit of fear, joy, anticipation, a tad of nervousness, gratitude----and many more feelings do dances in my heart.

This new year, I'm going to do something one of my nieces said she was going to do......love myself more. 

That's not in a conceited or selfish way but in a kind and tender one. 

After all, if we can love ourselves more, we'll have much more love for others. 

If we are able to do just that one thing, love ourselves more, everything else will fall into place.

To all my dear blog peeps, I wish you deep peace and true contentment in 2017. 

Never forget how very special you are!

WHAT IS ONE WAY YOU CAN LOVE YOURSELF MORE?