Goals for 2016 (Part III)

 I've been thinking about events of this year, as well as lessons learned from them. 

So what could I do -- and do better -- in 2016?

Lose some weight. About 20 or so pounds have come off...but I need to lose more.

Finish some writing commitments. I have several...nearly all books I want to write. Mostly quilting and crafts -- but a novel, too.

Find another steady writing job (or two). My work for Midlife Finance has been done for some months now. I've been accepted for a new syndicate, so want to explore that. But I'd like a second regular gig, too. Maybe even a third.

Start forgiving myself for slowing down. I just do not have the stamina to go nights without sleep that I used to. Or schlep through multiple airports, dragging heavy suitcases. (Direct flights -- the only way to go.) Or push myself through flu or exhaustion. I have to face this: being 57 does creep up on you a bit. (I'm guessing losing more weight will help, though.)

Publish my uncle's book. He wrote a memoir of his time in WWII...and I want to see it into print.

Have a BIG garden this coming year. Hopefully the weather cooperates...

Make a couple of quilts. Three, to be exact. Plus -- I need to stitch up a sampler design for a class at the John C. Campbell Folk School. I'll be teaching a "Quilting from A-Z" class there in October. (More on this soon.)
     What -- stitch a quilt for FUN? For people I care about? It's a new concept for someone like me, who normally just makes quilts for 'work.'

Eugenia's Barn Door block -- from last year at John C. Campbell

Learn Spanish (better). The Brick and I have plans to spend a month in language school before the year's out. (Or soon after.) Mexico? Ecuador? Panama? One possibility may have us certifying for scuba diving at the same time -- a real push of the envelope. We both enjoy snorkeling...

Clear away and get rid of a lot of STUFF.  We plan to put the house up on the market in the spring, after we do some renovating. Meanwhile, I am trying to whittle some 2000-plus books down to a manageable size. A lot of these will be donated to our local library, plus the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum's study center.
     Plus use up embellishments, fabrics and other things I've collected for the business over the years. No worries on the latter -- I've got plenty of teaching gigs that will make good use of those items.

Keep up with this blog. And others. I've been writing "A Brick Looks At Life" since Dec. 2008 -- where did the time go? And I have some other blogs, including one on celebration foods, one on Christmas dishes...and a couple on moneysaving offers. I'm getting ready to start a new one, as well, for Daughter #2's Phenomenal Gems site on Etsy.


Life goes on -- thankfully. What's going to happen next? No idea -- but I'm looking forward to finding out. 
    From all of us here at Brickworks, including staff, plus Charley, Abby and the chickens...

                                                                Happy 2016 to you!

Personally, we think she should pay more attention to US in 2016...