Well, this won’t be anything epic, but I feel like I should write something tonight. I have been a bit slack (okay, a lot slack!) lately. Call it retirement brain. Call it lots of balls in the air, pans in the fire, stuff going on. Call it what it is: slack. Or maybe I am just boring. (Maybe I have been boring all along but wrote about it anyway.)
For most of my life, the new year really began in August, not January. School, you know. But now that I am retired and the only person directly in my life involved in school is my daughter, who teaches in a year-round school, August no longer has such power over me. Well, I will always have that August birthday…do you think that predisposed me to life as an educator?
At any rate, I guess I need to fully embrace January 1 as the beginning of the New Year. And no, that does not mean I will be staying up until midnight tonight. My guess is that I have been in bed asleep more December 31s at midnight than not. This one will be no different.
This holiday month leading up to 2019 has been an odd one. There was a trip to Disney World, a truly magical place. 
There was snow. Oh, how I do love a good snow! And this one was beautiful.
There were trees and decorations and cookies and fruitcake (another story for another day). But something was missing. I had trouble getting into the holiday spirit. This has been a difficult year in lots of ways. And a year of change. I wrestled with the decision to retire (and decided to do so) and therefore to leave Ocracoke and a life I had come to love. There have been health issues. Readjustments. Job changes, moves, new relationships, new homes, ….
But Christmas came, and it was great. Christmas music all day long. All my children under one roof for longer than I dared hope. The “boys” playing Nintendo (thanks to Anna who bought retro games for her brothers) and the sounds of Mario filling the den again. (I am NOT happy that Tetris is not an option on the new game set; I AM the Tetris queen!) Lots of good food. And yes, lots of dishes to be washed but that is okay.
And here we are, nearing midnight (10:00 PM IS close to midnight in my book!)… How have I spent the last day of the year? Well, let’s start with the fact that it was another gray, rainy, foggy, dismal day. Seems like there has been an overabundance of those this year! But I seemed to have more energy this morning, as if I had to get a lot done, although once one is retired these “holidays” don’t really make quite as much difference.
So I made granola and kale chips this morning.
I packed away the holiday dishes, 
ran a few errands, walked on the boring treadmill, cooked a little dinner.
Then I started the dreaded task of taking the ornaments off the trees. Can you figure out my method this year?
And before we know it, the sun will rise and a new year will be upon us. I will still be retired. My days will still be my own, to fill as I choose. I hope and pray I choose wisely. Many of the “issues” of 2018 will be still be there. I have plans and goals for the new year. I hesitate to call them “resolutions” but there are things I resolve to do. Nit-picking, I guess. As the new year unfolds, I will address some of those goals., whether I reach them or not. SO here’s to 2019. To health, happiness, fulfillment, peace, and love.
Merry Christmas memories, and Happy New Year 2019!
bethdlayton 