Monday, 31 December 2018

December 31, 2018

New Year's Eve

It has been an interesting year; there have certainly been ups and downs, but I am content.

There have been some gaps in my scanning project.  If I miss a day, it seems as if that turns into more than a day I missed. On the other hand, when I stay with it, steady progress is made.  I still have boxes and boxes of things to scan, but if I get some done every day, I will continue to make progress!

As a side project to the scanning, I have been working on family genealogy/history.  As I have previously mentioned, I am the last of my immediate family so many many pictures and papers have ended up in my possession.  Although it can be a bit melancholy at times, it is a fun project to connect with my past, and find relatives I never knew I had.  We have been able to share some information, so I have been able to fill in some gaps in my family knowledge.  When all is said and done, I will give the curated information to my nephew - so he won't have to go through the work I have to go through!

Projects got put on hold this December, not because of the holidays, but because I hit a deer on my way home early in the month.  Sadly, insurance did not cover any of the damage.  My car was eighteen years old, and after briefly thinking of repairing it, I decided not to.  Mostly, due to the parts availability/cost/time equation.  I need a car to get to work (75 kms each way), so replacement was the best option.  So, December was filled with car shopping and research issues.  The replacement arrived in my driveway on Christmas eve, so I think/hope I am good for a while now!

I have managed to mature a little this year - and managed to put some personal issues behind me.  I have come to realize and accept that there were certain things I was holding on to (emotions, grudges and the like) that were not healthy and belonged in the past.  Letting go of those things, and the negative emotions, is a good thing and something that makes me feel better internally.

I know that 2019 will have it's share of ups and downs, but I am interested and excited to see what the new year holds.

Happy New Year!

Tuesday, 11 December 2018

December 12, 2018

It's been an interesting year, so far.  Many things did not go as planned - like this blog!

Let's see, the photo scanning project has been moving forward in fits and starts.  As long as my daily routine stays about the same, I can get some done every day.  It's when something else goes sideways that it gets pushed to the back burner.

The best advice I have seen on working on a project like this is to touch it every day. That is to do something every day - no matter how small.  The idea is that you do not lose forward momentum.

Recently, I had a deer hit my car.  That was a setback in many ways. Most obviously, the loss of the car.  The damage wasn't that great, but it is/was an eighteen year old car, so not really worth my time to repair in terms of dollar value and the time it would take to find parts for an eighteen year old car.

The past ten days, or so, have been spent looking for a replacement.  I think I found one last night, so I'm allowing another week to get everything done - license, insurance, and whatever the new-to-me car will need.  I know it immediately needs snow tires!

Life goes on.

Monday, 1 January 2018

January 1, 2018

It's a brand new year.

I suppose a lot of people are reflecting today - on the year that was, and the year to come.  And I thik that is a good thing, to periodically look back at the path you have taken as well as looking at the road ahead to prepare.

I had some wonderful times in 2017, as well as my share of things that didn't work out.  Overall, I would say it was a fairly average year with more good than bad. But, I am an optimist at heart.

It is the year ahead that is always most exciting; the fear of the unknown maybe. Or anticipation of what is to come.

While I am not one for greeting card sentimentality, the year ahead truly is a blank page waiting for the pen to write on it. Since I love daily planners, it is easy for me to envision each day as a blank page, a clean canvas, ready to receive what I put onto it.

For me, that hits the nail on the head - each day's outcome is entirely dependent on what I put into it. Whether it is my efforts during the day, or some judicious editing at the end of the day; it is my responsibility to decide how my day is structured and remembered.

I choose to remain optimistic, to see the best in people, and to try to be a better person each day than I was the day before.  I know some days I will fail, but each day brings a fresh start.

Happy New Year!