WHEN DO YOU START A NEW YEAR? CHANGING YOUR LIFE WITH WORDS - DAY 95

Today is September 1 here in the United States.  For me this date has always seemed like the start of a brand new year because when my children were growing up it was the start of a new school year for them.  The lazy heat-filled days of summer would be over, and the cool crisp days of fall would be welcomed as the prelude to all of the holiday celebrations.  January 1 never seemed to me like the start of a new year except for the date changes.

As adults when my son and daughter talk about things which happened in the past they identify the timing as what grade they were in school.  They don't refer to a calendar year but rather to 3rd Grade, 6th Grade, or junior high or high school years.  September is the month when families get organized, clean closets, make master calendars to keep up with all the activities, enjoy the start of football season, and see trees turn from green to orange and gold.

September is a new beginning so what plans do you have?  What changes will you make?  Will this be a memorable year for your children or grandchildren?  Although times have changed and the world is in great turmoil, life still goes on so make the most of it

YEAR BY YEAR

Happy New Year, Everyone!

2011 is winding down, and it is time to put away the Christmas decorations and take down the Christmas tree. The season is always too short for me, but my family and I enjoyed being together. My daughter will be returning to Manhattan and my life here in the desert will revert to the usual daily routines. I am eager to make the most of 2012, and I have lots of projects and ideas in mind. I wish all of you a very Happy New Year and may you and your loved ones be blessed in every possible way.

Celebrating Holidays During Tough Times

Halloween is now over, and immediately our thoughts turn to Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hannakuh, Quanza or the New Year. During tough economic times being faced all over the world, how will celebrations be handled? Please share your suggestions and ideas for how you plan to enjoy the holidays and acknowledge the occasions without having the financial means to do what you may have done in previous years. I know that many of you have great ideas, creative suggestions, and positive attitudes that dictate making the best of everything despite the circumstances. If you share your thoughts in the comment section below I will be glad to publish them so they are available for everyone to read. Thanks for participating! Who knows? Your ideas may help another family celebrate in ways they would not have thought of, thereby making the holidays more enjoyable for them.

Mondays! Are They Beginnings or Endings?

September always feels like the beginning of the new year to me (I guess it relates to the start of many new school years). It is the time when I want to get organized and regain structure and routine to overcome the chaos and messiness that somehow crept into life during the lazy days of summer. I feel the same way about Mondays. I never think that Sunday is the first day of the week, but rather Monday. Mondays are when life gets back to normal, schedules exist, schools are in session, appointments are made and kept, and routine household chores are repeated. There are feelings of stability and security that can accompany structure and routine when so many facets of the world in which we live seem to be spinning out of control. Fresh, blank calendar pages quickly become filled with both the mundane and exciting events of our lives. Work weeks generally begin on Mondays, and most of us look forward to Friday nights to start two-day weekends. If I think of Sundays as the beginnings of each new week, then somehow I feel deprived of weekend time. I also like to have Sunday as the end of my week so I can attend church and make my apologies and attempt to wipe the slate clean of that week's mistakes and misdeeds. Then on Mondays I feel as if I have a new opportunity to try to be a better person, to be more organized, to accomplish more, and then to the reward of another glorious two-day weekend. Am I fooling myself? Perhaps. Does it work? You bet it does!