Magazine Reprint - Author Approved

As I get ready to watch the ball drop in N.Y.C. I'm going to take the easy way out and post a blog entry that was published in the January 2010 issue of MONTANA WOMAN MAGAZINE. I don't cheat often... but I really do want to watch the celebration on Channel 11 and say a fond farewell to 2011.

HERE IT IS THE NEW YEAR and I’ve made an important decision not to make a list of resolutions. Why set myself up for failure? I had the best of intentions: Eat less chocolate, drink less coffee, spend less time in office gossip. Spend more time reading, spend more time exercising, spend more quality time with the spouse. Read one book a month, watch one educational documentary a month, donate time to a person in need once a month. Say I love you to the hubby each day, praise the puppy each day, and remember that I have a cat!! I wanted to write every Saturday, pray every Sunday, and weigh less on the digital scale every Monday morning.

Now, do you get my drift? I became obsessed with setting goals and then would almost kill myself in reaching those goals. I put the gold ring out there and my 58-year old bones and muscles aren’t what they used to be and I injure myself trying to go for the gold. So, this New Year I have “settled” on trying to be kind, gentle and understanding to every man, woman and child. Oh yes, that’s much more realistic.

I AM A SELFISH WOMAN. There I’ve said it. I do better if I have 45 minutes in the morning to wash my hair, apply camouflage mineral make-up, have one cup of good coffee and say a quick prayer to the Lord. I am darn ugly if I don’t have this time to myself. Even if I have seven hours of solid sleep I still need a little time to myself in the morning. It sets the tone for the day.

I also need a little time to myself in the afternoon. Maybe a cup of hot chocolate with whipped cream, a current issue of Writer’s Digest and country music low on the radio.

I also need a little time to myself in the evening. Perhaps one hour of a favorite reality TV show, perhaps one hour reading People Magazine cover-to-cover, and a hot bath full of perky bubbles.

I also need a little time to myself right before bed. Time to scrub my face, time to apply any number of magic moisturizers, and put a dab of Vaseline on my old lady upper lip (having just shaved it.)

Selfish am I – but honest too. I’m a better person with just a little time to myself. But that doesn’t mean I don’t aim to be kind, gentle and understanding towards everybody else in my world. Future articles will tell the tale.