My Star Word for this year is “Affirmation”. The internet says an affirmation is a positive statement of agreement.
I am a child of God, holy and beloved.
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future nor any powers, neither height nor depth nor anything in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Here are my intentions for 2021.
(After the dumpster fire of 2020, you’ll notice I’ve pared down my intentions for 2021, and I intend to hold them loosely.)
Physical Health
- Eat real food. – Check
- Eat more vegetables – Fresh corn on the cob is in season. The green beans are really stringy so I’ll try again next month. Tomatoes are coming in strong. New potatoes are in VERY short supply. The heat dome in May and lack of rain in June really messed up the truck farms.
- Be sure to get 25 grams of fiber every day – Check
- The itch is gone (TBTG). I’m being really careful to knock it down as soon as it starts.
- Big Al and I got our second Pfizer shots on February 13th, so we’ve been fully vaccinated since the first of March!
- The rise of the Delta variant has me wearing my mask to the grocery store and farmer’s market, and picking up a curbside order from Safeway again.
- I’m struggling over what to do about my grandchild who isn’t vaccinated and (so far) refuses to get a shot. I’m on the verge of telling her father not to bring her to see us until she gets the jab.
- My blood work showed my cholesterol and blood sugar was elevated, so rather than add any meds I’ve been more particular about what I eat, how much exercise I get. My blood sugar numbers are good. I’m hopeful the cholesterol will show a similar drop at the next blood work.
Emotional Health
- Remember that I am a child of God, holy and beloved.
- If I can say it for me, I must grant it to every other person on the planet, whether lovable or not.
- Continue to post “Five Things that Made Me Happy Today” every day on my blog – Check
Intellectual Health
- Expand my leisure reading.
- Major Pettigrew ‘s Last Stand by Helen Simonson – finished
- Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie – finished
- The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie – finished
- The Moving Finger by Agatha Christie – finished
- Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry – finished
- A Great Deliverance by Elizabeth George – finished
- How to Avoid a Climate Disaster by Bill Gates – finished
- Stargazer by Anne Hillerman – finished
- Standing in the Rainbow by Fannie Flagg – finished
- Beneath a Scarlett Sky by Mark Sullivan – finished
- The House on Vesper Sands – Paraic O’Donnell – finished
- Can’t Wait to Get to Heaven – Fanny Flagg – finished
- Payment in Blood – Elizabeth George – reading
- I’m doing better with my “outrage obsession”. I don’t obsessively follow the stories of Trump’s latest stupidities.
- Listen to NPR – Check
- Watch Rachel Maddow – Check
- Follow Heather Cox Richardson for perspective – Check
- Participate in Creative Writing classes here at Franke Tobey Jones – None available at this time.
- I subscribe to the New York Times and try to work the crossword puzzle and read several columns regularly, including the cooking column.
- I subscribe to the Seattle Times and read several of their newsletters.
- I subscribe to the Washington Post. and read several of their newsletters, including Travel, Fitness, and Cooking.
- Support aspiring writers via Patreon and Substack – Check
- Participate in Great Decisions here at Franke Tobey Jones – The chapter on the Two Koreas and the DVD information was very outdated. It’s interesting to note how different International Relations seem with the change in administration this year.
- I subscribed to MasterClass. I’m looking for another series – maybe storytelling or photography.
Spiritual Health
- Continue to participate in weekly Bible study, and weekly Worship – Check
- We have returned to “In Person” worship in the Sanctuary, and I was Lay Reader twice during July. I confess I’m mostly staying home and attending church on Facebook Live. My inner introvert is happier.
- We are starting the Mission Study in preparation for calling a new minister. I agreed to take notes in my small group in the middle of August. (I guess that means I’ll have to attend in person.)
- Continue with General Assembly Nominating Committee – No meetings yet
Social Health
- Tend the relationships I have at Franke Tobey Jones
- Wellness Center – They have returned to weekly walks off-campus. Unfortunately, with the rise of the Delta variant the walks may be in jeopardy. We shall see in August.
- Gazebo Group – Everyone really enjoyed the potluck picnic on the 4th of July. We all ate too much – so that’s a sign of a successful dinner. The weather has settled down to low 60s in the morning and high 70s/low 80s in the afternoon. There’s usually a good breeze which make 5:00 pm in the shade fine.
- Tend the relationships I have at Bethany Presbyterian Church Bible Study – Check
- Continue to connect regularly with the sisters, virtually – Check
Social Justice
- Participate in Town Halls and face-to-face meetings with elected officials – Not much on this front (not too much need, either.) I follow my local, state, and federal representatives on Social Media and send messages about things that matter to me.
- I have regular contributions to the DNC and my US Representative. I also contribute to reps in other states if they seem particularly outstanding.
- Support the Southern Poverty Law Center, the American Civil Liberties Union, and MoveOn – Check
- Support the election of officials who are champions for Social Justice issues – Check
- Climate action
- Racial justice
- Health Care Availability
- Wealth Inequality
An Aging Liberal Hippy from the Left Coast 