Resolutions a month later.

Time to take stock of the resolutions.

Read a book a month.
Failed. Oh well, there's always this month to get started.

Read a magazine a week.
Big success. What's come of attempting this is a wonderful cat ritual in the evening. I come home from work and either get dishes or a load of wash started. Then, I grab the top magazine off the stack and sit down in the settee with a cup of tea. Pilchard jumps into my lap and settles down for chin and ear scratches. Mija comes into the living room and jumps onto the other chair. I read for about 10 minutes and then get the fishing pole cat toy and play with her for about 15 minutes. Last night, she was particularly active and very funny, pouncing on the string. Pilchard purrs up a storm. On occasion, she'll jump down and play, but, for the most part, she just wants my lap.

We sit for about 30-45 minutes and then I get up and continue with dishes or whatever else I need to get done. I've often come back to the settee, particularly if all I'm doing is dishes. There's something magically calming about having a cat in your lap. I have managed to finish 6 magazines doing this.

This has translated into Pilchard claiming my lap while I am gaming. Penney, Rascal and Betsy would do this, too, and I've wanted either Mija or Pilchard or both to sit in my lap. Mija's not that interested, yet. Pilchard actually hops up into the chair next to me and meows until I let her climb in. The problem is that the angle of my keyboard does not accommodate such a large cat. Oh well, I'll deal with it to have her happy.

Write a friend a real letter once a week.
Fail. I owe a number of people letters.

Add one more fruit or vegetable to my daily diet.
Successful. I'm out of fresh so I am drinking juice and going through the frozen veggies I have. Finances being what they are, when these run out, I may not have any cash to buy groceries so this resolution will be put on hold temporarily. Today's lunch is a cheeseburger and frozen peas and carrots with applesauce.

Pay off one credit card.
I'm slowly getting there. I didn't make one major payment this month and got everything caught up. I'm having major problems with my financial service that holds my IRA. I cannot get my tax information online and I want my taxes done and my refund back. I'm just angry enough at this company that if this is not resolved today or tomorrow, I will look at pulling my money and putting it somewhere else that has a web site that works.

But, I was able to, this month, make a dent in debt which is what I want to do. No, it doesn't help the refrigerator manufacturers or the local bookstores, but I have to get things under control. I still don't know what it is that I do wrong and it makes me feel really stupid when I can't figure out why things don't balance.

Pay for everything with cash.
Success. It helps not to have cash and to know that you have only $6 to use for the month. You cut your wants down to needs and then to absolute needs and then to life or death needs.

Don't get down on myself.
Sort of successful. I have always been my worst critic and even though I had years of therapy, I still find that voice is extremely hard to turn off.

So there have been successes and there have been non-successes. I'm not calling them failures because of the negative connotations associated with the word "fail". There's always this month to pick up where I left off and "Ease on down, ease on down the road".

Beverage: China Black tea

Deb