Friday 26th November: Taking Stock

Taking stock  on my birthday ... an overview of life on completing another year around the sun.

Making ... good progress on decluttering all the unwanted items. I won't meet my target date of December 1st but I'm so close to disposing of everything that I'm not too worried. I'm not setting a new target date just yet but it's likely to run into January.

Cooking ... lots of new-to-me recipes. Over the last year I seem to have veered more towards vegetarian and vegan recipes, not for any ethical reason but because they seem to suit me and I enjoy them. I still eat poultry and fish but that's restricted to maybe three or four meals out of the twenty-one meals I eat every week. 

Drinking ... water or herbal teas. Coffee is no longer an option since eliminating it as part of the 21 day healthy eating and weight loss programme and I haven't decided yet whether I want to try to reintroduce it. I take daily medication for hypertension so really, coffee should be avoided.

Learning ... to speak Italian and to play the piano. I've been using The Duolingo free app for the Italian but it doesn't really provide the opportunities for conversation that I want, so one of my goals as I head into my 66th year is to find an opportunity for Italian conversation locally. The piano playing is going well, much better than I was expecting. I was lucky enough to find the perfect teacher for me and I've made significant progress since starting the lessons ... to the point where I'm considering taking piano exams, something I never thought I'd say!

Reading ... my love of reading has returned and I'm back to devouring novels again ... crime, mysteries and thrillers are still my preferred genres. I've been doing quite a lot of reading during the afternoons and have rearranged my night time routine so I now read for an hour in bed before switching off the light.

Wanting ... I'm lucky enough to be able to say that there isn't really anything I want in terms of material things (except a replacement piano, but you get what I'm trying to say!). All I really want for my next year of life is to be able to spent more time in the company of family and friends.

Looking ... for possible holiday locations in the UK for summer 2022. I haven't decided yet whether I want one long holiday or a few short breaks, and I suppose that decision depends on my chosen destination(s).

Playing ... mostly piano or flute. I haven't played brass or clarinet for ages and haven't missed the experience so it's probably time to decide what to do with the instruments. They need to be played so if I'm no longer interested in doing that, then maybe I should sell them.

Deciding ... that from now on I will be going out and socialising more. I have my booster jab tomorrow and as soon as that has had time to start working I will look at adding some dates to the diary. Of course, this all depends on Covid numbers locally (still really high) and on being able to meet up with people or enjoy solo adventures in a way that feels safe to me. 

Wishing ... for a mild winter, though I think I may be unlucky this time!

Enjoying ... how everyday life has settled into an easy routine. The lockdowns have made me slow down and appreciate the slower pace of life, something that's echoed by the majority of my friends.

Wondering ... whether I will need a knee replacement operation. My GP suggested this last time I saw him but he hasn't done a referral yet.

Loving ... life in general. My family and friends have survived their clashes with Covid and are all back to full health. I know we have been luckier than a lot of other people. 

Pondering ... what I want to do with/get out of the rest of my life. In one of the online classes we were asked to define what we saw as the purpose of our life. Some of the other participants knew straight away but I struggled with defining mine. 

Considering ... all things piano and trying to decide which model I will buy to replace my current one. I've set my budget and will have the finances in place by April 2022.

Watching ... my birthday present to myself is to restart the Disney+ subscription so I'll be catching up with films I missed when they were released. I'm not sure if they are all available on Disney+ but I want to watch the Marvel films in order of release.

Knowing ... that my focus for the next year of life needs to be on losing weight and increasing fitness levels. 

Thinking ... that life is good and I'm in a happy place!