December 2018 No Resolutions

Today I am reviewing what went right and what went wrong in 2018. One thing is for certain, my resolutions were a bust. I've decided to make no actual resolutions for 2019 -- more of just focusing on what needs to happen in a given day/week/month.

There have been some successes that arose out of difficulty. I lost my snow removal service before the winter was over. And even more devastating, I lost my landscaping guy I've depended on for many years. I actually fell into a sort of depression over this. It was tough thinking about how I would deal with my large, demanding yard. The good that came from this is my taking new ownership of things in my yard. I spent a good deal of the summer planting new things and tweaking my new drip irrigation system to deliver water just where needed. In the final tally, I saved a significant amount of water and managed to keep things alive for the most part. I lost some patches of thyme, though I don't know why. But it felt good to get down to a micro level of managing my water usage in the yard and to do so well in the first year. I will do less new planting this year, but will continue to tweak the system.

I also began mowing my own lawn again after a number of years. And I found with my electric mower, it was a much easier task than with the old gas monster. By July I had hired a guy and his nephew to mow every two weeks for me. But, I may try to mow through the entire summer this year. As long as I start early in the morning, I can handle the heat. And, incidentally, so far this winter, I am shoveling snow and managing just fine with some occasional neighborly help.

My summer of music with the grandkids was a success that keeps on giving. The boys really love their new-found skills and continue to build on them.

Also on the plus side, I began receiving some withdrawals from my 401k and IRA accounts. I was able to give each of my kids significant financial gifts this year. It was a time when they each could really use the money for medical expenses, to pay off a down payment loan, to pay off a student loan, to help with moving expenses. I know they would have worked things out without my help, but it pleased me greatly to help them and share what I have.

On the downside this year, I've done some backsliding in my indoor projects and I'v failed to lose weight and get more fit. I also did not get the cataract surgery as I was thinking. However, I can tell now one of my eyes is getting noticeably worse, and I'll be doing that soon, I'm sure. Also on the downside, I have done little birding and no painting this year. I have put my own fun on the backburner while helping out family members in need. I really need to find more of a balance.

Also in the negative column, though definitely not my fault, this fall and winter have brought the most devastating invasion of gophers I've ever had. I've been fighting them with smoke bombs, poison pellets, even cayenne pepper, with only marginal success. They have mostly been tearing up lawn areas. However, to make lemonade out of the damage from those little bastards, I've decided to remove grass in those areas.

I'm not going to reseed the grass on that steep back hill that is now pockmarked with piles of dirt. Having grass on that hill was always a bad idea. My plan now is to remove the remaining grass, haul in some dirt and mulch, and plant striped vinca vines like I have on my front rock wall. It spreads fast and looks thick and nice. This will give me an opportunity to extend my drip irrigation to the three trees on that hill. All other trees in the yard get drip, but those trees are still getting overhead spray. I can convert the existing overhead to drip for the vines and extend the larger tree lines that are already in place for the other trees in the yard.

In the front yard, the gophers have attacked two areas that are very hard to mow. In both cases, I believe I'll just remove the remaining grass and extend the area that is already just mulch and low water plantings with drip irrigation. In one area next to my neighbors house, I won't plant anything, just add landscape fabric and bark mulch as the area is not visible from any angle. This will reduce the amount of grass I am watering and mowing, which is certainly a plus for me. These projects will require some help with heavy lifting. I'll find someone.

In the coming year, without the big picture goals of resolutions, I will zero in more on keeping up with house and yard maintenance and remembering to have a little fun. And personal maintenance and improvement as well. Gotta get those eyes fixed, and focus on maintaining the good health I've been so fortunate to enjoy. And lose some weight.

And one important thing this year, as I maintain yard and house, I want to look toward getting my house ready to sell, as that becomes more of a possibility as I age. I have had a long-standing practice of doing an "emphasis" room each week, which has meant do the extras, like a spring cleaning and updates, for that room. This year, as each emphasis room comes up, I want to look at the room through the eyes of buyers and try to do what's necessary to make my house more attractive and sellable. I don't necessarily plan to move anytime soon. But I know the time is coming when I should sensibly find a place without stairs and with a smaller yard. This will be on my mind this year.

Okay, so every year has its successes and failures. 2018 was no different. And I can expect some of the same for 2019. There will be disappointments, failures, and challenges. All I can do is meet them with good old-fashioned problem-solving skills, hard work, and remembering to take care of myself. And remembering to savor the successes, too.