Joy Full and Filling

Being a Type A, INTJ, 1W9, etc., I really like lists, and checking things off my lists, and adding things to my list so that I can check them off.

So here we are, nearing the middle of the year! Time to check on my 17 Resolutions in ’17:

1. Start a new job! ✔️
2. Knock the socks off of my new job ✔️ in-progress 🙂
3. Read 30 books. 14-almost-15 – on track to meet my goal
4. Plan at least one big trip with my mom ✔️ Cruise!
5. Go on at least one camping trip with my family summer’s coming!
6. Go to six parks in Ohio to hike with the kids Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Cleveland Metroparks Rocky River Nature Center, Copley Community Park – on track to meet this one
7. Get away for at least one weekend with Brandon ✔️ Bourbon Trail, Louisville, KY
8. Celebrate Brandon turning 40 ✔️ See #7 🙂
9. Visit one state I’ve never been to before No plans yet… gotta get to steppin’.
10. Spend time with friends. In January I started meeting monthly with a book club of women. Yay for organized activities! And wine! And books!
11. Take more walks in-progress
12. Retreat to write for a day or night every quarter or so Hasn’t happened yet, but there’s still six months in the year.
13. Attend AWP in DC (yay!) X boo – just didn’t work out this year.
14. Write a(nother) book. Sure, why not, I can write a whole book in one year, even if the first one isn’t published. Aim high, baby! in-progress! Due November 2017 to the publisher! OMG!
15. Write ten new poems to weave into a second collection of poems 1 down, 9 to go
16. In 2016 I sought to blog once a week. This didn’t happen, but I did manage 19 posts here and 25 over on Off the Page. In 2017, I’m aiming to write two times a month here and at least once a month for Off the Page. Woefully behind on this goal, but my time for writing has been eaten by the family devotional. Happily devoured, really. I see many more blogs post-November 1.
17. Plant a garden in-progress – garden bed is nearly prepared and nearly ready for plants – seedlings are sprouted and begging to be planted.

I see five checkmarks… not too shabby!

Life is full right now, with softball and baseball, work and writing, gardening and grandparents – I’d say we’re busy, but it doesn’t feel like busy. It’s cup runneth over stuff, the kinds of days that make you ache in body and sigh in spirit as you snuggle up with a cup of something soothing, exhausted and satisfied. Full. Joy full.

I’ll take these days any day, every day, all day.

Ice cream treat for good behavior

Softball

Lydia’s Birthday

Tony and Brandon making their getaway

Louisville, KY

Mom/Daughter Cruise!

Celebrating my husband turning 40

Easter Best with my Easter best

Mother’s Day

Summer unfurling

Woodford Reserve