Mary B Quiltin’

“Fast away the old year passes…”
I prefer setting goals to making resolutions. A good thing about goals is you have all year to work on them and have a record of what they are and how you’re doing. The bad thing about that is they stay right in front of you in black and white, even if you’re not doing so well. A major move and job loss last year threw a major wrench into my day to day life. My list of goals (made last January) reflects that. My “numbers” are way down for many of the things I track, including finished sewing projects. But the numbers don’t tell the whole story, either. One goal I should have made major progress on (and undoubtedly did,) was going through old boxes of stuff. Unfortunately, I was so busy sorting and tossing I neglected to count how many boxes actually got done.
So it’s time to reevaluate this year, just like every year. Are the things I’m tracking and setting goals for getting me closer to my life goals? Do I have life goals? Nothing worthwhile will just happen. That’s just as true for making a quilt, finishing a UFO, writing an article or book, cooking dinner, getting in better shape, or (fill in the blank.)
I need to put some fun goals into my list, as well. (Maybe instead of some of the items that I no longer want to track.) I have an aunt who has a written goal to put together so many puzzles every year and then get rid of most of them. I don’t think she really wants to get rid of most of her puzzles, though, because she keeps buying more, but that’s a fun goal for her. And it’s fun for me to help her with it.
“Hail the new year, lads and lasses…”
Happy New Year!!! Here we go into 2010, a new year, a new decade, another fresh start!
“To us and our good fortune
Be happy, be healthy, long life!
And if our good fortune never comes
Here’s to whatever comes, … to life!”*
I sometimes wonder who thought up the bright idea to start goals in the dead of winter, anyway?! But it is what it is. If I can get a decent start now, I’ll be ready to really roll by the time the warm, sunny Spring arrives.
“May you live to see a thousand reasons to rejoice!”*
Happy quilting!
—Mary Brown
*by Sheldon Harnick, lyricist, “To Life!” Fiddler on the Roof