Friday, January 1, 2016

Time to Turn the Page, sorry Bob but I'm stealing your title...

January 1.
New Refrigerator Calendar day.

I have been transcribing birthdays, anniversaries and early year appointments onto my new calendar and made an earth shattering conclusion.
My previous year calendar is the BEST JOURNAL I have ever kept.
While searching each month for important dates I need to keep, I discovered that I had:
8 non-work events with work people
14 scheduled events with friends
4 planned winery dates
6 haircuts
3 vacations
3 separate boat events, not counting boat related vacations
7! television events (Madmen, Walking Dead and Sharknado related)
12 scheduled family events
and WAY too many dentist appointments
and these are just the ones that made it on the page.

I have attempted to keep a journal from the age of 10 when I received my first awesome, pink diary with that tiny metal key which really didn't keep anything private. I would write meaningful entries and lock them away for reading on a rainy day at which point I felt embarrassed at how dramatic I was and never wrote another word until I received a new awesome pink diary with tiny metal key.

In junior high I had a teacher who made us 'journal' once a week. These always wound up being uber-angsty treatises on life, politics, love. As per usual, I was severely embarrassed by these entries, even though a couple received critical acclaim from Mr. Pillman.
Loved the teacher. Hated the journaling.
Pretty ironic for someone who wanted to be a journalist.

I no longer attempt to keep a journal and now I understand that I do not need to. My refrigerator calendar takes care of it for me. Looking back through the months I am reminded of fun times, sad times, cancelled plans and impromptu dates. I was probably most surprised by the number of non-work-work events. But then, when I think about it, I spend an equal number of waking hours in the week with my work family and my real family.

My calendar for 2015 was a gift from my husband, who created it from our favorite pictures from our first Caribbean vacation. The pictures reminded me daily of how wonderful life can be. It's own little journal! It is really difficult to put a close to this calendar.

My 2016 calendar is a generic Island edition. Which, while not as personal, is just as inspiring,but for different reasons. Rather than looking back it will force me to look ahead to upcoming adventures.
Which from the looks of those blank pages will be limitless!

Happy Happy New Year to All from the Coast of Illinois
Catamarans just waiting to throw me into the ocean.
And of course, I am making no actual resolutions. I am making a COMMITMENT to get Tales of the Caribbean written and then posting each Wednesday until I run out of material at which point we will have to return to the Caribbean on more fact finding adventures. I promise!

12 comments:

  1. Sharknado! I hope 2016 is filled with equally exciting events (and vacations and such).

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    1. I hear there will be a new Sharknado in 2016!! How could there not be!!

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  2. What a great way to capture the year.
    Happy New Year Laura!

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    1. Thank you Nancy! Setting up the new calendar is one of my favorite tasks. So much possibility!

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  3. Can't wait to see how you fill those pages in 2016! And I'm now off to listen to the Bob Seger song ...

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    1. I love the clean blank squares and always start out with a color coded system...of course, that usually only lasts about a month and a half.

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  4. Love reading your blogs!! I felt the same way when I went through my old calendar and wrote all the birthdays and anniversaries into the new calendar. i am sure Gail thought I was crazy when she gave it to me and I was so excited!! I save all my old calendars, thinking that when I die my kids will love looking through them to see what happened throughout my life. I am sure they will be thrown into the trash without a thought!!

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    1. Lol! It is fun to look back at years past, especially if you are like me and write in a self invented short hand!! And THANK YOU for reading my blog. I absolutely love that I actually know one of my fans!!

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  5. I often reflect back on my calendar so I can relive some wonderful memories. I can also see just how busy I was and what I accomplished! Additionally it makes a great reference for tax purposes! Its a road map of the year prior. Incidentally I have an electronic calendar in my computer. I seem to lose every list I write down!

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    1. Suzanne - I can't even begin to imagine the fabulous entries on your calendar!!

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  6. I've switched over to using the iPhone calendar but you are tempting me to go back to a wall calendar.

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    1. I do use my IPhone calendar but I just don't trust it!!

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