New Year - grace grits and gardening

saying goodbye to Christmas

January 7, 2015 By Talya Tate Boerner

Confession. I enjoy putting away my Christmas decorations as much as I enjoy bringing them out of storage. Possibly even more. Soon after Santa visits, the tinsel begins to look tired. Decorations turn to clutter. This downward spiral happens quickly for me. By New Year’s night, I’m done.

On January 2, John and I removed the ornaments from the tree. This part is a bit nostalgic. We take a little extra time to reminisce over favorites—every ornament has a story.

Each year, I consider leaving out certain decorations for a few more weeks—those that lean toward winter rather than Christmas. Going from decorated to bare can be jarring, even for me.

This year I left out two snowmen related things. And what happened? We immediately received a dusting of snow. I’m not taking credit, but sort of I am. I also left glittery stars hanging from white branches in a vase. This was a complete oversight, but I’m okay with the stars for a while.

Our fir tree is now laying out on the curb in the frigid cold. From the front porch, I can still see a few sparkly icicles. It was a great tree.

The clean house feels a bit empty. After the holidays, there are always blank spaces that make me wonder what was there before Christmas? And since we haven’t been in this house all that long, I’m really having that problem this year.

In an attempt to add life back into the house, I snagged up this small houseplant at Lowe’s. At $4.99 on the clearance aisle, it was the only after Christmas sale item I bought anywhere:)

So how about you? How are you doing this first week of 2015?

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

Musical Pairing:

Muddy Waters – Cold Weather Blues

January Focus

January 5, 2015 By Talya Tate Boerner

January is the month to focus on starting projects, new beginnings, planning, cleaning, organizing. It’s a great month to buy a steam mop—yes it is—because Lucy and Annabelle constantly track up the kitchen floor. Since my My One Little Word for 2015 is Focus, I’m focusing on specific January goals.

In January, I plan to focus on my health. For whatever reason, the last three months of 2014 were a bit sickly for me. A constant cough drained my energy. Bronchitis held on for weeks. Now I’m headed back to yoga. My goal is 4-5 times per week. Help me stick to it—ask me if I’ve done my yoga. Please. And I plan to eat more mindfully and drink more water and green tea. And take a multi-vitamin. I’m not very disciplined about taking vitamins.

In January, I plan to focus on our yard. We have a new fence to contain the curious schnauzers. The fence was a Christmas gift to ourselves. Although it will be too cold and wet to plant much of anything, I can dream and read and plan. I want to build a compost too. Maybe behind the garage.

In January, I will focus on editing my manuscript (as soon as I receive it back from my editor). This may be more of a February goal, but my mind is forever thinking about this. I’m editing a few short stories that need attention too.

In January, I will focus on organizing photos. My friend, Beth, shared her photo solution using thislife.com, and I plan to explore it further. My photos are out of control.

What will you focus on in January?

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

Musical Pairing:

Van Morrison – Brand New Day

My One Little Word for 2015

January 1, 2015 By Talya Tate Boerner

After considering three possibilities for my 2015 One Little Word, I focused in on one. Focus.

2015 will be my year of focus.

The new year brings a clean slate, and oh how I love clean. An ending. A fresh beginning. A chance to continue the progress already made. A new year where amazing things can and often happen.

2014 was a year of change. A year of believing things could change and making purposeful, positive change happen.

Now I plan to focus.

Primarily on my writing.

I’m ready. I can taste it. I want to sit at my desk and write for weeks and weeks uninterrupted. Guzzling coffee. Forgetting to eat. Totally absorbed. That’s the focus I can feel building beneath my skin.

Soon I’ll be making final-final edits on my manuscript (fingers crossed and knock-on-wood). I’m dreaming of that last mile, a completed project. Visualizing a book in my hands.

And I have other unfinished manuscripts hidden in the cloud. Short stories that need attention.

In 2015, I will focus on the craft of writing. Words I’ve yet to write. Stories untold.

I want to be present. Attentive. Mindful.

I want to absorb my surroundings, the sights and sounds that translate into words.

Sense the organic.

Listen to the voice.

My voice.

And there are other things I plan to focus on in 2015. Like our yard. We have a new fence, and that’s a huge start.

Of course, I’ll still blog. But posts may be less frequent. After my daily writing.

I’m excited about 2015. Happy New Year!

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.