Positively Marlene – Welcome to a New Year!

Hi there to everyone who has taken the time to pick up a Seeker this month! Welcome to a New Year!

I had a wonderful holiday season with my family this Christmas, going a bit West to Osgood, then East to Alexandria to enjoy the season with two daughters and five grandsons! Many of us were hopeful that the twenties might be a reflection of the roaring twenties, but it’s more like a reflection of the Spanish Flu so far. This pandemic shows no sign of slowing down, but we can all do our part in keeping up with vaccinations and continuing to follow safe measures such as mask-wearing and social distancing. Having gotten that out of the way, we can look forward to 2022 with hope and optimism. Now that the days are getting longer again, we can look forward to spring and more daylight. In the meantime, get out there, try to enjoy the winter. Perhaps try cross-country skiing or show-shoeing. Many of the recreation trails are flattened by enough feet so that we can go for a walk just wearing warm boots on our feet. There are so many advantages of fresh air, we’ll sleep better, the exercise will do us good, and it’s a very safe environment as far as COVID is concerned. (unless you’re in a tightly packed group) You might even bring some sunflower seeds to feed to the chickadees, as they will eat right out of your hand if you are patient.

Tip of the Month:

Start the day by appreciating yourself in the mirror. Do you see little lines you never noticed before, or perhaps a grey hair or two? Appreciate them, because they are telling you you’ve lived this long and have a long way yet to go. Look in your eyes. See your soul. Are you happy with who you are? If not, change it. You are the only person alive in the universe with the power to do that. Do it. Love who you are. Did you do wrong to someone? Own up and apologize to them. Tomorrow’s gaze in the mirror will be nicer. Did you ignore an urge to contact someone? Call them. The next gaze in the mirror will also be better. Only you can do what makes you a more fulfilled and happy person. The new year can’t do it, but you can.

Item of the Month:

Once again, we have another original piece of artwork by the very talented Jason Sauve. This was a Christmas Gift for Johnny after he liked the first one so much! What will the new year bring? It brings what you bring. Sitting back and expecting things to happen is not the way to approach it, but make plans and see them through. Whether you’re doing major indoor renovations, or just reorganizing your underwear drawer, you can do something productive to improve your daily life. I always start my day by making the bed, that way I’ve already accomplished something of value before I even get downstairs. If we each do a few small positive improvements, it will add up. This can encompass physical exercise, changes to our diet, quitting smoking or alcohol, or any number of things. It might even be one cookie with your coffee instead of two, or one glass of wine instead of two. It could mean adding things too, new foods, perhaps new clothes, hair color, tattoos, whatever you choose to add. But I can guarantee that sitting around waiting for the new year to give you new things never works. The year isn’t a thing that can give. What will the year bring you? Exactly what you put into it for yourself. Let it bring you better health, a bit more wealth, more friends, more joy, the list is limitless, but it’s up to you to make it happen. A list of resolutions seldom works, but going ahead and trying new things might be a better approach. I plan on getting outside and walking, cycling, kayaking and more. I also plan on downsizing lots of my ‘stuff’ that I’ve collected over the years, by giving to charities and those in need. Johnny and I also plan to spend more time together. It’s so easy for long-term couples to fall into a routine where they ‘forget’ to really communicate, and we don’t want that to ever happen with us.

Fun Facts:

Did you know that the astronomer Sosigenes was responsible for creating the calendar? It consisted of 365 days, divided into months of 30 or 31 days. Sosigenes had been commissioned by Julius Caesar to create it. But as years went by, the calendar slowly slipped ahead of the sun’s movements and no longer remained accurate. In 1582, Pope Gregory VIII had the error fixed by creating a ‘leap year’ every fourth year. This brought the calendar perfectly in line with the solar changes and we are using this version today.

Family News:

January 12 is my daughter Victoria’s birthday and Jan 21 is my late twin Darlene’s 2nd daughter Miranda’s birthday. Victoria enjoys being a new mom to her five month old baby boy Hudson.

Business News:

The Seeker itself has a great deal on advertising, with lots of choices in ad size and placement. Reach the right people with your message by taking an ad in the Seeker.

Until Next Month:

Start the new year with courage. You may have been stuck in a dead-end job, or a dead-end relationship, or some other situation that hasn’t been beneficial for you. Get out! Arrange a new job, or take training so you can earn more. Leave that cheating, abusive or disinterested partner. These days, people stay in relationships because they can’t afford to live on their own, but there are ways to make this happen. Rent with a friend or two, or find a smaller apartment, or earn more money. There are always solutions that are much better than staying stuck. Make 2022 the year you break free from the mundane and make life exciting again!