A New Year.....2011. Here I come.

Few. The kids are back in school today. I love them to pieces but I am glad to get back to a schedule. I have thoroughly enjoyed waking up at 7:19 instead of 5 am every morning. Not sure why my body would wake up at that precise minute but it did. Anyways, today the house was stirring before the sun was and I was thankful. I miss my routine. 


     It is the new year and I love that. I have a whole year to learn something new and to become a better person. It always seems like so much time but it is always Christmas before you know it. Somehow time speeds up the older you get. Why is that when you want it to slow down more?


     2010 was more about me. It was about doing hard things to improve myself and push myself harder. To be honest, I am kind of sick of myself. I mean, we all need to work on ourselves, we need to get in shape, get our acts together, grow, learn, etc.... But sometimes I think we dwell so much on ourselves that we can't really look beyond. "Ourselves" can become a crutch. We can become absorbed in our own persons even if it is a healthy thing. My goal this year is to go beyond myself. Here is where I am coming from:


     A few weeks ago I noticed my neighbor who was working on their car for a few days. After about the 4th day, I went out and asked him what was wrong with the car and how they were doing. Chit chat. He told me he didn't really know but was trying to figure it out. He was no mechanic but funds were low and taking it to a shop was out of the question. I did the neighborly thing of telling him if they needed anything to let us know and went back in the house. I told my husband and he said to tell him he could use our extra truck as long as they needed it. Duh. Why didn't Ithink of that? My neighbor only had a truck other than the broken SUV and it was only a two seater. With a few kids, they couldn't even drive as a family in their truck. I went back out and told him he could use our truck anytime. He thanked me and I went on my way.


     He ended up fixing his car but a couple days later, I talked to his wife. She told me with tears in her eyes that offering us our truck to her meant so much to them. She said that people offer to help but we had offered something to them that they really needed at that time. She thanked me sincerely and I felt horrible. The reason is that I had watched her husband for 4 days work on this car. I knew he was out of a job for a while. I knew that they only had a small truck to drive. I knew that I had an extra vehicle but it didn't click. I could have offered help the first day. But, I didn't. I didn't see the whole picture. Better yet, I didn't try.


     My goal for 2011.....Pay attention, act, seek, listen. Be my brother's (or sister's) keeper , so to speak. This world isn't easy and times are hard. Many don't ask for help and their struggles aren't obvious. But, we need to get beyond ourselves and do more for those around us. It may be just listening. It may be a meal. But, I want to be in tuned enough to know what the needs are before I am asked or nudged to do so. I have had angels in my life when times were difficult. It may have even just been a phone call or smile but it was like they knew I needed it. I want to be that angel but I have a long way to go. Just taking care of my own family seems overwhelming at times but we need to go beyond. In turn, by focusing on others I will be making myself a better person also. That is always a goal.


     I hope you all have your goals set and I hope that every one of us can reach beyond ourselves this year. Maybe that is my slogan....Reach Beyond. 


     Now onto my next idea. In accordance with helping out our neighbors, I have thought of doing a new blog called the "Enlightened Homemaker's Trading Post". This would be for my AZ specific ladies at this time but it would be a place for you to offer up your trades. For instance; I would like to offer homemade, sprouted bread for farm fresh chicken eggs. You may want to offer up piano lessons for dance lessons, etc. If you have something to barter, this is the place. I would break up the trades in areas and you can look up your area or browse to others to see what the trades are. You email me your trade and you would get a direct email from someone wanting a trade. You then email me when you don't want to post it anymore or the trade has been filled. Make sense? If it doesn't fly, that's ok but I still want to trade eggs for bread. Hard to find good chicken eggs. Any takers? I want someone in Gilbert. 


    Next note, I am ordering supplements and oils on Wednesday so email asap. If you need an idea, try out some Elderberry Extract to boost your immune system. This is also a great time to start a liver cleanse or yeast cleanse to get the body a jump start for the new year. Just an idea! 


Happy New Year! It's going to be great.


P.S. Anyone want a cat? I have 3  4 month old kitties!