January 2025 Comes to an End

January 2025 comes to an end, and I am thrilled to have met my own goals of staying off social media (less scrolling time), being more consistent with reading, exercise, time better well spent overall.  Although there is more wiggle room to become better at avoiding morning procrastination (winter cold weather can do that to a person).

Winter time gives us zero harvest from the outside world.   We lack a greenhouse.  However, I purchased a cilantro plant for indoor growing.  We are praying we have the funds to fence the other garden, and have been working on a garden plan.  I have toyed with the idea of not growing one, but that thought quickly dissipated.  Our health is important, and I'd miss all that garden goodness.

There is nothing better than to take a red sharpie, and cross off to-do's that have lingered on the list for almost a year.

Do you ever finish a job, and then go back and look at it over and over and smile?  Ha ha!  I finally got the under-sink mats cut and installed in our master bathroom.  It came up on my list over and over, and days would fly by, and it remained on the list. Hence, cutting down the to-do list in January.  The less I had on the list, the easier it was to get them done.   

The job took me about 45 minutes to an hour.  It required taking everything out of the cabinets, sorting and tossing any expired items, washing the cupboards, and finally cutting the "under sink" mats (which are waterproof) and installing them.  A bottle of shampoo or something soap related had spilled under a storage drawer unit, and we didn't even know until I took everything out.  That took the most time to clean up. 

I have to admit, it looks so much better, and I feel better to have crossed that (along with other jobs) off of the list for January.

There has been a lot of joy this month.  Oh, we had glitches, but we plowed thru them.   We have a lot to be thankful for.  I am much better at looking for/finding the joy in every day (even in mundane chores/to-do's), and January did not go buy without noticing.  In the past, days were just about getting thru them.

My hamstring injury is almost completely healed.  I am thrilled to say I am back to wearing my own insulated muck boots again.  Back story on that - when I went to take the right boot off, it would cause excruciating pain up my entire leg (hamstring).  No more sailing over an open dishwasher door. 

Thank you for the prayers in regards to my hamstring healing, and also for our January doctor appointments.  We both have follow appointments in early February now.  I had to stop taking the medication they gave me for my leg (anti-inflammatory medication), as it was causing bad side effects.  I resorted to an anti-inflammatory diet and stretching.  By the way Youtube videos, and stretching moves from a daughter worked better than the one stretch my family doctor gave me.

As for our follow-ups, it's routine, but I am praying for good blood work results, good results overall, and that we just keep doing the best we can with real food, exercise, a good night's sleep, and the like.

In light of my recent hamstring incident, I have decided to keep my floor stretch exercises included in my exercise routine.  The older we get the more flexibility we need I guess.  

Betsy at The Simple Life of a Queen, reminded me to slow down, and I am forever thankful for that.  I have more crossed off the to-do list this month than I did in the last two months, and it was from not being in a frenzy every single day (in a hurry to get it ALL done in a day).

Tomorrow starts a new month, a new plan, new goals, continued plans, and living life to the fullest.  There may be another puzzle involved too, ha ha! 

Here's to new adventures, new exciting discoveries, goals met, and more.  

"Whenever my busy thoughts were out of control, the soothing comfort of your presence calmed me down and overwhelmed me with delight."  Psalm 94:19 TPT (from 180 Devotions for Your Best Day, Encouragement and Inspiration for Woman).

January 2025 Comes to an End  © January 2025 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart