Sunday Salon - 1/5/14

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Life

Hello bloggies and welcome 2014!

I'm sad to see the holiday pass, but I'm... Well, I'm...

Hmmm, I don't want to sound like a Negative Nelly here, but I'm not really excited yet about the new year. Everyone is writing about how excited they are, and how they are looking forward. But, I'm struggling. I do realize that good things are to come in 2014, but some things are making me anxious as well... 

Work is a stressful place as management tries to "cut costs" by "centralizing" things. This will affect my job, we're just not sure how much.  No one is being very clear (or possibly honest) with staff. I realize that should motivate and inspire me, but right now it just leaves me stressed out.

Thankfully, my kitty has been fairly healthy this fall, but she is getting older and summers are hard on her. I read other bloggers posts about lost pets and can hardly breath for fear of losing her. I know, mentally, that I have no control. Nature is bound to be...and eventually it will occur. But I still struggle with it, trying daily to keep it positive and keep her healthy.

Anyway, I wish I could say I was all psyched about the upcoming year, but right now I'm just...waiting.

Cautiously waiting.

I'd like to talk about all the cool things I did over the holiday break, but the truth is Christmas Eve I felt that familiar sore throat tickle and, TWELVE DAYS later, I am still not over whatever cold/flu bug has infested my poor respiratory system. Seriously, this damn thing is holding on for dear life! Perhaps that is why I'm such a Debbie Downer? Twelve days of sickness and hanging out in bed will get to you, I suppose.

Well, on a positive note...  Christmas was nice despite illness, with lots of time spent with family. New Years Eve was a quiet evening spent at home with the hubby, a roaring fire and Chinese food. And the rest of the my vacation was spent in bed with tissues and some great books (and also a marathon catch up on Cougar Town, 25+ episodes). Can't really complain as that's really my favorite place to be.

And my vacation was supposed to be over on Thursday, but due to the foot and a half of snow we got, I got an extension of two days and the weekend, which was absolutely lovely! And very much needed given my health situation.  So, I guess when you think about it 2014 has be really good to me so far! HA!

Books and Blogging

I finished reading Five Days at Memorial on New Years Eve and intended to start reading a Netgalley YA book I got.  But I just could NOT wait to read my holiday gifts, which included Coreyography by Corey Feldman (which I powered through and was awesome) and my current read (a Secret Santa gift)  The Truth About Cruise Ships, which is an interesting read but clearly a small press release. More about this later.

I'm still working on Moby Dick, though I have to admit it's been slow going. But I am not giving up. 

I am not one for resolutions, since I have limited "follow through". My 2013 Challenge failures show this struggle.  But goals are not bad things and so I've renewed my Challenges for 2014 at the same level and expect to do much better this year, given my reduction in outside responsibilities.  And though I am not joining a Classics Challenge (which I know I would fail miserably), I am determined to increase my classics reading, even if it's just a book or two. 

So 2014 seems to be promising lots of awesome bookishness, reading and blogging fun. I choose to be excited and focused on those good things and let the other possibilities be what they are...

And now I've got to go blow my nose. Again!

How about you? What are you looking forward too, or not, this coming year?

Shannon