Bienvenida a 2016!

2016 is here, and I’m determined to have a productive year! (Remind me of that in March or September if I’ve gotten off track!)

I have lots of things on my plate so it will be interesting to see what survives or at least what I manage to do consistently.

Without further delay, let’s jump into some of those things:

• To start, I’m participating in Apartment Therapy’s The Cure, which is basically a way to get your house in order during the month of January. My first task is 75% complete. It’s to clean all the floors. I’ve done all the vacuuming, now to the scrubbing. (Can you tell I’m thrilled?)
• I’ve also decided I want to consistently art journal this year. Last year I purchased No Excuses Art Journaling. I loved the ideas and suggestions, but never managed to implement them for more than a couple of days in a row. Here’s a link to Gina’s website if your interested.
• I just set-up my 2016 Reading Challenge on Goodreads. I kept it the same as last year: 75 books. I didn’t make my goal in 2015—I was 5 books shy—so I’m going to try and do better in 2016.
• I’d also like to get back to writing more consistently. Do you hear that Ms. Muse?? Thanks to my friend Dawn, I’ve ordered 2 writing books to improve my craft and get me free writing. The books are Now Write!: Fiction Writing Exercises from Today’s Best Writers and Teachers and Spellbinding Sentences: A Writer’s Guide to Achieving Excellence and Captivating Readers
• On the health and fitness front, I’ve set some lofty goals. I’d like to train for and run a half marathon this spring/early summer. If my knee can take that training, I’m going to try for a fall marathon. I’m not excited about training in the heat of summer, but with any luck, I will get a lot of biking in, which should help.
• If you noticed the title of my post, I’ve been learning Spanish. It’s come in handy in my job. I plan to continue with my studies and hopefully can be fluent (well, as fluent as an American living in the US can be!)
• And speaking of studies, I’m all set to start grad school in March. I will be registering for classes at some point this month. Mercyhurst University best look out!

I’ve probably overlooked a goal, but right now, I’m drawing a blank. Willow (the ever grumpy cat who doesn’t like being photographed) and I wish you a healthy and happy New Year! May you get to read, write, and relax until your heart’s content!