March? Already?

Norma is settled but not real happy in her new place at Atria.  Marianne is back from her annual cruise (even saying "annual cruise" makes me a little bit jealous).  Grades are done and turned in for the second trimester at school.  I'm nearly finished coughing from a nasty virus.  Mike retires in two weeks.  It's been a busy little time here in happy valley.  Too bad I still had time to read the paper, because following the legislature in their annual stupidfest was the last thing I needed to do while coping with the rest of all that.

Today is the first truly quiet day I've had since about December 31st.  That's when Norma got sick and ended up in the hospital.  After that all hell broke loose, as they say.  We're still mucking up some of the mess.  We have a house to finish clearing out so it can be put on the market.  We have some items of furniture to sell and other things to find homes for including many, many dolls and miniature tea sets. Clearing out that house has left me with a much longer list of New Year's Resolutions than I normally make (which is none, BTW).

1.  Never, EVER collect anything.  Just don't do it.  If you find you have more of something than you can remember, you have TOO MANY.  Time to stop amassing them.
2.  Value a good spouse over anything else in your life.  Keep him or her happy.  Give him back rubs and foot rubs.  Rub whatever it takes to get him or her to hang around.  A good spouse is priceless.
3.  Stop drinking wine before bedtime.  It will not help you sleep as much as it will upset your stomach.  Even a tiny little bit will upset your stomach because wine does not love you as much as you love it.
4.  Write down the awful, awkward, hurtful, and just plain hard things your parents do to you and plan to read those notes when you are in the same fix as they are now.  You may save your child some pain.
5.  Forgive everyone.  Someday they'll have to forgive you.
6.  Check before you buy a new toothbrush or bottle of aspirin.  You don't need 27 of these things hanging around.  No one needs 27 of them.  And no one wants the ones you have hiding in your bathroom cabinets.
7.  Figure out how to get around your city before someone has to take your car away from you.  Then thumb your nose at that person as you hop on the bus.
8.  Get help with your finances immediately if you find you can't balance your checkbook.  Believe your child or spouse when they tell you how much money you have and don't spend more.
9.  When the paramedics have to lift you from the floor to take you to the ER wearing dirty underwear trumps wearing no underwear.  Don't take it off if you can't replace it.
10. Tell the people you love often and soon that you value them.  Don't wait until it sounds like bribery.  You want them to know you love them before they are obliged to take care of you.

There are others, but ten will have to do.  I don't think I'll have much trouble following through on most of them.  Though I do have a few too many toothbrushes hanging around.