Time again... How Am I Doing? Part Five

This is my monthly assessment of how I am doing with my goals.  Instead of making New Years resolutions which would have been forgotten by now, I keep a monthly check on areas in my life I am trying to make changes.

One area is FINANCES which I seem to be doing fine in but there is always room for improvement.  I did my taxes and I have applied  some money towards my savings this month which I am happy about.  I have kept to my budget.  And I assess all the time which areas I seem to use too much money in and could do better... which is going out to lunch or dinner as a family.  We have done that three times this week alone, so I need to cut down on going out and eating at home more.  This month I plan to save some more and get my car oil changed because maintenance is money saving.

Another area is HOME WISE which is doing things to improve the house/ home.  February we changed the living room furniture.  Since March we have been working on the outside of the house in the yard and garden.  We have been recently edging and trimming the yard.  Kari has been mowing and keeping the lawn neat.  This month we will lay down bark.  We just got out the patio furniture and umbrella for the warm weather we have been having this week. 

I enjoy getting books to improve in this area.  I bought a Summer Book by Susan Branch in Sumner the last time we were there.  I have been looking at it for gardening ideas and planning what the summer could look like... such as BBQing etc.

The third area I have been working on is SPIRITUAL.  I have to admit that this area has been harder to work on.  You wouldn't think it so but I want to be totally honest here with you.  I have ideas on what I would like to be doing better and I feel I am lacking.  So I bought a book to do a bible study (Christian Living).  This one is by Joyce Meyers and it is called Changing Habits.  Rather appropriate for what I am trying to do here... and why I might not be reaching my goals completely.  Most of the time, we have something we must deal with in order to make a difference.  I have been soul searching.  I have recently changed churches too so that effects things some what.  And of course, going through a divorce kind of dings things up.  So this category will not be leaving my list too soon.

I added a fourth area, PERSONAL.  It is the area which is for "me".  I usually try to only work on three but I felt I needed to add this one for balance.  It is for health, clothes, hair, finding time for myself etc.  I have been keeping my doctor check ups.  I have been paying better attention to what I eat and must change some these things because of my blood pressure being a little high.  I have noticed when I go for walks, it goes down.  I am trying to drink less diet coke... and making sure I take my meds when I should (and not forgetting). 

In regards to clothes, I bought some new shoes, three new bras, and some jeans.  Maybe you heard about my recent trip to Kohl's?  I am thinning out my closet by getting rid of things I don't use, have replaced (bras) or don't like.  But best of all I am finding time to carve out for myself... to read a book I want to read for pleasure or go spend time walking around the bookstores exploring only topics I am interested in.  Seems easy enough?  Not really.  I can get into ruts.

This month I am going to finish one book and begin another.  Explore my soul again on the topics closest to my heart... my daughter thinks I should get out with a girlfriend one evening.  I might give that a try.

Well, that is my thoughts on my goal areas.  Again I would grade myself high with an A- with room for improvement.  Strongly grading with the idea of "moving forward" is always the main goal like the arrow above... hitting the target.

So Long Pastor Brett

Today we went to Riverview Community Church to give honor to Pastor Brett Hollis and his family.  He announced last September that he would be resigning this year before August 2013.  As time went on the church interviewed pastors.  Finally, Brett told the church his last day would be April 28th.  As it so happened, the new pastor was voted in by the church just yesterday on April 27th and will begin on June 1st.

Last December after attending the Christmas service at Real Life Church, Kari and I both felt that our time at RCC was over except for New Heart and the boys in Royal Rangers.  We were to finish the year but for a church to attend we were to begin at Real Life Church.  Real Life had just merged with another church and we were coming in at the beginning of the merge.  Even though there were things in place such as a kids ministry, the church is still in it's beginning stages.  It is appropriate that we say "so long" to Brett and RCC today because next week at RLC there is a Vision service at 6 pm.  On with the new...

Changes are unnerving and this is where "trusting God" comes in.  I know we didn't change churches because a new pastor was coming in... it is nice that the church is closer to home and being a part of the merge.  It isn't a part of my past (where there are memories with my ex husband).  In time, the reasons will be revealed but as for now we are just on the path we believe we are suppose to be on.  That is what the Hollis family is doing too.  God bless them on their next adventure in life.

Have a great week!

Port Townsend Part 2

After spending time walking around the Farmers Market on Saturday (around noon) we decided to drive through the town and look at our favorite old refurbished Victorian homes.  One of my favorite places to look at is Manresa Castle (I will post more on Victorian mansion turned into a hotel later).  Victorian Homes are so much a part of Port Townsend.  So is being “Green”.

Washington State is a very green state.  (Not just because we have the trees etc.)  One of the first things I noticed when I moved here 20 years ago is that they recycled more than California did at the time.  Now I wouldn’t throw a can or bottle away without having tremendous guilt.  I have learned what is on the “recycle” list and recycle everything I can at home. 

I noticed on one of the “home” shows there was a house that was being refurbished to sell and they were changing out their cabinets in the kitchen.  It happened to be in a house that the owners were from WA.  They mentioned on the show that WA refurbishes everything and they were giving the old cabinets to some place that needed cabinets as well as the old appliances.  I thought to myself “Why haven’t I heard that said before now on this program?”

To add to how “green” Port Townsend is… they don’t use plastic bags, and this was a new law in effect since last year.  HERE is an article I found about it. If you don’t have bag of your own to use, you may buy one for 5 cents each.  We ended up buying a couple just so we would have some because when we went to Safeway we needed to have them to carry the groceries in.  I have perfectly good material bags at home to carry groceries in… but I didn’t have them with me.  Besides, our county hasn’t changed to using all material bags.   But the law will be probably changing soon.  Kari and I quickly found out the importance of having our material bags with us.

We also discovered that the WA State Ferry system began using the dock in Port Townsend since we’ve been there last year.  The last time I heard they had a ferry in Port Townsend was in 2007.  I believe it was removed due to the state budget.  We decided that when we left we would take the ferry to get back to the “other side” of Puget Sound.  It would take a half hour to be on the ferry but we would dock at Whidbey Island.  Whidbey is close to Mt Vernon… well enough that I know how to get around etc.  We would get the chance to cross over Deception Pass and we could get the tulip fields that are in bloom at this time at the Tulip Festival.

Saturday we also walked around and shopped at the stores.  I bought a hat to wear when I walk around the neighborhood that would stay dry in the rain.  We found some magnets for our necklaces (a post about those later too.  Ideas for future posts).  Kari bought a silver ring with a pretty pinkish stone. 

In between these events we kept going out to the beach and looking for sea glass.  Why Port Townsend for sea glass?  It is one of the best places in the area due to a dump which was into the Puget Sound off the cliff many, many, years ago.  Not very “green” then, huh?  Plus, the beach is rocky which is a naturally polishes the rocks and sea glass.  HERE is a blog post from another blogger who did the hike to Glass Beach justice.  However, we can get pieces before hiking out there when it rains or when the tide is too high.  No one wants to get pinned up between the water and the cliffs.  I have done the hike before… and it takes a while there and back.  I hurt and was sore for days from all the exercise.

I will leave you now til next time...