Let's see what high expectations I have for myself this year, and how many carry over from last year.

1. Respect myself, my achievements, and my goals as much as I expect other people to and ensure that respect or cut them loose.
2. Learn to play notes besides B, C, D, E, F, and G on the top two strings of the guitar.
3. Develop a plan to sell some of my craft artistry. Etsy didn't work for me last time, but we'll see what I can do, right?
4. Keep breaking unhealthy bonds with people who don't know how to be friends.
5. Be more consistent with my exercise routine.
6. Post to each of my blogs at least one a week. We know how well I do at this, don't we?
7. Tidy and organize my house so I spend less time cleaning and re-cleaning the same piles.
8. Eat less cookies and more healthy yummies.
9. Learn to accept praise. The goal is to say "thank you" even when I think they keep repeating the same pseudo compliments over and over. If they don't like it, at least they'll stop being pests.
10. Read my way through my backlog. That should keep me busy all year.

In honor of 2013, I think I shall add three more goals.

11. Watch less television. I should be able to do that since I watched every episode of Macgyver, The Unit, and various other shows last year, so I should be able to cut back.
12. Weed through my clothes. Sometimes, I really do need to admit I will never wear some of those gifts people gave me.
13. Actually succeed in giving away an incentive on my fiction blog. More people should follow that little gem. I have big plans and hopes for that baby this year.

Take a moment to ponder your own goals for the year. I'm off to evaluate my daily do's for the following year. Productivity while making time for loved ones is the theme of the year, my friends.

I've been working on my resolutions already. How can you tell? Check out the fiction blog or ask my fingers.

I picked up my guitar for the first and second time since before Thanksgiving. My brain retained the appropriate information, but my digits found this whole experience quite painful. Apparently, I do have muscles in my fingers. Who knew? Why didn't they tell me? I consider that more incentive not to be such a slacker. As if I needed more motivation than a desire not to cringe when I strum those strings.

I even took some time off from being a couch potato to poke around in my attic. I have plans to clean and reorganize that prime real estate. Every little pack rat has big dreams. Some want to be on hoarders. Others want to hide their funky collections of empty boxes from the world.

I hope the new year treats all my readers, current and former, with kindness and love. Keep on keeping on...

So I haven't written in a couple of weeks. Though my body keeps encouraging me to climb back into bed, I thought I would hurry up and jot some thoughts down for you, dear journal. My first thought: when I am sick, my brain processes the least useful information. For some reason, I noticed that if you just switch a couple letters around in smile you get slime. Now all of my fellow Ghostbusters fans know that you would rather get smiled at than slimed. Who wants to be covered In green goo? I don't. Just give me a smile any day.

In other realms of my mind I'm contemplating yet another revision to my masterpiece at the working on for a couple of years. I feel like I need more history of my characters to help my readers truly come to know them so that'll probably to be taking up a lot of my time in the next couple weeks. Of course, the other members of my writing group seem to feel I should write in first person point of view but that doesn't work for my story so we'll see what I end up doing.

Anyway, I know I should have something more entertaining to share with my readers this week but I don't think it's going to happen today, so go out and make your own smiles and I will type at you later.

Despite many years of taking the Sacrament, I still have to smoosh down a "thank you". The polite side of my psyche insists that I should express my gratitude. The wise side of my psyche reminds it that this will interrupt the silent contemplation of those around me, so I keep those two little words to myself. However, I am still grateful for the young men who strive to stay worthy so they can wear clean, white shirts and ties and pass the Sacrament for us. Consider this bit of rambling my appreciation for them. Not every boy accepts such a responsibility.

In other news, they have found me, and they are watching me. I turned around to say something to my father-in-law this afternoon and saw a familiar shape shadowed against the curtain. One of the kitties had jumped onto the ledge outside our window to peer in at the cat lady with the vacancy. They are coming to claim my heart and my servitude. Is there hope for me? Time will see.

As we had guests this weekend, I hid away my piles of paper and fabric so my in-laws wouldn't feel like something was about to jump out and smother them. This means that my multi-tasking has been limited to whatever I can do on my computer without getting annoyed that someone felt they needed to interrupt me. This means I finally skimmed through some articles from Writer's Digest. Hopefully, all that new information contributes to new and wonderful happenings to bring joy to myself and my readers. In other words, look for some actual excitement from the mind of Bella!

The last day of the month brings an unexpected array of things. A friend's mom passed away last night, so a certain sadness settles around my little world tonight. Aside from posting on my fiction blog, I lack anything to report besides sweet comments about the gym. Maybe one of these might cheer you up or disturb you.

The other day, I strolled around the track while I waited for my exercise buddy. I noticed an older gentleman behind me. Usually, everyone passes me due to my stubby little legs, but this guy never passed me. I didn't think much of it until I turned a corner and noted that he seemed to be running in place behind me. I am thinking that I should wear a longer t-shirt when I wear my yoga pants in public. Apparently, they make my sweet, sweet behind impossible to pass.

Also during this exquisite stroll, I noticed that a twenty-something guy was running all out on the treadmill, complete with labored breathing. When I came back around the track, he was standing off to one side of the belt, watching it spin. This continued for a little while. Then he disappeared. I figured he decided not to kill himself until I caught up to him, choked on his cologne, and still passed him. When I passed him the second time, he was breathing heavily. I think he may need to visit the gym more than me.

I believe I may have been traumatized by men on the treadmill though. The previous day, the guy next to me also suffered from heavy breathing. He also wrapped his hands around the control panel of the treadmill which made it look like he was doing something inappropriate. I know you have seen people this if you ever went to a gym.

I also got a little disturbed by a gentleman on the elliptical. He may have been singing along with his music, but it sounded like he was yelling at himself. I used all my self-control points not to listen too intently. Of course, his words may have added a little flavor to this post.

Please exercise responsibly, so other people won't worry about you.