THE CALENDAR HAS FLIPPED

Two days into 2016 and I’m already wondering where the time has gone. The last of 2015 was spent as it always is, comfortingly, with our friends Rick and Gay Kirkton. This must be the 20th or more such new year we’ve seen in together. I hope we’re still maintaining that tradition 20 years from now.

A few observations for January:

-- Here in central Indiana, we haven’t yet had any snow accumulation or even a covering. Yesterday saw the first truly winter-like temperatures we’ve registered and those continue today, although softened by a bright, blue sky and full sun. The grass is, oddly, Irish green.
Brian thinks we’ll skip a cold winter. I say the jury is out and we could still get piles of the while stuff.

But, spring is, after all, month after next!

-- I still depend on a paper calendar / planner that I tote around to record appointments but Brian has largely switched to his iPhone for such things. He was pleasantly surprised to get a paper calendar in the mail Thursday from Kris Gaza at Fishers Junior High. The calendar bonus is that it is filled with photos of staffers of which Brian is so fond. The calendar is now in his “man attic” where he will reference it throughout the months ahead.

-- January is never a calm, quiet month after the holiday rush. I’ve got a Her magazine for women to put together, coming out as a print insert in The Courier-Times on Sunday, Jan. 31. And, we have our annual HOPE edition to print and gather special stories for in the next couple weeks in addition to the regular routine (if there is a regular routine in newspapering).

-- I have to pay the Indiana sales tax on my little business by the end of the month. This was a real learning experience for me last year, navigating a merchants’ certificate and paying tax. For some reason, I thought I could pay it along with our state and federal tax bill. Not. Hopefully the process will go smoother this year.

-- Speaking of taxes, our long-time tax lady has retired and we’ve got a new one. This will be another learning curve, not only working with a new tax preparer but seeing what’s what on Brian's retirement-related tax implications.

-- January is usually when we finalize our annual “major” household project. This year it’s carpet for the family and master bedrooms. The carpeting is in and now we’re waiting on the installer for a date. We’ll be shifting our Stonehenge-like furnishings back and forth as Brian and I are doing all the moving of objects. But it will be fun to have new carpeting after 12 years with the old.

-- Also this month I have a goal of finally (I know, this should have been done a long time back) moving all the STUFF out of Ben’s closet to the attic. Stored are things that at 24, he’s too old to want out (high school trophies, college-related mishmash) but too young to think he’ll care about again and thus assume possession of at his apartment. Besides, why drag it down there only to move it heaven only knows how many more times? So it will be loaded in totes and hauled to the attic.

The space will become my writing closet with books and newspaper-related storage.

-- At the end of the month, I’m getting away for a weekend with the lovely ladies of my church for a weekend all-women's retreat at Upland at the retreat center. It’s an affordable time of renewal and fellowship and assuming we’re not snowbound, a perfect time to get away.

-- Bible Study Fellowship as well as the Midlife Moms meetings resume this month. And, both will be distrupted next week when I get my first routine colonoscopy. Will be nice to have that behind me.

So now that I have a general plan for the rest of the month, I’d best get started, and that means it’s time for my daily walk around the neighborhood. It’s free. It's exercise. It's good.

What’s on your calendar?