Dear Friend:

Good morning sunshine!
Hope this finds you well! It’s a quiet and very chilly Sunday morning here, and today is also the last day of our vacation. I am rested and happy!

This holiday Michael and I took an official stay-cation! A full two weeks off, with essentially no plans. I just woke up every morning and said what do we want to do today? The last time I did this was Christmas 1980!

Just being home for two weeks as a concept, feels kinds of archaic doesn’t it? When I tell folks we took two weeks off , I know they will all ask “what did you do?” “where did you go?”. Nothing. Nowhere. I listened to my dogs snore.

But truth be told, some part of me started to feel a little tiny bit guilty so, I decided to create some resolutions; you know a few good tasks to set myself up for in 2020. I grabbed a pen and jotted down:

• Reduce weekly screen time
• Update Web Page
• Focus FB and Instagram posts toward new web content

I looked at my notes and thought holy cow, 1980 Andrea would not even know what a single thing on this list meant. So, I decided to toss that list aside, and try one that 9-year old Andrea could have read and understood:

• Start a gratitude journal (this is easy – I am grateful for so much!)
• Training for my second half-marathon this spring (9 year old me would be impressed)
• Spend more time on the couch (no, I am not kidding)
• Eat more junk food (ha ha, yes, I am kidding, I’m all kinds of good there….)
• Cut back sugar (yep I need that one – 9 year old me would NOT be impressed)
• Create recipes for July and October NC classes

What’s interesting about this round of “resolutions’ is that they all are technically self-care focused, not task focused. Rather than “to do’s” these are more about making a point to find time for these things. I like that a lot better.

And, that’s what I really want for 2020. I resolve to make more me time. To take things a touch more slowly. To make this a year of finding time for the things that soothe the mind, body and soul and which bring joy and pride. Find time for experiences that fulfill without much in the way of cost or travel.

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Gratitude: the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness – I like that for a 2020 mantra!

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My recipe this month is for something soul soothing, comforting and classic, and slow.

There is nothing more self-indulgent than a recipe that takes two days! This is my formula for Chicken Soup. A recipe 1980 me would love as much as 2020 me does. I hope you can take a weekend this month to make a pot of soup, unplug the phone and turn off the computer. Just settle in, and maybe create some goals for this year that are relaxed, and kind for you. You deserve it.

Gratitude Journal Day One:

I am grateful for homemade chicken soup
I am grateful for you

Much love, Andrea

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