The good news: I made it through the “Bomb Cyclone” mega storm, safe and sound, without injury or loss of power.

The bad news: The clean-up is a true nightmare! Snow is everywhere and drifting; multiple branches came down; and the extreme cold is truly arctic.

Over a foot of snow fell in my area and the winds are blowing and screeching like a hurricane even now. After multiple attempts to shovel, without much progress, we’ve decided to just stay inside for a while. I had so many fears of worst case scenarios, due to the unbelievable panic caused by the news and Weather Channel, but thank the Lord, it wasn’t unbearable. Scary, yes, but not even the worst winter storm I’ve ever seen.

Tomorrow is supposed to be the coldest day of the year, possibly on record, which makes the clean-up even more difficult. This has not been a good winter so far and I’m already over it!

Because I didn’t know if the power would turn off, I was hesitant to start any projects, so I just lazed around, did some reading, and had a little quiet fun while coloring. These freebie sheets are available at McDonald’s and intended for kids; however, I think they’re good for all ages.

Because the storm area is almost the entire East Coast, I’m sure a lot of my readers are also effected. I hope and pray all of you are okay and safe!

When it comes to resolutions, I have mixed feelings. Always made with good intentions, they can often be too difficult for me to follow long term or so vague that there’s no real direction. Instead of my typical ones like “Get Healthy” or “Lose Weight,” I want to commit to something important, something I have struggled with my entire life, and something I desperately need to change.

My New Year’s resolution is to eliminate toxic relationships.

There are a few people I deal with who consistently make me miserable. I dread interacting with them; I dread seeing their number on the caller ID; I dread their negativity; I dread their criticism; I just honestly can’t stand them!

Because I feel so close to my readers, I want to pour out each and every minuscule detail—not to attack these individuals, but because it’s so all-consuming and I love sharing my life and my thoughts with you guys. However, I recognize that it’s not my place to put other people’s private lives on display. I can say that one of these people is a relative, one is a neighbor, and the other is someone I’ve worked with. Beyond that, I’m hesitant to get more specific.

These three people have presented three totally different and unrelated sets of challenges. There has been endless anxiety, some tears, and a lot of frustration on my part, especially where a relative is concerned. After a lot of effort and disappointment and prayer, I realize that the situation is not healthy, it will not improve, and I don’t want to associate with any of them going forward.

Obviously, things don’t magically improve overnight, but I am trying to make concrete steps:

• With the relative – Not participating in her drama, letting her make her own life-altering mistakes, and no longer giving her money.
• With the co-worker – Finishing our last project and politely but firmly declining any future ones. Also, quitting a group we’re both in.
• With the neighbor – Cutting off communication and seriously contemplating a move. We started the process yesterday by looking at a few listings.

Life is too short to be swimming upstream. I don’t want to stress out about the height of a shrub. I don’t want to stay up until 4:00AM facing a 6:00AM deadline that someone else couldn’t be bothered to complete. And I definitely don’t want to be part of another person’s scams and schemes that always end in disaster.

I want to be healthy. I want to be happy. I want 2018 to be a time of growing, learning, and enjoying. I may continue to feel guilty anytime I say “no,” but I’m finally realizing that I have to say “yes” to myself first.

Did you make a resolution? If so, what was it?

Pets add a lot of joy to life, but grooming them sure does not. Recently, I was working on my Chihuahua’s nails and accidentally snagged the dremel in his long neck fur, resulting in a mishap that was very bad for both of us!  Ever since, he has been understandably scared whenever it’s time for a weekly nail trim. I don’t want Charlie to be fearful and certainly don’t want to rip his hair out again in the future, so I started looking for a device that would comfortably keep him in place during grooming. The Pet Pita solved our problem instantly.

Designed specifically to handle, medicate, groom, and carry cats and dogs, The Pet Pita is a convenient and affordable option. It can work in a variety of positions. What works best for us was placing Charlie’s legs into the front holes only which allowed him to remain seated on my lap during grooming.

What I loved: cute color combo of navy and orange, very thick cotton material that will stand up to the washing machine, really nice stitching that will not rip when you lift a pet and handle holes at the top are very helpful. The small size is pretty roomy for little dogs (Charlie is approximately 5 lbs).

After Charlie had his turn, Tommy was next up. My 4 month old kitten reluctantly agreed to participate and I did get a bit scratched in the process. Like most cats, he is very fussy when it comes to restraining. I think this could be really helpful for medicating an angry cat, provided there was a second person to assist. I definitely would’ve used it after Tommy’s surgery, to prevent him from licking the incision, if we’d had it back then.

The Pet Pita is available in two sizes and two colors that can accommodate large and small animals. To purchase one for your fur baby or to find more info, check out their website.

Since it’s supposed to be minus 6 degrees tonight—quite possibly the coldest New Year’s Eve ever—we’ve decided to stay home. Occasionally, we’ll attend a party or go to Boston to celebrate, but it’s just too cold to be venturing out. Nothing wrong with a quiet time at home, anyway.

On the menu is turkey subs, chips, peanut butter cookies and vanilla ice cream. (Yep, we’re having a pig out before I start my New Year diet!) Entertainment will be Stranger Things Season Two and the ball drop in Times Square, of course.

When I was younger, I had no trouble staying up because I’ve always been a night owl. I’d watch Dick Clark’s Rockin’ Eve habitually, including the after-hours dance party until 2:00AM and still keep going! Now, I nod off on the couch around 9:00PM; what an old lady, huh?

Here’s hoping 2018 is a year filled with health, happiness, and prosperity for all. Happy New Year, everyone!

How are you celebrating tonight?