Hurtling is the word, dear friends, hurtling towards 2018. I’m reminded of how I felt several years ago during a five-day visit to New York City. We took the subway quite a bit, and the rushing by of the trains seemed a metaphor for now quickly our precious vacation time was passing. That image returns to me often: So much to do, so many goals to be accomplished, and so little time.
But once in awhile I step back and inhale loudly. I remind myself that what really counts is what I do today. If I keep doing a little bit consistently, the job will inevitably get done—unless it’s one of those tasks that keeps expanding (such as housework and laundry). Perhaps a good motto would be “go back and hit it again.” Work on something, get to a stopping point, take a break, and then return and do a little more.
It’s the old, old theme that I return to constantly: having a goal means nothing without continuing effort to meet it. Here are some of my goals for the remainder of the year:
1. Reaching my weight-loss goal—only about four pounds, but that small amount makes a big difference in how some of my clothes fit.
2. Editing all Christmas music posts and making them available as downloads on my website. (This task has been somewhat OBE’d, as any choir directors who would have been interested in the material should have had it long before now. But I can at least get all caught up and know that it’s ready for next year.)
3. Finishing up the Carmina Burana e-book and getting it up for sale after Jan. 1. I am waiting for permission from the publisher to use the lyrics and translation, so there’s not too much I can do here. The cover art needs to be finalized, though, so I can at least do that, plus getting Jim to import the book into Kindle and e-pub formats.
4. Memorizing the music for the Chorale’s Dec. 8 & 9 concert, so well before the end of the year. I’m actually well along on this one, having worked faithfully on an almost-daily basis. I’m still a ways from being able to sing the Beethoven “Gloria” up to speed, but I’m getting there. (Have you gotten your tickets yet if you live in the Denver area? Go here to do so if you haven’t!)
5. Getting the window cornices and sofa pillows finished for our living room/office. I’d like to have these all up and on display when my sister- and brother-in-law arrive for Christmas, around Dc. 22.
6. Planning the food for two big events on the same weekend and then actually making the stuff, as much ahead as possible so I’m not tearing my hair out.
7. Planning and executing the decorations and setup for one of the events above as my helper in this regard is proving to be a broken reed.
That’s at least a start. Now, I realize that a third-year medical resident who’s expecting a baby and arranging childcare for two toddlers and hosting a New Year’s party for 200 would find the above list pretty pathetic. (Actually, I have friends whose plates are just about that full—are you reading this, Nancy and Cindy?) But for me, with my limited stamina and coping skills, it’s quite enough to deal with.
Guess I’d better finish this up and get busy!