I love what this picture says. March is chapter 3 out of 12. In looking back over the 1st two chapters, are you happy with what you have accomplished? Have there been goals that you have met with smashing success or ones that have fallen by the wayside? For me, both have occurred. January was a wildly successful month. February, at first glance, look a bit dismal, but after a deeper dive, I achieved other things not on my list, so all was not lost. However, March is here, and I have lots I need to accomplish. First, let’s see how February played out.
February Goals
- Start weight watchers again. I need help in dropping this weight that I gained while injured and find this program to be the most helpful.- DONE
- Start planning Robbie’s graduation party.- DONE
- 30 mins, three times a week on SEO.- NO
- Make the dermatology appointment.-NO
- Come up with a savings plan with Robbie.-NO
- Schedule posts for when I am on vacation.-NO
- Try three new recipes.- NO
- Read three books.-DONE
Three out of eight goals accomplished. On the face of it, it was a terrible month, but then I looked through my notebook full of 2020 goals and saw progress in other areas.
- Ran a 10k and 1/2 marathon.
- Signed up for a race in a location I have never raced before.
- Increased my numbers on all social media platforms for my blog.
- Renewed the boys’ passports.
- Ran 70 miles this month.
So, what will March look like? A big focus will be my blog. I have been blogging for a year now. I have learned a lot in the past year, but there is still plenty to learn and do. Here are my goals for March.
March Goals
- Blog
- 30 mins, three times a week on SEO.
- Write and post eight new blog posts.
- Grow social media platforms by 10%.
- Finish blog course work.
- Personal
- Lose 10lbs.
- Strength train four times a week.
- Continue with weeks 11-15 of my training plan for running.
- Call a dermatologist!
- Sit Robbie down to discuss a savings plan for college.
- Household
- Organize kitchen cabinets.
- Try two new recipes.
There are so many more things I want to put on the list, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself. We are not traveling this month, so more time can be spent working toward my goals. Plus, I have a few family adventures I want to try.
What about you? What is on your list for March?
I am going to kick off this first weekend in March with a story about my Mom. As I mentioned, we are coming up on the anniversary of death and I want to remember the happier times.
How many of you grew up with your Moms watching soap operas? I certainly did! My Mom was an avid fan of Days of Our Lives, Another World and then later on in life, General Hospital. Not only did she watch them, but she subscribed to the soap magazines as well. If you had a question about one of those shows, ask Mom, she would know! She was so funny about them too. She really got into the characters and had some pretty strong feelings about them. It would almost seem like they were real.
One of her favorite characters was Jason Morgan, from General Hospital. A few years back, Steve Burton., the actor that plays Jason, was coming to Boston to do a comedy show. I can’t remember who initiated it, but we all bought tickets, Mom, my two sisters and I, to his show. These were no ordinary tickets, but VIP tickets. After the show, we were to head back and have a meet and greet with Steve Burton.
Sorry for the quality of the photo. It was in a scrapbook, then was taken out for something and now hangs on the bulletin board in my kitchen. Anyway, all Mom could talk about after the meet and greet was how Steve said he loved her bag. It was too funny. One of many fun times we had with Mom.
Thanks for listening as I go down memory lane. It really does help.
February 28, 2014- Five years ago, Robbie and I were in Maine for a hockey tournament. I had left town knowing my Mom was being seen for a lump in her breast and other testing to see if the cancer had spread. I will never forget, standing in the lobby of the restaurant, taking a call from my sister. The cancer had indeed spread. It is was in her liver. It was stage 4. My mom got on the phone and we chatted for a few minutes. I never felt more alone or scared than I did that night. I did not want Robbie to know anything was wrong, so I wiped the tears and joined him and his team mates for dinner. Later that night, my friend Kim and her son, Daniel, would make the drive to Maine, so I would not feel so alone. I am forever grateful for that. That is true friendship.
So, why am I telling you all this? Well, as I mentioned, in the “About Me” section of this blog, my Mom’s death has been a major factor in a lot of the things I have done over the last few years. Losing her so young (only 61), made me realize how precious life is. We are only on this Earth for a very short time and no one knows when that time is up. We have to take chances, go for those dreams, live life to the fullest. Her death changed me.
Mom was diagnosed on February 28, 2014 and died on March 24, 2014. She was gone in less than a month. March was already a tough month for my family. We lost both my grandmothers and an uncle in the month of March. Now with Mom gone, March has become that much harder. I remember those weeks leading up to her death and how quickly she deteriorated. I remember crying myself to sleep and consoling my boys as they watched her slip away. I remember the pain on my Dad’s face, as he lost his one true love. In light of this, I thought I would try something new this year. I thought I would use this platform, and throughout the month of March, tell you a bit about my Mom and share my favorite things about her. I want to remember the happy this March and not the sad. So over the next few weeks, I hope you will join me and follow along, as I share my Mom with all of you. For those of you that knew her, I would love for you to share your favorite story about her as well.
