Resolutions so far ... four months in

Usually at strategic points throughout the year I have a look at how my resolutions are going, and either reassess them or give up hope entirely. So, after four months, how are things going?

With corona virus forcing me to stay indoors, I thought this year's resolutions would have been completely written off, but looking at my post from January I see things aren't totally adrift.

Get Outside More - well, I'm definitely doing this. I started with expanding slightly on my normal walking activities, but oddly since lockdown I've spent more time outside than ever. For one thing the weather's been good, in fact glorious for April, and also pottering around, sowing seeds, planting out small plants makes me feel I'm doing something productive, especially if there are really problems with fresh vegetables in a few months time. having veggies to pick from garden and allotment will take away an enormous worry. And when there aren't things that need doing in the
garden, I spend a lot of time sitting and relaxing there.

De-clutter - this is something that appears every year in my resolutions list but this time I'm actually moving on it. Early in the year, I made a start on sorting through the huge pile of photographs accumulated by my parents, removing many from their cardboard mounts which reduced the amount of space they took up. Since lockdown though I seem too busy for this (but, no, I couldn't really say what I've been doing)

Pursuing my intention of getting creative is helping with de-cluttering. Actual 'art' seems to require some mindset that I don't have at the moment but it's possible to be both useful and creative (and clear some of the clutter). I made a cardigan from some wool bought in January '19 (!), and knitted a scarf and hat with some gorgeous yarn given to me by my youngest daughter at Christmas. In the last couple of weeks I've picked up a couple of unfinished sewing projects that have been lying around for a long while. This helps with de-cluttering, my added intention to buy no new clothes, and being creative, so it's a win, win, win situation - and when actually finished I'll have some brighter clothes to wear, which was another intention of mine.


I'm not making a total success of things though ...

I've broken my resolve to buy no new clothes, but I feel a little bit of cheering up is necessary through lockdown, and, importantly, these new trousers fitted my intention to wear brighter clothes instead of old reliable navy and black.

Lose Weight - ha! this is always the difficult resolution, and so far it seems to be going in reverse; lockdown definitely takes away self-control over food.

Taking holidays anywhere is off the timetable at the moment, so I'm glad I went away at the end of February to North Norfolk's coast and ticked 'stay somewhere odd' off the list by spending the weekend in a converted chapel. We'd got tickets for a folk festival in Somerset but that's been postponed till autumn, and I'm not even sure if we'll go then.

Moving house is another 'on hold' project, with no idea when that can even be thought about.

For most of us plans are going to abandoned this year, but I'm hoping I can at least carry on with some of my resolutions. Who knows? Maybe I'll even eventually lose some weight!