Getting my priorities straight . . .

After being ill in the fall, I had a lot of time to think and I am slowly coming to the realization that I don't have to do everything in a huge way.

Yesterday I was a little stressed because many of our neighbors were coming over at 7:00 p.m. for a planning meeting - the organizer of our New Year's Eve Progressive Dinner has some family issues and the rest of us need to step up our efforts.

I wanted to have the house clean and I wanted to bake treats for the meeting -I had the ingredients to make caramels, fudge, Christmas cut out cookies and peanut butter blossoms.

But, I also wanted to take a long walk with Steve - we are working on creating a new habit of walking at least 2 hours a day.

When it came time for us to go on our walk, I only had the peanut butter blossoms made 

and the dining room table set.

I almost told Steve that I couldn't walk with him, but I stopped and asked myself how bad it would be if I only had peanut butter cookies for my guests - Lulu wasn't in favor of the walk because dogs aren't allowed on the beach we were walking yesterday.

I am so glad that I got my priorities straight because I would have missed out on 

a garden of rock sculptures lining the beach . . . 

tightrope walkers practicing on the promenade . . . 

the changing sky 

as the sun hid behind the clouds . . . 

our neighbor and his daughter in their Santa hats celebrating her winter vacation - she teaches at the local college . . .

adding to my collection of heart rocks and sea snails . . . 

Steve didn't tell me how far the walk would be.

We walked all the way to the World War II gun turret, barefoot on the beach - in the end it was 3 hours and just short of 8 miles.

I was so exhausted when we got home that we called for pizza and I barely finished vacuuming before the first neighbors arrived.

It was dark when our guests arrived and no one even noticed whether I had cleaned or not.

The vote was unanimous - dinner and midnight champagne at the Cook's this year.

But, I am keeping my priorities straight for New Year's Eve - everyone else is bringing the food and I just have to remove all my Christmas decorations to make room for the 47 people who have been invited.

And, today made it Day 6 of our long walks- we combined a little shopping, walking Lulu and our exercise into a walk downtown - this time it was only 6 miles.

I am not glad I was ill, but I am glad that I figured out what is most important in my life.