Shedding It

 I have been trying to do five things a day for years. It’s a great way to help me get through tasks. What those things are is totally up to me. Some days, a thing is completely reorganizing a room. Other days, it’s something as small as cleaning the cat litter. I don’t even have to complete a task as long as I make progress on it.  This year, I am counting a fitness activity as a thing, also going with going to work. They are both eating huge chunks of my time and I need to acknowledge that. 

 This is a silly challenge that seems to make the rounds each year. It has never appealed before, but my sister has become increasingly vegetarian and I was curious to see how I would do for a month. My doctor wants me to eat more fibre, I like ethnic food and I like beans. I don’t like eating imported/out of season or highly processed/packaged food, so that adds a complication. Things got a lot better when a friend mentioned sauerkraut soup (I had a lot of sauerkraut in my fridge), and suggested I look at the recipe in a Ukrainian cookbook we both own. It turned out to be a brilliant idea. So far, I have made the vegetarian sauerkraut soup, the Barley mushroom soup, and noodles with cabbage (and sauerkraut). Next up will be cabbage and split yellow peas. I have also made a spiced lentil soup with preserved lemons from the Chez Piggy Cookbook. Chez Piggy is a popular restaurant in Kingston, Ontario; apparently I love their leek and Gorgonzola soup so much that I have acquired two copie

 Now that I have written it, I must make it so.  Last night I fixed a toilet. Today I want to do groceries before the stores get crowded, and start the New Yoga With Adriene for January. I am feeling the urge to do a bit of cooking as well. For me, it will be sautéed cabbage and vegetarian sauerkraut soup. I have a feeling there will be many soups for me this month as I have lots of good vegetarian soup recipes and more I have never tried. We got snow last night and now the sun is shining, so it is beautiful out. It’s just the kind of weather I need to be energized for doing chores.

 I’m hoping it will be a better year than 2020. So far, it looks promising. My son starts a new job on Monday after being unemployed for most of 2020. My daughter graduated from university in May and finally got a (part time) job in her field in December. With her other part-time work, she is coming close to full employment, even though she is without any medical benefits. My parents are doing well, and dad is significantly better than this time last year, when he was barely out of hospital after a major heart attack in October followed by a long wait for open-heart surgery and a slow recovery. I discovered I love working at home, and it is helping me prepare for retirement in the next couple of years. My goals for 2021 are similar to 2020: 221 workouts in 2021 On average, one new recipe from an actual recipe book or website each week Throw out at least one thing a day (or recycle or find a new use for it). Again, this one can be averaged. At least 15 minutes of housework/renovations a