It's Another New Beginning and Monday Motivation

Actually, it's Day2 of this, my 62nd trip around the sun.
The 61st trip was pretty non-eventful. That wasn't entirely due to restrictions from the pandemic. I'm in a position to enjoy a pretty non-eventful life.

However, I think it is time to get back to some of the volunteer service that we were participating in pre-pandemic. Chris and I are both fully vaccinated, so that leaves us with laziness and unwillingness as excuses -- neither of which are very good. The next couple of weeks are unusually busy for us, so I'll wait until to July to figure out where and when we can start serving again. I've got to admit -- there is a cold and uncaring part of me that could easily isolate in this peaceful setting and let the world fend for itself. That whole "love your neighbor" thing can be inconvenient and bothersome at times, but it is difficult to love when you stay isolated.

On the health front: I'm beginning this 62nd trip at 250 pounds. I haven't really lost nor gained weight in the past year, but this is not a good place to remain. I really need to drop 50 pounds (22.7kg for my metric friends). Experience has taught me that's not happening with a casual "I'm going to eat better and be more active" attitude. I'm going to have to log foods (damn, I hate that) and be purposeful about exercise. I'm still of the mindset that you eat to control weight and exercise for better health, but it would be a shame to lose all that weight and be unhealthy at 200 pounds!
Fortunately, I don't have any other health issues to worry about. The only meds I take regularly are for allergies, and the only chronic condition is obstructive sleep apnea which will be greatly helped by losing weight.
I do have the 60+ year old body with old, worn joints and poorly conditioned muscles, so I'll make the appropriate adjustments and start slowly. The key is to get started.

Other things for the current journey:
Continue reading. I've slowed a bit in the last month, but still continue to read more than I have in the past. I do need to find some more interesting non-fiction books that aren't about religion or philosophy. 

I'm looking forward to learning more about gardening, bee keeping and solar power. I have some books, but just haven't really gotten around to them yet. I'm thinking about a late fall project of building a small greenhouse to get an early start on next spring's garden and flowers -- just a thought.

I still need to plant some trees. I'm working on getting some fruit trees. I really wouldn't mind some nut trees, black walnuts are very plentiful around here. I'd keep the nut trees close to the existing tree line so I won't have to deal with them while mowing, plus they'll feed the critters that dwell in the trees. I'm also in search of some pine trees to help fill in the tree line for the winter months. Currently the deciduous trees lose their leaves and expose the streetlights of the street behind us. I'd prefer them to remain hidden as I really enjoy the dark country nights.

I'm sure there will be other things that pop into my head as the year rolls on. These are the things I'm thinking about today.
If you are looking for your own new beginning -- you can make this your day!
Or summer begins at 10:31pm (CDT) next Sunday night, making next Monday the first full day of summer. That gives you a week to make plans and get your attitude right.

A recent America's Got Talent contestant went viral with her performance and story. She gave us this quote for Monday Motivation: "You can't wait until life isn't hard anymore before you decide to be happy." --Nightbirde

John