My journey to simplicity

It's time for another year in review. 2016 was a very eventful year for me! It seems many people feel that way.  I had big plans for 2016. It was supposed to be the year I got things done. Well... it didn't quite work out that way. Things got done, but most weren't even on my list. I had a very difficult time with my daughter this year. We had a few crises. Things have stabilized a bit, but they still feel a little fragile. Perhaps it’s just how it is during the teenage years… I had a bit of a breakdown at the beginning of the year and ended up taking February off of work to rest and recuperate. When you don’t deal with your emotions, it catches up to you, sooner or later. In my case, it hit me like a ton of bricks and forced me to stop. Although I wasn’t quite ready, I went back to work in March. I still tried to take things a little easier than before my mental health break so that I could continue to work on healing, even though I couldn’t dedicate as much time to it

It’s Christmas the day after tomorrow. Are you still rushing around trying to buy your Christmas gifts? Why? Does Billy really need another toy? Does mom need any more slippers? Does your teenager really need another new trinket to add to that pile of stuff strewn across her bedroom floor? Well, Dominique, if I don’t buy my loved ones a gift, how will they know I love them? Oh, my dear friend, give them your time! Here’s what I’m doing for Christmas. I’m giving cards to my loved ones. In those cards, I’ve set up a date to spend time with them. For one of them, maybe it’s a meal out at a fancy restaurant. For another, perhaps a trip to that museum they really like. For another, maybe some kind of concert, play, or movie. It doesn’t really matter. What matters is that we spend time together creating memories. I’ve started doing this a while back when I ran out of ideas on what to give my niece and nephew. We don’t often get to spend one on one time together. So by doing this, we

Well hello there! Did you think I forgot about you? Well I haven’t! I wouldn’t. How’ve you been? I’ve been well. I’ve been busy! Back in October, I started a new job. It’s way more intense than what I was doing. In this new job, many things happen, and they happen quickly! Keeping up takes some getting used to. The projects I work on can (and probably will) directly affect many people. So the level of attention, professionalism, and skill I have to bring to the table every day is significant. And, well, that can be tiring. At the end of my workday, I’m mentally exhausted! So I haven’t spent much time writing. I’ve been crocheting instead. Yes… you read that correctly… crocheting. It’s a new hobby I picked up from one of my new co-workers. She taught me how to crochet a granny square, and I fell in love with the hobby! It’s pretty much become a new obsession. There are a few reasons why I like it so much. First reason, I’m able to do it. That significantly increases my enjoyment of the