For readers who have been here for awhile, I rarely if ever declare or think about New Year’s Resolutions. That changes this year. After the election, I’ve been inundated with lies and misinformation, not to mention the focus on stupidity rather than real news, and I am damn sick of it. That led me to think about my life and my writing.

I may have already written about my new job, but I started working in October, and it is the kind of place that feeds my soul. I have never had a job like this before, and every day is a joy to be there, and that allows that joy to follow me home. It’s been a good couple of months.

Obviously, I’m disappointed (understatement) about the election. I hope we can get through the next two years, and use the midterm elections to return to sanity. My first Election Connection of the new year will appear in this space next Tuesday.

As I mentioned yesterday, I am really proud of my series writing, and those will continue. In addition to Election Connection, there will be more Mental Health Monday, monthly Inspired and Friday Food posts, and I’m hoping for a return to Penny Prompts – the writing prompts based on Louise Penny’s writing and her Armand Gamache mystery series.

Those are both my intentions and my inspirations and I hope to find more throughout the year. You will find more of my new year’s thoughts below the cut.

Intentions

1. Focus on my St. Kateri book including presenting a program related to what I’m writing for a spiritual center.
2. Visit the two main shrines (in my opinion) in person and view their archives.
3. Set deadlines. I’ve already started my planner. That is my one New Year’s tradition. My mother in law told me never to fill in a calendar before the new year starts, so after midnight when the cheering and kissing stops, I pull out my brand spanking new planner and fill in the dates that I’ve been listing at the back of the old planner.
4. Be in the moment and really appreciate my life. Lean into the gratitude.
5. Keep moving forward.

Inspirations

1. My people on Jewish Threads.
2. My Zoom writing group.
3. Harris and Walz’s HOPE and JOY.

Resolutions

First time in a long time but here goes:

1. I’m not gonna listen to Trump. I know he’ll be the President, and I’ll have to hear some of the things he and his administration share, but I’m not going to listen to his nonsense, his racism, his monomaniacal monarchial tendencies, nor his inane blatherings that make sense to no one includng himself. I refuse to get caught up in it.
2. I’m calling it out. Not opiniions. You want to think this godless heathen is the second coming, that’s up to you – IDGAF. However, if you tell me some nonsense that’s only true in an alternate reality or the multiverse in your head, then yeah, I’m calling it out. Any lies, disinformation and misinformation. All. Of. It. Prepare yourselves.
3. Consistency for my Writing and Research.
4. Standing up for trans rights and standing against antisemitism. These are the two major issues that I plan to focus on in the next few months. These two things disproportionately affect people to the point of abuse and death. I won’t allow it. So let me say clearly:

Trans Rights are human rights. That’s it. It’s simple. It’s clear. It’s up to us to show respect and acceptance to everyone. It is our responsibility to protect the trans community. I will do it, I will teach it, I will proclaim it. You will have to go through me.