You probably know by now that I do not make New Year’s Resolutions. I find resolutions difficult to keep. I feel like it sets me up for breaking promises to myself.

Instead of resolutions, this will be the 13th year I have picked a word for my year. A word that guides me in decision-making and keeps me on track. Not necessarily creating stringent rules around the word but keeping it top of mind for my year.
For the new year, my word will be simplicity.

Years ago, my friends, Steve Bahmer and Ron Rabou, wrote a book titled Keep It Simple.  They asked me to read and review it before it went to print. I also wrote a testimonial for the back cover. Their concept is that life doesn’t have to be complicated for you to be successful. Just keep it simple.

As I was running words through my mind as contenders for the year 2026, I noticed their book on my shelf. The title caught my eye. I began thinking about how I could and should simplify things in my life. The word simplicity wouldn’t stop dancing in my mind and wouldn’t let go of my thoughts. So, simplicity won for word of the year!
Every year it takes a while to wrap my head around what my new word will mean in my life, but I believe there are many things I can simplify.
 
Easy things like organizing my weekly errands into one day and completing them in one trip instead of jumping in the car every day to sporadically do errands. Things like washing my car, filling it with gas, banking, etc., should be one quick trip.
 
Speaking of banking, making sure all the bills that are possible to set up as autopay through my bank are set up that way. This creates more space in my mind and less worry about bills being paid on time.
 
Things like laundry, cleaning, and chores around the house could also be condensed into one day that is planned just for those necessary tasks.
 
During the days of COVID, I became very used to ordering my groceries online and doing curbside pickups. I love the convenience of this and the time it saves me by not marching up and down every aisle in the store. What I do need to streamline and do a better job of is meal planning and making sure my shopping order reflects what I plan to cook that week. This will save those extra trips to the store. And along with that, every night doesn’t need to be an extravagant meal. Simple meals, simple ingredients, and the simplicity of cooking this way sounds lovely.
 
I could add an entire list of things under the title of my writing and speaking that I should create systems for that would simplify my work.
 
You may be realizing what I am as I write this… a main thread here is that it takes organization to simplify. I am hoping the more organized I am, the simpler my life will become.
 
My word this year isn’t a fancy word. Just minimal, clean, and easy. Simple. I am not going to stress and go overboard, but I do see areas in my life that could be more enjoyable if they are simplified.

So, there you go. If you want to share my word with me, think of your home, your job, your classes, or any area of your life that you could organize and streamline. Join me for a year when we, as my friends Steve and Ron, would say, Keep It Simple.

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                                                      Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                            Simplifying organizes your life and eases stress.
​                                                ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

​YOUR TURN...        
Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below.  And please feel free to email me  at:
 [email protected]. 
                                                                 Thank you!  ​
                                      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                         All Rights Reserved
                                          Copyright © 2013-2025 Pennie Hunt
                             This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
Feel free to forward and share this post.  Please keep the entire message intact, including  contact, logo, and copyright information.
#CornerofSpiritandBrave #LoveYourLifeNoMatterWhat #JourneyThrough #PennieHunt #IAmGoodEnough #grief #Love #Joy #HowToBeHappy #Happiness

Let me be clear. I love, love, love Norman Rockwell. He was a fascinating man and an amazing artist. I have even been to his studio in Massachusetts. When you see his work in person, you can’t help but have admiration and respect for his talent.

His holiday paintings that depict the perfect families, dressed perfectly, with perfect smiles, enjoying the perfect meals, with the perfect amount of Christmas snow, and… well, you get the picture. Everything is perfect. And darn it, those are the scenarios we all strive for. We want our holiday gatherings to be perfect.

The truth is, none of us have a Norman Rockwell holiday. Even if it looks like it from the outside, none of us have that kind of perfection in our lives. Behind the painting, everyone holds some kind of pain.

Every year around the holidays, I think of people who are no longer at my holiday table. I think of the gifts I would give them if they were. I think of the memories of holidays when they were with us. I see the empty chairs where they would be sitting.

I try to switch it to concentrate on the good memories. I am grateful for the years we had together. And I look at all the chairs that are filled with people who are with me now. I am grateful for them. I also mix in a story or two about those who have passed, to honor them and allow them to remain a part of the festivities.
​
So many times, we can become sad, depressed, or angry when the Norman Rockwell paintings that we strive for don’t turn out that way in real life. The best advice I can give is to switch your thoughts to gratitude.

Maybe you are missing loved ones who have passed. Maybe you are missing loved ones who were unable to travel to be with you this holiday. Maybe your budget means there aren’t as many gifts as you wanted to give under the tree. Maybe you or someone you love is struggling with health issues. Maybe the turkey is dry, and there isn’t the perfect amount of Christmas snow.

But maybe it can still be a joyful holiday. Turn your mind to gratitude for the things you do have in your life this holiday. Be grateful for the people you do have in your life. Be grateful for the meal you have, no matter how simple it may be.

If you can’t find anything to be grateful for, start with the shoes on your feet and the peanut butter and jelly sandwich you had for lunch. Start with the basic things in life. The hot water in your morning shower. As you go through your day, say out loud every little thing you can think of to be grateful for.

If you are alone this holiday, find someone else who is alone and spend the day together. Just like we can always find someone who is happier, wealthier, and more successful than we are, we can always find someone who is lonelier than we are. Donate your time to a shelter or a soup kitchen. When you help others, you will feel gratitude from them, and you will feel good about giving the gift of your time to those in need.

When you turn to being grateful for what you have, it becomes easier to fill your heart with love and joy for the day. Even if it is not a Norman Rockwell day.
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                                                          Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                                      Not every holiday is Norman Rockwell perfect.
                                    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

​YOUR TURN...        
Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below.  And please feel free to email me  at:
 [email protected]. 
                                                                 Thank you!  ​
                                      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                         All Rights Reserved
                                          Copyright © 2013-2025 Pennie Hunt
                             This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
Feel free to forward and share this post.  Please keep the entire message intact, including  contact, logo, and copyright information.
#CornerofSpiritandBrave #LoveYourLifeNoMatterWhat #JourneyThrough #PennieHunt #IAmGoodEnough #grief #Love #Joy #HowToBeHappy #Happiness

When I was a child, for a couple of years, we had a tinfoil Christmas Tree. Well, maybe it wasn’t made of tinfoil, but it looked like it to me.

​My mom was thrilled with her shiny tree. She had a light that looked like a wheel, divided into sections of colored thin cellophane paper. When the wheel turned, the light behind it would shine through the paper and onto the tree, changing its color to red, green, blue, and yellow.
​My mom thought it was stunning.

Although I liked the sparkle and shine, I was not as enamored as my mom was with the tinfoil tree. After a few years of tinfoil, my mom moved on to real flocked trees, and eventually the ever-popular artificial tree.

I have always been crafty and have been a painter for most of my life. When my children were young, I was into folk art decorative painting. I painted everything from wooden tables to sweatshirts.

One Christmas, I painted a pair of 3-foot-high Mr. & Mrs. Santa geese. Yup, remember when geese were the thing? I thought they were fabulous, and I still put them out every year as holiday decorations. I wonder if my kids were as enamored with them as I was.

Last year, there was a nutcracker craze. Social media was taken over with thousands of videos of how someone traveled hundreds of miles to find the elusive life-sized Walmart nutcracker, and photos of how people painted them. From traditional colors to pinks and rhinestones, these plastic men were adorned to the extreme.

I followed this trend with outside interest but never felt the urge to drive 600 miles to snatch up one of the plastic men in uniform. Where would you store such a thing for the other 11 months of the year?  

Oh, how things change over time. Out of curiosity, I looked up those tinfoil trees. They are actually called aluminum trees. Vintage ones from the ​1970​'s are very expensive and can cost thousands of dollars to buy. You can also buy new ones even today. I am not sure about the goose Santas. I haven’t seen those in stores for many years. And the nutcrackers? Although they are still out there and you can find them on the social media scene, it is not the phenomenon it was last year.

It is funny how crazes, trends, and what is in vogue changes- even in holiday décor. I wonder what the craze was when my mom was a child. And looking forward, I wonder what the future will bring. You won’t convince me that the traditional green tree filled with red, gold, and silver decorations will ever go out of style. But will the modern sleek, all white and black become the norm? Will the tin foil trees become the most popular once again? Will decorating with lights and glitter go out of style?

Your guess is as good as mine. What I have noticed in my lifetime is that very often what is old becomes new again. If that is true…heads up to my kids, you will be inheriting a set of 3-foot-high Mr. & Mrs. Santa geese someday.
You never know, they may be worth thousands of dollars.
You are welcome.
                                  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                    Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                         In life, sometimes what is old becomes new again.  
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​YOUR TURN...        
Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below.  And please feel free to email me  at:
 [email protected]. 
                                                                 Thank you!  ​
                                      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                         All Rights Reserved
                                          Copyright © 2013-2025 Pennie Hunt
                             This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
Feel free to forward and share this post.  Please keep the entire message intact, including  contact, logo, and copyright information.
#CornerofSpiritandBrave #LoveYourLifeNoMatterWhat #JourneyThrough #PennieHunt #IAmGoodEnough #grief #Love #Joy #HowToBeHappy #Happiness

My first memory of her sewing was when I was about 8 years old. She would be sitting at her brown Singer Sewing Machine for hours. I don’t remember what she was making, but I have a clear memory of her sewing.

As life progressed, with three children, a military husband who was often sent on duty trips, and a full-time job, her life became busy. Her sewing machine sat quietly waiting. It wasn’t until my siblings and I grew up and left home that the old sewing machine was replaced with new computerized models. For years she would rent space at holiday fairs, selling her crafty creations. 

After she retired, sewing became her favorite pastime. Quilting became her passion. She was precise in following a pattern and directions to perfection. When she began sewing quilts, her life changed. She would spend hours searching for beautiful fabrics and just the right patterns. A bedroom in her home was transformed into her sewing center with custom-made cabinetry and a few more new sewing machines. My mom, Fern Hunt, was always sewing.

In true Fern fashion, she gave many of her quilted masterpieces away. She made baby quilts for friends. Large quilts for wedding gifts, and she donated quilts for raffles. She would attach a small tag to each one that read “Made by Fern Hunt.”
It wasn’t long before a professional quilting machine was purchased. Mom would meticulously piece together the fabric into beautiful patterns, and my dad would stretch it onto the quilting machine and supervise it as it sewed beautiful swirling patterns that held together the layers of backing, batting, and the quilt top Mom had created.

If you were lucky enough to receive one of her precious quilts, you would understand the love that went into making them. Many of her timeless creations were handed down to a second generation. When you snuggled beneath one of these beloved gifts, the warmth and love of Fern hugged you.  
 
Unfortunately, an unsuccessful cataract surgery not only stole the vision from one of her eyes but also her ability to focus on the stitches as she sewed. Her stitch lines were no longer straight, and the strain of depending only on her good eye would cause her fatigue. Her frustration from not being able to create the perfect quilts dimmed her passion. The sewing machines became quiet once again.
 
When my mom passed away, the sewing room was a challenge. Walking into the room, the feeling of her love of sewing surrounded us. The stacks of fabric were left the way she had them divided by colors and plans for future quilts. The walls were lined with racks filled with colorful thread. The memories were overwhelming, and our hearts were broken.
 
Members of our family kept a few meaningful items, and we donated the rest. Her gallon jar of buttons went to her favorite sewing shop, where it would sit on their counter in her memory. Many supplies and fabric were donated, by way of a friend connection, to the Bethesda Lutheran Church quilting group in Bristol, South Dakota. This group creates quilts for charities. We felt Mom would love that her supplies would be used in this way.
 
Months later, we heard from this quilt group explaining that they had found a quilt that Mom had partially sewn in our donation of fabric. They wanted to know if we would like them to finish this quilt and return it to us.
 
Four lovely ladies, Carol, Glenda, Kay, and Mary Ann, carefully finished the sewing, binding, and hand quilting. After they completed the project, they mailed it to us. When it was delivered to me, I unwrapped the package to find the most beautiful Christmas quilt. The squares of red and green outlined lovely deer images, divided by borders of holly leaves and Mom’s favorite red cardinals. It was stunning.
 
This week, as I decorated my home for Christmas, the quilt was laid over the back of my couch so that family and friends can be wrapped in love from all the hands that created it.
 
Sometimes Christmas angels are found kneeling in ceramic nativity scenes, or on glittering holiday cards. But for my family and me, this year, angels were found in a small group of big-hearted women in a tiny town in South Dakota who finished Mom’s last quilt.  
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                                                   Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                                  Angles come disguised in many ways.
                        Sometimes you feel them in the warmth of a quilt. 
                                   ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

​YOUR TURN...        
Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below.  And please feel free to email me  at:
 [email protected]. 
                                                                 Thank you!  ​
                                      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                         All Rights Reserved
                                          Copyright © 2013-2025 Pennie Hunt
                             This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
Feel free to forward and share this post.  Please keep the entire message intact, including  contact, logo, and copyright information.
#CornerofSpiritandBrave #LoveYourLifeNoMatterWhat #JourneyThrough #PennieHunt #IAmGoodEnough #grief #Love #Joy #HowToBeHappy #Happiness