As December arrives, I find myself reflecting on my experiences from this year and my life in general. Although my past has not been the most favorable due to my struggles with bipolar, I can genuinely say that since I have been sober and on medication for the past 25 years, my situation has significantly improved.

Last year, I set two goals for myself. The first was to make my bed every day, and the second was to maintain a clutter-free kitchen. While I couldn't do it daily, I managed to achieve this 90-95% of the time, which is a substantial improvement compared to previous years.

Therefore, I plan to continue working on these two goals and aim to establish two more for this year.

Next year, I want to focus more on my backyard. I envision transforming it into a lush and wild space. Over the past four years since we purchased our home, I have been gradually working towards this goal, but this year I truly need to formulate a plan and make it happen. I also want my garden to become more productive.

Additionally, I wish to explore how to create holistic and organic products. I’m interested in learning about balms and salves. This curiosity stems from my recent acquisition of a second border collie with a notably pink nose. I’ve been looking into sunscreens for him and discovered that many so-called 'dog safe' sunscreens contain ingredients not suitable for dogs, which surprised me. It turns out that various dog sunscreens are not safe at all. I'm also interested in making soaps for my dogs; I’ve previously created soap for my older border collie, but I want to delve deeper into crafting bar soap for both of my dogs.

I hope to learn about herbs that I can grow and incorporate into these projects for my dogs, and perhaps for myself as well.

This is my plan for 2026, and I believe it is a solid one.

Einstein - at 8 months