NEW YEAR'S RETREAT

I love Mondays and New Years. Also the first day of summer vacation and the first day of school in the fall. It's beginnings I love. There is such an energy and hope about a fresh start. All the unfinished business, the mistakes and disappointments of the previous week/year/semester fall away and we get to begin again.

I like to begin each new start with a bit of quiet and solitude, away from the daily grind. So typically, when the new year rolls around, I get away. It's a time to retreat, reflect, and renew.

So I'm off to Surfside today, at the northern tip of the Long Beach peninsula. It will be cold there in January, but there's nothing nicer than watching winter storms over the ocean from beside the fire in my bonus-time condo. I've packed two backpacks full of books and journals. I have my first-draft list of goals to refine and organize. I've carefully planned and packed food to carry on with my healthy livin'. And yes, I've got my boots for fast walks on the beach. And Season 2 of "Friends" and some yarn and a crochet hook.

My good husband mans the fort while I'm gone, for which I'm grateful. He knows he will benefit as much as I will by this set-apart time.

Even if you can't retreat totally, find a few hours to be quiet and focus on what you really want in this new year. I promise you, it's worth the effort.

And by the way, I can book anyone in the Worldmark condos on bonus time. I can see availability for two weeks ahead, and the cost is about $30-$50 per night. Contact me if you're interested.