My, oh my, how the time does fly – it seems only a few months ago I stopped sending out Christmas cards when the postage went up to 15 cents per stamp. (It was probably 1979.) I still feel pangs of guilt as I receive cards from friends and family.

This card-guilt thing reminds me of another guilt-inducing activity I have been participating in for years – New Year's Resolutions. Every year I would spend days enumerating the actions I resolved to adhere to the following year. I numbered them. I sub-categorized them. I followed the proper outline procedures and developed lovely lists – lists that would be lost within the first week of the New Year. I came across a stash of them that spanned decades – all the same.

Number one – lose weight.

Number two – get organized.

Number three – eat healthy.

Number four – this year mail out Christmas cards!

Of course, sadly, not one of the resolutions was checked off.

A few years ago I decided to only list the things I knew I would accomplish, eventually. One list had one item on it –buy bread. I had crossed that off and felt accomplished. The last four years I did something a little different. First of all I didn't write out my resolutions until the ninth of January. By that day the feverish euphoria of resolving had subsided and I could really concentrate on doable goals. My favorite is – you guessed it – getting organized. Little by little, with the use of storage containers and a log to record their contents in case I needed to find them, I started to get a handle on the stuff.

Now I am once again inundated with stuff inherited from my mom and I am faced with the task of organizing it. My sister, Jan, came and helped me for one day. I got purple totes for Jan to put her pictures and things in and we got quite a bit accomplished – about 100 pounds with about 20,000 pounds left. (I hope I'm exaggerating.) So, now I am sure my January 9th list with have one item on it – organize the stuff. So, I am buying my color-coordinated totes and I'll start the organizing piles

1. Trash,

2. Stuff to give away,

3. Stuff to keep.

Everything else will be put in purple totes and delivered to Jan. (Perhaps on a day she happens to be away.)

Totes are now on sale at Pioneer True Value to help you get started on your stuff. Have a Happy Organized New Year!