Happy New Year, friends!

I wish everyone a happy and healthy New Year.

Health is on my mind a lot today. My Dad went back in the hospital on Christmas eve with chest pains and so spent Christmas there. He is fine, but lost a toe to poor circulation from a diseased cardiovascular system. He is home now and looks good.

I went to see Body World, the exhibit of human bodies with my kids this past week. Pretty fascinating. I was particularly interested in the pathological tissue. Seeing what the inside of hardened arteries look like, the brain after a stroke, the heart after an attack--these things really made me think of my health and how poorly I've been treating my body the last five years or so.

So today I started Weight Watchers. Even more importantly, I have resolved to take a thirty minute walk every day, rain or shine. It's not much but it's a start.

I am very grateful for many things today:

Waking up on New Year's morning with no hangover (can't say the same for dear hubby)

Enjoying myself with friends and good food last night and feeling comfortable enough to leave before midnight (left hubby there, we brought separate cars for that purpose)

The ability to change my habits to improve my health--there's still time

For a lovely day at home and a fire in the hearth

For home made vegetable rolls

That I made it through the holidays sober for the first time since my last pregnancy ten years ago. And it wasn't awful.