As the New Year begins...

With the holiday season over for another year, I am settling back in to my usual routine of a daily walk before starting my day. This week the weather finally changed and the temps have dropped which make my morning walk quite pleasant.

As many of you know I don't make new year's resolutions, instead I set personal goals for myself each year. This year a few of my goals will continue on from last year since I did so well with them.

The first on the list is continue to be more creative/do more creative activities. Last year I attended a few quilt classes, hand embroidery classes, followed along a few blogs where I am motivated to work all manner of stitchery projects and do more hand stitching.

The next on my list is to continue to maintain my daily exercise routine with the addition of hiking a new trail at least once every month, I did a short hiking trail on New Year's day to kick off this new goal. The trail was at the Ocklawaha Prairie.  The trails for the most part will be in the state and national forest here in Florida.

One of my new goals for 2016 is to travel throughout Florida to visit small cities and towns, visit the town squares or main streets and browse the local shops and art galleries.  In 2014 I did something similar with visits to tea shops and tea houses, after tea I would then browse the shops, often a local yarn or quilt shop.

My annual goal of reading at least 5 new to me authors will continue, though I really should increase it to 10 since the last 3 or 4 year that's about how many new authors I read, new to me is an author I have never read before as luck would have it I often find I am reading a first time author which many times I am not disappointed.

Speaking of reading, I have signed up with two reading challenges for 2016

http://socratesbookreviews.blogspot.com/2015/11/cruisin-thru-cozies-reading-challenge.html

http://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/2015/11/2016-color-coded-challenge.html

I posted about both of these reading challenges back in Novemeber it's not too late to join if you feel like challenging yourself to read more here are a few links to other reading challenges

http://beasbooknook.blogspot.com/2015/11/2016-i-love-libraries-reading-challenge.html

http://bookdate.blogspot.com/2015/11/womens-fiction-reading-challenge-2016.html

I will post what I am currently reading for the challenges in a separate post later in the week.  Right now I am off to mail some letters and packages at the post office, pick up a few books at the library that have been waiting for a few days and do the grocery shopping.  What are some of your goals for 2016?