Let's Sit and Have a Cup of Tea . . .

Come on in and sit down. . . let's have a cup of tea and chat (a monthly meme hosted by the Amazing Abi) . . . 
It feels good to sit down because I've been on my feet a lot lately. I'm still walking dogs at the Humane Society with Clara; I've upped my work-out routine; and I've been packing boxes and putting things away from the spare bedroom. The latter two, a result of work I've been doing thanks to my one little word for 2014 - illuminate.
I bought this beautiful ring from Lisa Leonard to help keep my word visible. In the past, I've bought One Little Word necklaces from her, but my word this year was too long, so I poked around her site until I found this ring. In addition to "illuminate," the words "clarify" and "lighten" are also stamped inside.  I love it!
And it has definitely kept me on track with my word. I joined a weight loss challenge at my gym, and I've completely changed the way I eat . . . definitely for the better. I've only lost four pounds in the first two weeks, but I feel so much better. My energy level is through the roof; my clothes are fitting a little better; and my hot flashes have disappeared completely. I'm also working out more, and I've got another new piece of jewelry to help me with that - a fit bit! I love the gizmo (which tracks your steps and activity levels), but it definitely needs a better clasp as it keeps falling off. Recently, it went missing four almost two weeks! 
Luckily, I found it today while working in the spare bedroom (it had fallen into a suitcase I was packing with Henry's spare clothes). I'm determined to clear the room out and turn it into a room that I can use as my art studio but that will also serve as a guest room and can easily become Henry's room when he's home from University. At a school auction last fall, I bought a package which included a few hours of consulting with a woman who specializes in "home organizing." We had our first meeting last week, and she gave me some good ideas and homework which included clearing the room and figuring out what I want to put in it. I've been very good so far at packing Henry's stuff up and purging books so the room is almost empty. The next step is to organize and purge my art supplies, so I know exactly how much stuff I have to move in. She's coming back in a few weeks to help me figure out the best way to organize the room and then how to decorate it.
If we had a chance to sit and talk over tea, I would tell you that I'm really profiting from the introspection caused by my one little word. I'd tell you that, as I have examined the various parts of my life and my feelings about 2014, I have realized that I want this to be a year of letting go of burdens, of lightening up, of not worrying and not being stressed. I have goals and things I want to do, but I am not setting up unrealistic expectations. I am fine with slowing down and enjoying life, of not constantly feeling like there are things that need to get done. And, ironically, I'm actually getting more things done than ever!
I would admit that I'm watching less television and spending less time on the computer, but mainly I'm being more efficient because I'm not wasting time spinning with worry about things beyond my control. I feel like my path to happiness is becoming clearer and better illuminated.
Just in case this starts to sound too deep, I would show you had I spent my time today - finally finishing up and mailing my Christmas cards! As a bit of an explanation to by friends, I stamped this on the front of the envelopes:

That's about all the stamping I've done lately, but I have been doing a lot of photography. I'm really enjoying the Still Life Photography class and the Zoom In Zoom Out weekly challenge. I'm also taking an online class called Studying under the Masters which I'm working through slowly, but that's okay.
Before you'd leave, I'd ask you advice about one thing that's been puzzling me as I go through my supplies. Do I need to keep the negatives from the photographs I took on film? What about extra photos that I didn't think warranted being scrapped? I'm feeling ready to let them go (and it will free up a lot of space), but want to know whether I'm making a mistake.  What do you think?