The week after Christmas Day is a time of balance for me. We visit and are visited by family and friends. I catch up on housecleaning and rest. The balance is both fiscal and physical.

We ventured out on the 26th to do a little shopping. I was very pleased with the timing, and the small mistake in road choice that led us to skip Route 22. We arrived at Target after the return rush, and got through it pretty smoothly. Then we went to BJ’s, where the staff was friendly and everyone got something they wanted, and I was able to fill my gas tank for under $30.

The physical balance came that evening. My daughter and her boyfriend came over. We exchanged gifts, ate a lovely dinner my older son cooked, and then went to SteelStacks. We did the stairs and the path, and then went ice skating.

I had never worn hockey skates before. Since going on medication for Primary Biliary Cholangitis, my balance has felt a little wonky. Still I managed to skate for almost an hour without falling. My youngest son was entertained by his sister and her boyfriend, who are much more experienced skaters. My older son and I just concentrated on enjoying ourselves and remaining upright.

Fiscal balance came a few days later. I found myself running to the bank on the 28th to keep a checking account in the black, feeling thankful I had the time and resources to do so. Since the great car wreck debacle, I have been trying much harder to control my finances. I kept separate budgets for the household and Christmas, and it seemed to work reasonably well.

Budgeting, and sticking to it, is challenging but helpful. I use a spreadsheet for the household budget, and a simple list for the holidays. On the 31st I will reconcile it all. I felt sorry I couldn’t do a little more for everyone on Christmas, but nobody seemed to mind, and we were able to jointly spoil my grandpuppy, which was great fun! He did not join us for the celebrations, but my daughter sent us a photo of him in his Care Bear outfit, and he looked adorable and warm.

I hope you all have a Happy New Year, and may 2024 be 1,000 percent better than 2023!