RICHARD: I usually am not big on the pressure of resolutions, but I had plenty of time during the snow days to think about it and discuss it with my dog. The obvious place for me to start was to edit and declutter. This part wasn’t too challenging since I just moved a year ago. But there’s always a lot of things we don’t need that others might.

JEAN: Yes, there is the continued thinning out of my two attics. I started that a few months ago, resulting in several trips to the Blue Ridge Humane Society and Animal Haven thrift stores. This could go on for some time. So maybe I need to start with just not adding a lot more to my home. This could be challenging when we run across so many beautiful things.

RICHARD: Here comes the new dull and beige Jean. Another one might be that since we spend so much time trying to make our homes fabulous (at least in our own minds), why not have people over more? Aside from the fact that we work a lot, there has got to be a way to entertain without the fussing and stressing.

JEAN: Speaking of stressing, or not, I hope to spend more time in my beautiful bed sleeping. My cats will appreciate that! Another thing I need to figure out is a better place to drop my purse, bags and coat when I come home at night. Right now they end up on a chair near the door, or the floor by the chair. Being a bit of a neat freak, I’m really working against myself on this one. A closed cabinet by the door might be a solution.

RICHARD: Oh yeah. My least favorite, getting my paperwork in files and nicely organized, so when I need to find that receipt for the TV, or my accountant asks for something from three years ago, it’s not a nightmare. And now having a garage opens up my newest project. Who knew how fast you can fill that up and act like it doesn’t exist? Rather than complain about the cold, get started and free yourself up for the spring.

JEAN: Spring. Spring cleaning! Which reminds me that rather than waiting till then, it might be time for me to drag a ladder into the house, and clean the old ironstone over the butler’s pantry cabinets. And while I’m climbing to high places, all of the chandeliers could stand to be resparkled. Or I could just read some of the great books I got for Christmas!