Last year, I had some writing, Yacata, and self-care intentions that went, welp, not as well as I would have hoped.
Writing
I had the ambitious plan to finish and publish 6 WIPs (works in progress). I managed to publish two (Exploring Traditional Herbal Remedies in Mexico Volume 5: Botanical Treasures from Acuya to Zarzaparrilla and Exploring Traditional Herbal Remedies in México Special Edition: Volumes 1-5).
This year, my goal is hopefully more realistic. I’d like to do a new book in the Lupita series (the first draft is already done), then a book for the Apothecary series (although I haven’t decided which one yet.) The third book may be from the La Yacata series or the Women’s Survival Series; I’m still up in the air on that. So, in all, I’d like to move 3 WIPs along the draft, editing, and publishing treadmill. This seems like a more manageable accomplishment.
La Yacata
The pozo (community well) did not get legalized. However, the water quality and quantity studies were done, as was the video of the interior. All of those were turned in to SMAPAM (the local water commission), and we are waiting on a project plan they promised us.
This year, I hope that this project moves along toward completion. There is still much more to be done (erecting a parameter fence to protect our water source, installing the pump and water lines, having a new water tower put up, dismantling the obsolete one, etc.).
What did happen was the electricity, which was something of a miracle. There are more things we need to do to have 100% coverage, and CFE is fighting us every step of the way, but it’s a start. The idea is to finish this project, but it may take more than a year to do so because that’s just how things roll here in Mexico.
Construction on my son’s house was slow going. The bathroom is all but finished, just needs some plumbing accessories. The window frames on the first floor were installed. The counter was finished and the walls painted. In 2025, I’d like to see the floor finished on all 3 floors. The tile for the majority has already been bought. The cost of rebar has drop substantially, so there’s a good chance the window frames and doors will be done this year too.
I bought an additional lot just before prices doubled in La Yacata because of electricity availability. Right now, it has a makeshift fence to keep roaming animals away from my plants, but I hope to have some sort of more permanent fencing or divide put up this year.
Self-Care
My exercise routine petered out towards the end of the year. I’m blaming it on a joint flare-up that just would not settle down. So there’s room for improvement on that front.
I have a new reading challenge for 2025 because I enjoyed 2024’s so much. My plants were variable, some flourishing, others languishing. That will be an ongoing issue, I expect. I made a concerted effort to be in the pool every moment I could until early fall, and I plan on continuing that little self-care ritual this year.
I also quit one of my jobs, which may initially not seem like self-care since the loss of income was an added stressor. However, I picked up more teaching hours and made up the difference. I enjoyed many aspects of the woo-woo magazine I worked for, but with PayPal processing fees eating into my pay, it wasn’t a sustainable economic situation. I’m not actively looking for another job, although there is some concern that the new president-elect in the US and his hatred of immigrants (who make up 100% of my student body) will impact my job. We shall see.
I also hope to do some of those online courses I signed up for at some forgotten time in the past. My goal is one course or class per month. Some are short, 40 minutes or so, and others are a bit longer. Naturally, if I start a class and find it not what I need right now, I give myself permission not to finish it because life is busy enough as it is, don’t you think?
So there they are, my 2025 intentions. What are your intentions for the year?
Surviving Mexico 