A New Year's Resolution

For New Year's this year I thought I'd try a Resolution. I'm not very good at keeping them, but I thought I'd try something I've wanted to do and make it very doable. Hopefully. Anyway, I wanted to learn something new. At first, I thought of an instrument, but at this point in my life I think that is beyond me. So, I thought, I have a new camera and I always complain I don't know much Photoshop, so there you go. That's what I need to learn more of...My friend Beth volunteered to help me every Friday with editing a photo since I thought I'd do one a week. She talked to me about a couple of things in Photoshop on Friday and then said I should put up a before and after ala Beth and Stacey!

Basically, I've adjusted levels, sharpness, and some color correction along with cropping. This eagle was outside my parents big windows on Christmas Eve. Carter is totally happy opening a present on Christmas Eve. The Kitty in the barn door was at a nearby farm that my dad was caring for the animals. So, tell me what you think...Too much of something? Too little? Maybe it's not a great crop?? Please give any suggestions so that I can improve!

The real question I have is...Why do you edit? Do you edit because you are going to hang the picture on your wall? Do you edit because you are making a book? Do you edit just for fun? What do you intend with the pictures?
I'm not a very good printer of pictures and I am wondering if I should be printing all of these I'm trying to edit...Also, I am wondering how to know what size to crop to when I don't know what I am doing with the picture in the end?
Just questions and ideas I have....