I did, however, host a murder mystery party at my house. I ran a half marathon. I at least attended my Mom's "how to make sourdough bread" class at the Extension Office. I submitted a poem and a few essays to several publications. I read some fiction. I spent 11 days in Europe with my best friend.
Here's my list for 2012:
Make cheese. Yep, I'm putting it on there again.
Run another 1/2 marathon (I've signed up for the Derby mini, now I just need to find the motivation to train)
Start a savings account just for a house and/or cafe
Make a decision about the dissertation
Get an Avett Brothers interview for FOLK
Write more letters (make sure you check back; I'll be showing off some of my new stationary in the next post)
Read more...AND finish books that I start
Try a new recipe every week (I have homemade beer bread in the oven right now)
Have more play dates with my dogs
Return phone calls (especially to Caroline) in a timely fashion (I have no idea why I am so bad at this, considering I always feel so warm/cozy, inspired, and happy after we talk). I just hate the phone for some reason.
Stick to the "Decluttering Agenda" I saw on Pinterest (so far I have dusted the top of my kitchen cabinets and cleaned out my kitchen "junk drawer.")
Drink more water. Yuck.
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From Vivian Swift's, When Wanderers Cease to Roam...
Why have I stayed in one place so long? Could be because all the while I tried to think of somewhere else to go - somewhere unusual and busy - all my new furniture and all my old memories were fitting in perfectly here. Who I used to be, and who I always wanted to be, seemed comfortable together in this quiet little Village on the Long Island Sound, and that's as good a reason to stay put as any.
***
What it takes to get through January is what it takes to get through life. It takes a winter mind.
Whenever I would wonder "Where do I go now?" the only good answer was: "Don't go. Stay put." And every month there was a good reason to do just that. In January I stayed because of my winter mind.
***
How to winterize your mind:
One: See the sun rise and set everyday. The average night is 13 1/2 hours long. We spend most of January in the dark. Don't miss a minute of daylight.
Two: Learn how to draw a tree. Now is the best time to see what a tree really looks like. Draw one a day.
Three: Put something beautiful in your room so that it's the first thing that you see when you wake up.
Four: Mend something with your hands. Sew it, glue it, nail it, fix it.
Five: Seahorses, ladybugs, woolly bear caterpillars, and dragonflies do it - Hibernate. Life is but a Winter Dream.
I'm off to take the bread out of the oven and draw a tree. Happy 2012!
I have two resolutions. What an overachiever ; )
ReplyDeleteAnother lovely one. I'm glad I didn't miss it.
I kept one of the "cards" for myself simply because I liked it (this is me, congratulating myself), but your VS words reminded me of it: "In late January, the silence was resounding."
Happy 2012, dear friend!
Hope you are feeling better, loved this post and your resolutions as well. anxious to hear how the beer bread turned out.
ReplyDeleteWhen I read what all you accomplished in 2011 I fell as though I have lived under a rock. My life is so dull compared to yours. I need to try some of your resolutions.(probably not run a mini marathon or travel to Europe). I would like to fly to Chicago. This would take care of two of my wishes. I need to fly and enjoy it to help me overcome my fear from the one and only time I flew. I also have heard so much about Chicago and what a neat city it is. Do you know of anyone who would be interested in flying with me? I would even let that person hold my hand during the flight.
ReplyDeleteC - You should pat yourself on the back. They were fabulous:) Can't wait to show them off in the next post!
ReplyDeleteCTL - I am feeling better, thanks:)! The bread was actually pretty darn good. There really is no need to get the Tastefully Simple mix. 3 c. self-rising flour, 1/2 c. sugar, and 12 oz. beer (topped with melted butter in last 15 minutes of cooking) worked just as well.
Mom - You're crazy. Although I got to do some neat things, you accomplish more on any given day and do more for others than I could ever imagine. You do so much for every person in your life and rarely take a day just for yourself. With that being said, we most definitely need to go to Chicago! Plan it and I'm there...handholding and all:)
Liza can hold your hand on the plane, and I'll give you a high five when you arrive! Please do come; we would love to host you, Jackie!
ReplyDeleteC'mon, Mom, a high-five from a great host? Sounds enticing to me.
ReplyDelete