Sunday, January 1, 2012

I wish "Making cheese and drawing trees" didn't rhyme nor make me giggle. My blogrights should be stripped.

I give myself a "B-/C+" on last year's resolutions. I didn't make cheese or attend a concert/lecture every month. I didn't break a horse or make my mom's sourdough bread. I never made time to visit friends who I wouldn't typically see.

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!

6 comments:

  1. I have two resolutions. What an overachiever ; )

    Another 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!

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  2. Hope you are feeling better, loved this post and your resolutions as well. anxious to hear how the beer bread turned out.

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  3. When 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.

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  4. C - You should pat yourself on the back. They were fabulous:) Can't wait to show them off in the next post!

    CTL - 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:)

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  5. 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!

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  6. C'mon, Mom, a high-five from a great host? Sounds enticing to me.

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