In an earlier post, I mentioned that I don’t make New Year’s resolutions anymore. Instead, I set some small, attainable goals that I think will improve my life, & I rarely put any deadlines on myself. It’s more about growing as a person, & less about trying to achieve perfection. So, in the spirit of being real & open about my world, I humbly present, in full public view, my:

Thirteen Goals for 2007 (& beyond)

1. Throw out all the back issues of magazines stored around the house~ I mean, really, it’s getting ridiculous- I have some that are 5 years old (& more). I seriously doubt I’ll ever have a lack of reading material around here, not with my book obsession & the close proximity of both the library & Barnes & Noble. If I haven’t needed them by now, I doubt I ever will.
2. Read 1 non-fiction book this year~ I have a tendency to stick with a couple genres of fictional material, mostly because I’m trying to escape from real life for a while; but now that I’m out of school for a while, I feel the need to expand my mental horizons. Nothing too heavy or intellectual- maybe a biography. 
3. Use the library more often~ I started cleaning out books this time last year- I have too many paperbacks & not enough shelves. Besides, I know I spend more on books than I should, since our library is 3 blocks from my work. Now that our Library system has an online catalog, I can find & reserve books to pick up.
4. Take on a new challenge activity~ I know what you are thinking, but I really do have time to do something new in my life! I suppose it comes from being in school for so many years, but I need the stimulation of being outside my comfortable little world. This is tough for shy, lazy homebody like me, but I need this to grow. I already have taken the first steps on this one, but I’m not ready to reveal all at this point; never fear, you will hear all about it soon.
5. Cook dinner two nights a week~ After so many years of night classes, I got out of the habit of cooking; fortunately for me (& my children) I married an awesome man who likes to cook & didn’t see it as an imposition. It is time for me to take my share of the responsibilities again; besides, I want to improve my health & cooking from scratch will help me control the amount of crud in our diet.
6. Drink two 16 ounce bottles of water each day~ Yes, I know I’m suppose to drink more than that, but if I can get to this point daily, I’ll be ahead of where I am now.
7. Lose (& not re-find) 25 pounds by December 31st~ As I mentioned in my previous post, I have a lot more than that to lose; this is a place to begin- 2 pounds a month isn’t too scary or overwhelming.
8. Take a 30 minute walk three times a week~ Again, this is a starting point; it’s a realistic commitment for me- it’s all about forming the habits.
9. Go to the gym once a week~ To this end, I changed our membership to another facility closer to our home. It is a small, brand new club that just opened last week; it’s only 0.7 miles from the house, close enough to walk (with the added benefit of being $7.00 a month cheaper). Viola, one 30-minute walk (to & from) down.
10. Buy a new camera~ This about improving my skills; I love photography & have a certain level of natural talent (I won a contest a number of years ago with a snapshot from a plain old Kodak Instamatic), but I would like to take it to the next level. Though I’ve taken college courses, I think this is going to be more about getting out & doing it, then reading & studying about it. Of course, given my nature, I will probably still be doing some reading on the subject; hey, there could be my non-fiction book!
11. Install & use the photo software I bought 2 years ago~ Part of this is clutter relief- the box has been shuffled around the computer desk & needs to be dealt with; the rest is about doing something with all the pictures stored on my computer that need fixing or enhancing, & then actually printing some of them out.
12. Attend two scrapbooking crop nights~ To deal with the results of #10 & #11. A rather large scrapbook store opened up last year just across the street from the knitting shop. They have a regular monthly crop events- something like $10 for 6 hours, access to store equipment, & individual tables.
13. Deposit $25 a pay period in my “Scotland” savings account~ If I ever want to take that trip, I have to get serious about saving for it. I can (& probably will) do more than that, but if I can commit to a minimum & consistent deposit, I’ll have something to show for it pretty quickly.

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Cat Haiku

Oh no! Big One
has been trapped by newspaper!
Cat to the rescue!

When visitors come to my Space for the first time, they will almost invariably mention the same thing: after complimenting me on my sparkling wit, stunning beauty, & brilliant writing ability, they will comment on the “Ways I Embarrass My Children” list. This list was created as an obvious ploy to grab the attention of browsers, so they would hopefully stick around long enough to read some of my ponderings & possibly return to see if I come up with anything else interesting.

I feel it is time make a few points clear. First: not every item on the list is done with the specific intention of embarrassing my children- that is just a lovely perk- some of the things are just how I express myself. Second: each of my children, particularly my sons, has a well-developed sense of humor, & they have become accustomed to their mother’s unique personality. Third: what might be considered my callous disregard for the dignity & tender self-esteem of said children is, in reality, a defense mechanism on my part to keep from being arrested for “teenicide” or being hauled off to the loony bin- if I can laugh at them, I’m more likely to take pity & let them live.

Thirteen Ways My Children Drive Me Crazy  

1. Leaving damp towels on the floor in their room  
2. Using my (brush, pen, tape measure, etc) & not returning it where they got it  
3. Lying to me about anything
4. Using the last of something & telling me we are out when I return from the store
5. Changing the pre-sets on my car radio
6. Placing dirty dishes in the sink, when the dishwasher is 18 inches away
7. Making last minute plans & expecting me to drive them somewhere
8. Remembering all the words to a song they heard once, but forgetting that the garbage needs to go out to the curb every Wednesday
9. Playing their music on my CD player & leaving the volume on HIGH
10. Visible underwear- nuff said!
11. Muttering, mumbling & carrying on a conversation with me while they walk away or are in another room- being mildly hearing impaired most of my life (& all of theirs) the rule is “If I can’t see your face, I can’t hear you!”
12. “Remembering” they haven’t finished their homework at 10:00 pm Sunday, after spending the weekend complaining that there is nothing to do.
13. The gratuitous use of profanity; they know better than to use foul language with me, because I will snatch them bald-headed. What bothers me is the constant stream of profanity when they are talking to their friends or IM’ing online- there are so many other words to use, which will convey the same message with intelligence & respect.

Vacation-   what a lovely word! It conjures images of rest, relaxation, & family adventure. We have reached the time of year that we make plans for our family vacation. While I have work seniority & a flexible schedule, the seasonal nature of Chris’ work limits him to time off only between October & March; add to that the fact that Sam is in high school, & we end up restricted to the end of December for a family escape. The past couple of years, we’ve gone up to Portland to visit Chris’ family, but this year I wanted to do something different. Since the Queen’s word is law around our house (& since his Mom spent a week with us in April & a few days in May) we are headed south this year. I bought the tickets yesterday & we are headed to… Albuquerque, New Mexico!       

We are going for a Christmas family reunion with my Dad, older brother Bil & younger sister Crystal. Neither Chris or Sam have ever been in that part of the country, & I haven’t been in 30 years, so we are all looking forward to exploring, visiting my siblings (whom I haven’t seen in 5 to 10 years) & maybe even squeezing in a little skiing for the boys. The exciting part is … we are taking the train! Yes, I realize it’s a very long trip- 24 hours total- but it’s much cheaper than flying, no one has to drive, we can get up & move around whenever we want, & I can knit, read, or sleep as much as I want! 

So, in keeping with the travel theme of this entry, here is the latest installment of “Thirteen Thusday”

Thirteen Countries I Want to Visit

1. Canada: I want to see it all; my dream is to take a train from coast to coast
2. Scotland: I would love to explore the family sites & to take the Great Glen Walk
3. England: Oh, so many places I want to see! My dream is a walking garden tour.
4. Ireland: Another place steeped in family history- I would have to spend at least a month
5. Italy: I had a taste when I was 16; I want to wander Toscana & Umbria, & take a cooking class
6. Switzerland: I want to see & hike the mountains, and stay in hostels
7. Germany: A cruise down the Rhine, see the castles & visit our honorary daughter
8. Norway: This is Chris’ heritage; a raw beauty & rich lore
9. Greece: A fascination with ancient history & mythology
10. Israel: My spiritual roots are here
11. France: Paris would be interesting, but I want to explore the villages & churches
12. Australia: The ocean & the wildlife fascinate me; Chris wants to dive the Reef
13. New Zealand: We were spell-bound by the scenery in “Lord of the Rings”

  So, what three countries do you want to visit?