2012 - A Look Ahead

You know when I was younger New Year's was the most depressing time of the year. I dreaded the new year. I'm not sure why. But I got over that in my 30s. Now, New Year's is not my favorite time of the year. But it is a change that I look forward to as the old year winds down. (Actually, I think New Year's is a silly holiday. The new year should start when the new school year starts, it would make life so much easier.) As 2012 is upon us, I'm excited to look into the new year to see what it will may can bring.

For my Quiet Time, I plan to read the One Year Chronological Bible again. I've said it time and time again. If you want to read the Bible in context, get a Chronological version. It's like reading a story. It somehow makes all the stories in the Bible fall into place. They make more sense historically. My favorite part of the chronological Bible is seeing when the Psalms were written. The first Psalm to show up is Psalm 91. It's in the middle of Deuteronomy on March 24. You know how easy it is to get bogged down in the Old Testament? Those Psalms are like a little oasis to me when they show up in the middle of a particularly difficult OT book. The last Psalm is Psalm 147. It's on September 23. Then I only have to make it to September 28 and I'm in the New Testament (whew!)

I'm not sure that I'll continue the $5 Savings Plan. I kind of fell off the wagon last year. We want to buy a house in 2012, so basically every spare dollar that we have is going to that project. I am planning to fill a Christmas Jar in 2012. I will also buy Angel Tree gifts again next Christmas. I love doing that. I will participate in at least two charitable projects in 2012. One of them will take place in February. Katie works for a company that manages 20 group homes for CPS. At Christmas this year she mentioned that the teenage boys homes never get donations or gifts from people voluntarily. So I baked cookies and made candy for those two houses. In February, I'm going to make candy and bake Valentine sugar cookies for those boys.

I have an ambitious goal for x-stitching this year. I'm going to participate in a 2012 Crazy January Challenge, but I'm making my own rules. I will work on a project each day for the first 15 days in January, but some of them will be new starts, and most of them will be WIPs (works in progress). If you're interested, you can check out my projects on the 2012 Crazy January Challenge tab at the top of the blog.

I want to be more disciplined about my health this year. My cholesterol is a little high. Of course, as is typical in this day and age the Dr. wants me to take a pill for it. I'm not big on pills. So I'm trying to get it back down in the next three months. I also STILL want to lose 30 pounds. And I need to stay on top of controlling my blood sugar with diet and exercise.

I failed to meet my goal of reading 100 books in 2011. I'll try again in 2012. I will also keep plugging away at my 101 in 1001 list. I have completed 16 of the 101 items. I have 27 items in progress. My end date is 8/29/13, so I need to get going on this list! If you're interested in my progress you can click on the tab at the top of the blog to see how I'm doing (or not doing!).

And last, but not least there's my blogs. I love blogging. I have stalled out on my political blog and the recipe blog. I hope to do much better in 2012. I'm sure it will be easy to get back to the political blog since it's an election year. Any one that knows me knows that I'm passionate about politics. I want to be passionate about cooking. I think maybe it requires a measure of patience that I don't have. I'm more than half-way through my 365 photo blog. When it's complete I want to print it as a book. Actually, I want to print all of them as books. I just haven't checked into the details of that yet. Maybe this year. I have "met" so many great people as a result of blogging. I enjoy reading other blogs and get a lot of great ideas and information from them. I hope my blog(s) encourage and interest my readers as theirs do me.

So friends, there you have it. A new year is upon us. I'm ready for it. I'm excited for it. We have a lot of exciting family events coming up in 2012. And of course, there will be lots of unexpected joys and challenges in the year. All I can say is... bring it on!

2011 - The Year in Review

2011 has been a year that has out-distanced our expectations. We have been so blessed this year and we are thankful. I like to look back each year and think about what worked and what didn't. To pause and give thanks for all we have to be thankful for. To examine myself and see if I've made any improvements in my character.

As you know, this year I participated in the Siestas Scripture Memory Team hosted by Beth Moore's blog. The goal was to memorize a Bible verse every two weeks throughout the year. To help in the process, we wrote the verses out in a notebook so we could work on them whenever we had a few minutes. I did great! OK, what I really mean is that I did great the first four months or so. Then I began to fall behind. Memorization is not as easy at 55 years old as it was at 10 years old. This is not an excuse. This is just the truth that it was harder than I thought it would be. But I stuck it out and I have six new verses firmly planted in my mind and heart and six verses that I can kind of quote, but don't always know the address of. I really enjoyed participating in this.

We added two new grandbabies to our family this year. I don't have the words to describe how wonderful marvelous terrific joyous and fun it is to have three grandchildren. When we all get together it is loud, crazy, chaotic, fun; more than I could ever have hoped for.

The appraisal business took off this year. At least in comparison to the past three years. As I write this we have received 254 orders this year. And there are still two business days to go! After the financial disaster we've been through we'll never take our income for granted. But we are feeling cautiously optimistic for 2012. And we feel blessed beyond measure for 2011. Because of the increase in the appraisals, Dan has been able to cut down to two shifts a week at Sam's Club. Yippee!

I'm pretty satisfied with the progress I made on the 101 in 1001 list. (see the tab at the top of the blog)  I have some disappointments too. I'm really bummed out about my weight. I want to lose 30 pounds. But wanting doesn't make it so. I didn't meet my goal of books read in 2011. I'll try again in 2012. I started the year with anticipation for the x-stitch projects I would complete. I ended the year bogged down in too may Christmas stockings to make. I read the Chronological Bible again this year. I'll start it anew on 1/1/2012. I did a better job on keeping a budget spreadsheet in 2011, but I have a long way to go to make it more accurate. (I really suck at math, anything to do with numbers so this is a huge challenge for me). I completely ignored my "green thumb" in 2011 and I missed that activity.

All in all, 2011 has been a good year. It is a year I will look back on with gratefulness for so many blessings. Yet, I'm ready for it to end. I'm anticipating 2012. Can't wait to see what the new year will bring!

101 in 1001

Today is day 365 of my 101 in 1001 effort. I read about this project on a blog last fall. It immediately appealed to me (being addicted to lists of any kind) and on December 1, 2010 I began my attempt at completing 101 items in 1001 days.

As of today I have completed 15 items. I have 27 items in progress. Yippee!

Along the way I have had to revise a few of my goals. I also get discouraged with thinking I'm not progressing fast enough. Then I stop and remember that I have 1001 days to complete all of this. Not just one year.

So, today I look ahead at the 636 days I have left. I'm excited to see what will get completed in the weeks and months ahead. And I'm celebrating what I managed to accomplish in the past 365 days. I am thoroughly enjoying this project. Sometimes I find myself thinking about what will could might be on my next attempt at 101 in 1001...

(You can track my progress by clicking on the "101 in 1001" tab at the top of my blog)

101 in 1001 Update

I am in the ninth month of my 101 in 1001 project. I have completed nine items. I have 26 items in progress. I have not given up on any, but I have modified four items.

My biggest issue with this list is that I forget that I have 1001 days to complete everything. I get panicked thinking I'm not going to get it all accomplished this year. Well, duh... I need to get it all accomplished by August 2013, I still have loads of time!

I must say I'm enjoying this project immensely. I worried that I might get bored with it early on. But I haven't. I enjoy recording my progress on the daily goals. I look it over once a month to see if there are any items I can begin, or better yet, highlight as completed.

I have an alternate list already in mind so that if I complete too much of this list early on I can add on some items. It's a great way to focus on the things that I want to do that seem out of reach. To focus on projects that I've talked about for years but never started (until now!). To keep track of dreams and goals that have eluded me in the past.

You can check out my list and progress by clicking the "101 in 1001" tab at the top of the page. It's fun!

Update on 101 in 1001

February marks the 3rd month of my 101 in 1001 list and I wanted to give an update on my progress (or lack thereof). I have started 20 of the items on my list and have completed two of them. I'm having a hard time not feeling pressured, or like I'm falling behind. I think it's because in the back of my mind I think I only have one year to get this all done. I really have 2 1/2 years. I'm really enjoying the list, especially the accountability on some of the items. You can follow my progress by clicking on the "101 in 1001" tab at the top of this page.

Do you have a list? If so, I'd love to hear about it...

Today Was So Much Fun!

Today Katie, Jessica, Sunny, and I drove down to Spectrum Mall in Phoenix and got on the Light Rail (#94 on my 101 list) to ride it down to the Bridal Show in Downtown Phoenix. What a blast! The Bridal Show was a madhouse. It was fun, and Katie got lots of ideas. And, as you can tell in the last few pictures, she made a very important purchase while we were there! Yes, we rode the train back to the Mall with her wedding dress in the pink bag…

Katie and Sunny getting ready to get on our train

Katie, Jessica, and I on the train

“Get me out of here!”

Every time the train started up, Sunny exclaimed “Whee!”

I was so excited I wanted to exclaim “Whee!” when the train started up

Transporting a wedding dress on a train… now that’s different!

Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho...

…it’s back to work Dan goes. Bummer. We had a lot of fun on the six days Dan was absent from Sam’s Club. Don’t get me wrong, we are grateful for the Sam’s Club job and it has literally saved our financial lives. However, now that the appraisals are picking up it’s getting to be too much for Dan (and me!) to handle. We’re hoping that in the next week or so he can go to the boss with his intention of stepping down to part-time. In the meantime, he’ll continue on at his full-time status and we’ll try to juggle everything.

Good news! Dan got his first appraisal order of 2011 yesterday. He wasn’t expecting any orders this week, and I said I wasn’t, but secretly I was starting to worry. Well, probably not so secretly. Anyway I’m glad the order came in. He used that opportunity to start to teach me how to pull comps. I’m glad to be in a position to help him.

Katie invited Jessica and I to attend the Bridal show down in Phoenix with her tomorrow. I’ve never been to one so it should be fun. The thing I’m really looking forward to though, it that we’re going to ride the Light Rail! I’ve wanted to do it since it began operation. As a matter of fact it’s on my list of 101 in 1001. I’m taking my camera so I can record the event for posterity!

I’m doing good on my Crazy January Challenge. I have started a project each day this year. I’ll be interested to see how long it takes me to finish all 15 of them.

My Bible verse is memorized. I wrote it on a sticky note and move it from room to room throughout the day. Last time I checked, more than 8,000 comments were posted on Beth Moore’s blog for the Memory Verse Challenge. Isn’t that cool?! I’ve read some of the comments, there are some really good verses that people have chosen to memorize.

Enjoy your day…

A Fresh Start

Here we are, the first day of 2011. It stretches before us like a blank canvas, waiting to be filled with the portrait of our lives. I used to find New Year’s depressing when I was younger. I think it’s because I focused too much on what didn’t get accomplished instead of on what I did do and the blessings of the year. The past three years have changed that for me completely. I am so thankful for the blessings of 2010, and completely confident in the blessings that will come in 2011.

This morning I posted my memory verse on Beth Moore’s blog. The verse I chose is:
“I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.” Job 19:25
I am excited to memorize this verse, and I already picked the verse I want to memorize beginning 1/15. I think the hardest part about participating in this is going to be seeing the verses everyone else picked and thinking, “ooh, I should have picked that one!”

I have been working on my 101 in 1001 list for a month as of today. I’m enjoying it so much! Every once in a while I find myself trying to think about accomplishing the list in a sprint, but I know that the list is really a marathon. Slow and steady is the key. If you want to see how I’m doing, click on the “101 in 1001” tab at the top of this page.

To end, I say “welcome 2011”, can’t wait to see what’s in store for this year…

101 in 1001

On October 15, 2010, I was surfing blogs and found one with a page entitled "101 in 1001". The author had made a list of 101 things she wanted to accomplish in 1001 days. I was inspired by her idea and decided this was something I'd like to do myself. I adjusted it to fit my lifestyle and this is what I've come up with. I'm going to make this post a page, and will keep myself accountable by tracking my progress on this page.
So, here goes... My starting date is 12/1/2010 and my end date is 8/29/10

1. Read my Bible every day (0/1001)
2. Stay on top of my blood sugar
3. Send a long-distance friend a card monthly (0/33)
4. Walk 10,000 steps every day (0/1001)
5. Have a face-to-face visit with a local friend monthly (0/33)
6. Go through 6 tubs of photos Dan brought back from his dad’s house (0/6)
7. Monthly overnight with Sunny (0/33)
8. Visit Columbia, SC
9. Create wedding scrapbook for Jess’ wedding
10. Create wedding scrapbook for JD’s wedding
11. Create scrapbook of Sunny
12. Create "A Few of My Favorite Things" scrapbook for me
13. Cross-stitch seasonal quilts series for myself
14. Make a quilt for Jess
15. Make a quilt for JD
16. Make a quilt for Zach
17. Buy a house
18. Take a knitting class
19. Take a photography class
20. Go to the movies once a week with Dan (0/143)
21. Cook one new recipe per week (0/143)
22. Do a 365 photo blog
23. Take 30th anniversary trip
24. Organize charity drive twice each year (0/6)
25. Host a giveaway on my blog
26. Attend VNSA book sale each year (0/3)
27. Post on political blog at least once a month (0/33)
28. Post on recipe blog at least once a week (0/143)
29. Visit Seattle, WA
30. Visit OK City Memorial
31. Lose 30 pounds (0/30)
32. Try 5 new restaurants (0/5)
33. Read 100 books in 2011 (0/100)
34. Buy 2nd car... with cash
35. Visit each MLB park in a single season
36. Write a book for my grandchildren
37. Visit Padre Island, TX
38. Organize a "Cousin's Day" for my grandchildren four times per year (0/12)
39. Read four new fictional authors (0/4)
40. Share the plan of salvation with a Jehovah's Witness who knocks on my door
41. Attend a Homes Tour at one of the Historic District Neighborhoods in Phoenix
42. Conquer my scrapbooks supplies by de-cluttering or using them all (so I can start fresh)
43. See my out-of-town kids at least twice a year (0/6)
44. See my in-town kids once a month (0/33)
45. Visit Leavenworth, WA
46. Spend Thanksgiving at Disneyland
47. Choose nine angels every Christmas to symbolize my kids and grandkids (2010, 2011, 2012)
48. Make a complete budget and follow it
49. Attend the ballet
50. Attend the opera
51. Go to the Arizona State Fair
52. Go to Bronner's Christmas Store in Frankenmuth, MI
53. Watch 26 movies I've never seen starting with each letter of the alphabet (A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z)
54. Get a massage
55. Attend at least three Spring Training Baseball games
56. Attend at least three Diamondback games
57. Learn American Sign Language
58. Design an English Garden for my backyard
59. Design an outdoor dining room for my backyard
60. Create a dedicated indoor playspace for grandkids
61. Stay at a B and B in Prescott
62. Visit all of the Presidential Libraries
63. Go whale watching
64. Give away a Christmas Jar in 2010, 2011, 2012 (0/3)
65. Tip 100% on a meal
66. Visit the Phoenix Zoo
67. Visit the Wildlife Zoo and Aquarium
68. See an IMAX movie
69. Set up a Roth IRA
70. Tour the Rosson House at Christmas
71. Visit Tempe Town Lake
72. Purchase a Nook
73. Attend a game at Cardinal’s Stadium
74. Learn to use my food processor
75. Ride in a horse drawn carriage
76. Volunteer for a political campaign
77. Plant a tree
78. Attend a taping of "The Price is Right"
79. Cross stitch "All Holidays" Door for myself
80. Purchase a set of Christmas China
81. Get professional photo of entire family
82. Go to Canada
83. Set foot in the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean and Gulf of Mexico
84. Get a closet organizer system
85. Purchase new bridal set for 30th anniversary
86. Subscribe to Real Simple magazine
87. Purchase a laptop
88. Purchase a GPS
89. Refurbish Bee's rocking chair
90. Get a passport
91. Take "fear of flying" class
92. Cross-stitch baby sampler for A.
93. Visit the Phoenix Botanical Garden
94. Ride the Phoenix Light Rail
95. Organize my photos
96. Finish Katie's Quilt
97. Visit Mount Rushmore
98. Make a will
99. Take a dance class
100. Join a bowling league
101. Complete everything on the list

completed
in progress
gave up on