Monday, January 24, 2011

Just a quick post

Running has slowed-not my time, but the amount I've been doing. Our roads and sidewalks are covered in snow and ice and half a mile on the treadmill feels like four. I don't enjoy it at all-the pain on my knees is not fun.

I have almost finished the last grandparent album, all that is left is to type up my narrative for the pictures tomorrow.
Speaking of scrapbooking... I went to our small local store today and bought items. They are going out of business and Sunday is their last day open. :( It makes me sad, and feel a bit guilty about not purchasing things over the last year. So I bought some things today at 50% off, things that aren't themed, and will last like black brads and brown letters.

I finished my scrapbook mystery book on Thursday or Friday and got a new one to keep myself reading. I got it Saturday and am over halfway. It is the Girl in the Green Raincoat. Sounded like a good mystery, yet different than the one I had just finished.

Our new fridge came Friday and it was fun refilling it. There's still room to put more in it, too! :)) Funny how that amuses me so. :)

I was doing very well in the journal writing until the 20th when our birthday preparations began for our oldest daughter who turned 16 yesterday. Where does the time go? I know from reading Isabelle's post that I will blink and she'll be getting married or moving in with an actor.

I hope this winter (or summer if it so where you are) is treating you well. Take care, Dear Reader!

Monday, January 17, 2011

52 Projects

I saw this blog post and was inspired to add to my goals list. I have lots of things I want to accomplish over the next year-well every year, but I'm determined to accomplish them this year. A list of some things I would like to finish (I know she mentions not listing, but these are some I hope to achieve in the next 50 weeks-no time specifications, just hopes/goals)

1. Albums for my girls. Soon enough they'll have spread their wings and flown from home. I want to document them while they're here with me, let them know all the things I most appreciate about them before I forget.

2. I have one more grandparent album to finish-it's on my list for today, but so are about a dozen other big projects.

3. I just bought the latest kit (let's hope this is one of those blog posts of mine that my husband skips, because I did it on a whim and haven't mentioned it yet!) from scrapscription. It's about birthday/party and my oldest turns 16 next week. I've been taking pics of her and our family to document her 16th birthday week. :) I thought the album would be a fun gift! (Although it won't be on her bday, hopefully it will be shortly after since these kits are easy to use and put together!) Now to get back to NOT BUYING ANY MORE SUPPLIES, unless I need them for a specific project... I need to get back on that wagon again. I still have a room full of supplies... I need to remind myself that I did really well last year-April to December! :)

4. I'd like to remove all my supplies from my office and reorganize it. I tried over winter/Christmas break but felt rushed and I just removed everything and put it back. I mean truly organize-new ideas in the works.

5. One of this week's (today's!) projects is to remove things from our fridge and freezers. We get a new fridge on Friday and I am so excited! :) Ours has given us trouble for a while. For one, it leaks and then the water puddles in the bottom of the freezer until it overflows, cascading out onto our wood floor, where it gathers until someone notices it (not good for wood floors)... and chips out the big plate of ice so it can happen again. The shelves inside have broken, over time, also. The buttons on the door are all broken, as well. Anyway, it's not the best quality and it can be frustrating, so I look forward to the new one. It was the perfect thing to put our Christmas gift money towards.

6. We need to paint our bedroom-it doesn't go with the decor very well. It's pale and bland. Ick.

7. I think I can list half marathon in the spring and full marathon in the fall under projects, can't I? :) Overall fitness? I have a goal weight in mind... a level of fitness that isn't too overboard but a goal.

8. Last week's completed projects were my bulletin board reorg. and finishing the scrapbook mystery book. :) And I have pictures of those. :)





9. I am reworking my resume and cover letter-a big project that is necessary and needs to be done within the next week.

10. One project I need to do, but am not sure how it will be accomplished, yet, it a filing system for home. I have folders on my desk, folders in a bin and folders in a basket. However, I think I need a new and better system. It's one for much later in the year when thoughts of "how" can evolve.

Do you have projects you'd like to accomplish this year? I hope all is well with you, Dear Reader!! :)

Monday, January 10, 2011

Progress 1/12/11

*I have written in my journal from 1/3/11 through today. 9 days of writing! :)
*I have done the newspaper sudoku almost everyday, too. Not saving the world, but makes my brain feel fresh to do that instead of sit in front of Facebook.
*Still no Starbucks; either coffee at home or nothing.
*I have ran almost everyday, also, which is good, although I've been in a rut the past few days, worn out. I'm still logging everything on thedailyplate.com and have shoveled snow the last few days, too, which is a good calorie burner! :) Although I have snacked a few evenings... which is not the progress I need...
*I am over halfway through my Scrapbook Mystery book, since I've been reading.
*I have been reading my Bible, also. We started a study on Daniel for our life group. Hopefully I continue reading this section with zeal-I have lost momentum with the past few assignments... Someone in our group this past week mentioned a quote similar to this one: "that man must first see the face of God before he could undertake any duty", each day, found here, and it has been nice the few mornings I have prayed and shared my thoughts and feelings with God before my day and school day begin.
*Having set a goal in April not to buy scrapbook supplies, I have done well with that progress, as well, until this week, when I bought a scrapscription kit and have my eye on other items that I'm struggling mightily to resist. :) April-December was good progress, not buying new supplies, as well as finishing three photo albums with scrapbooked notes to each of our grandparents-I have one more to finish for one other set of grandparents.
I think that is all the progress I have made thus far. :) Hopefully these things add up to my growth into the positive person I want to be. :) I hope your week is going positively, Dear Reader.

Thursday, January 06, 2011

Splash of Color



I just saw on Thimbleanna's blog that Anna referred to Emma's Splash of Color idea/blog. Very cool. Right now it is grey and snowy, blustery and chilly. I had gotten bad news about another uncle's cancer progressing rapidly and was feeling grey inside, as well. So, I took this picture above of our snowy, blowy yard from my window-the grey of winter. Then I thought... hmmm, a variety of colors... Well, I thought of my snowmen decorations. Sure, snowmen are white, but I have a few with lots of color...They're wonderful decorations, because they are cute, and they make putting Christmas decorations away less sad. :) So, I hope you enjoy my splash of "snowy color" and I hope all their smiling faces make you smile, too. :)






Tuesday, January 04, 2011

Happy New Year!

I have been thinking of several things to post. Now to sit down and post a few! :)

I hope your 2011 has started off well! Mine started off with a nice family get together at my brother in law's with his wife, their four kids, his in laws and my in laws. :) It was full of fun, games and good food. There was the toast at midnight, too. I decided on our short drive home that we should start a new tradition as a family of four. We should go on a walk when we got home... start the new year with fresh air, togetherness... family and fitness. :) As we walked, I realized that, although it was an unusually balmy 60 degrees this year... it very likely could be below freezing for our next walk. Hmmm, a good "new tradition" idea? ;)

I have started (yet again) a journal. I have written in it two days in a row. :) Hoping to keep that up. This will help me keep track of my thoughts, and hopes for 2011, which reminds me of my "resolutions, goals, plans, or procedures" that I'd like to start in 2011. I always thought of them as resolutions, but have read this blog post, this one and this post, too, and thought I liked these better. :)

A few plans I have for myself/procedures I'd like to start are as follows:

1. I had been thinking about my goals since around Thanksgiving (leading up to my one little word) and thought I'd like to work on my weight/fitness this year. I thought one habit I needed to break was Starbucks coffee-in fact, a grande, nonfat, vanilla latte with half the normal pumps of vanilla in it... EVERY DAY. So, not only was I drinking 200 calories per day but spending quite a bit as well (their prices went up around Thanksgiving, too.) So, I broke the habit. I quit cold turkey on Dec 4. I had one on our way to visit my family (New Year's Day, early...) and one on the way back. I didn't sleep well either night thanks to all the caffeine! :) I make coffee each day at home, and drink probably about 8 ounces.

2. I also looked at my garmin calendar which tracks each of the days/times/distances I run. I looked at 2010 and saw (after my run on New Year's eve...) that I had ran 596 miles in 2010. So, I set a goal to run 1000 miles in 2011. I will run the half marathon this spring and a full in the fall, hopefully (after stress fractures, we know nothing is set in stone!) I planned out my goal-52 weeks, about 20 miles per week. I have run 3.25 miles on the two days since I wrote out this plan.

3. I have been keeping track of my calories on www.thedailyplate.com and keeping the total low enough to (hopefully, eventually) lose some of the chubbiness my legs have acquired-the pants that don't fit can attest. I just want to be fit again and fit into the clothes I like. These three plans will help with that! :)

4. I'd like to take more photos-not an abundance at special family activities, but some of each day, of our daily lives. I am sad to think that our oldest is almost midway through her sophomore year and will be headed to college in a few short years-she turns 16 this month!! Even our youngest will be out on her own in 6 years or so.

5. I mentioned that I was contemplating my one little word being "Read" and I'm sticking with that, thus far. Since I posted, I have read my Bible, and read a book (got the new Laura Childs scrapbooking mystery, even though I like her tea books far better, these are good reads, too) and I'm halfway through that.

I think that's all for now. Don't want the post to be too disjointed! :) I hope you all are well on this 4th day of January, 2011.