Daily 5 - Year 3, Day 133

Today's Daily 5:

1. apple pie pancakes (So glad my sister-in-law gave Michael Smith's newest cookbook to my brother just before Christmas)
2. Chinese take-out for supper
3. watercolor paints and a pad of art paper
4. Moscato wine (how have I not ever had this before?)
5. A great day and evening to wind down 2011

Looking Back Before Moving Forward

One year ago tomorrow, I announced that my One Word for the year of 2011 would be "heal."  That same day, I posted a list of goals, hopes, and dreams that went with that word in my head, heart and life.

Before I post the One Word that found me for 2012, tomorrow, I wanted to take time today to revisit that list and add some comments on a number of the things it contained.

Yoga:  this one started out strong, and then petered out a bit as the year and my plans changed.  The yoga studio I fell in love with closed somewhat suddenly.  I started working for the temp agency, and ended up at the job that took a huge amount of my time.  I did fall in love with yoga, though, and I'll definitely be working to reincorporate it into my life and schedule in the year ahead.

Scripture Reading:  I finished the chronological trip through the Bible just a few minutes ago.  This was the first time in a long time that I've made the commitment to get through the entirety of scripture in a year.  I'm so glad I did.  I admit that some days I very much skimmed, but it has been good for me (if hard at times) to make time in scripture on a regular basis again.

Cook:  I lost count of how many new recipes I tried this year, but it was definitely more than twelve.  Pinterest brought new life to my attempts at cooking and baking and was the source of many recipes and much inspiration.  Some favorites included pumpkin snickerdoodles, chocolate, peanut butter pretzel cookies, and even peanut butter fudge brownie trifle.

Read:  Yep - way more than 2 books a month.  More like 2 a week (I haven't totaled up the final tally yet).  So good to devote a lot of time reading this year.

TOMS:  Not yet.  I'm still going to buy a pair - hopefully in the coming year, but it will all depend on how my finances look as I take on full-time studenthood again!

Kiva:  I did it!  I made several loans (about 7, I think) over the last year.  The first investment has more than come back to me, and I keep reinvesting.  I love this program, and I think you all should take part and invest.

Those items are kind of the highlights.  It was a very unexpected, but very good year.  I'm glad for it.  I'm glad for the way that all of these things played out.  I've even glad for the way the things that didn't quite go as planned, played out.  I'm looking forward to seeing which thoughts and ideas present themselves to be played out in the year to come.

Daily 5 - Year 3, Day 132

Today's Daily 5:

1. A quiet morning at home
2. catching up on emails
3. playing a bingo game on facebook
4. Christmas lights in big displays
5. an apple fritter from Tim Horton's

Daily 5 - Year 3, Day 131

Today's Daily 5:

1. Reading until the wee hours of the morning, and then having the freedom to sleep late
2. some great deals while shopping
3. 5 hours shopping, laughing, hunting and eating with my sister in law
4. Chinese take-out from my favorite food court option
5. finding a couple of really helpful and needed items while prowling and shopping

Mental Lists

If you've been following me on facebook, you know that I've been spending a LOT of time pondering this week.  It's how I always tend to close out one year, and begin another.  I curl up with journals, books, blog posts, articles, magazines, music - anything and everything that helps me think about the way the year has passed, and the way the year to come will pass.

I've found myself making mental lists the last few days.

Lists that contain snippets of thoughts that will become blog posts:

• Love/Hate relationship
• What don't you love?
• scripture and political leaders/rulers

Lists of books I feel I need to revisit in the coming month or so, as I begin another year:

• The Echo Within (Robert Benson)
• Bird by Bird (Anne Lamott)
• A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals (Shane Claiborne et. al)
• Boundaries (Cloud and Townsend)

Lists of random kitcheny dreams for when I manage to have my own place again:

• a garlic press from ikea (used a borrowed one from a friend this week - best ever!)
• A kitchen aid mixer (seriously long term dream)
• A microwave (a maybe in the next couple weeks thing)

Lists of bits and pieces to finish up:

• chronological scripture reading plan
• student loan details

Lists of things to keep an eye out for on kijiji and in thrift shops:

• a nice largeish desk
• a couple of filing cabinets
• a place to live affordably

I'm making lists, and it's helping me continue to ponder, reflect, and prepare my heart for the end of one year and the beginning of another.