Project Life 2012: Week 1 Layout

{Supplies: Paper: Simple Stories, Heidi Swapp (teal), Cosmo Cricket (blue, grid), Making Memories (Monday's card), Studio Calico (blue paper strip on Monday's card, woodgrain strip, orange paper), Letter stickers: Cosmo Cricket (tiny type), Simple Stories (title card); Washi tape: Pink Paislee; Stickers: Studio Calico and Simple Stories; Border punches: Fiskars; Stamps: Scenic Route; Number card: Sassafras}

Notes on this week's layout:

• I was surprised how long it took me to put the layout together. It probably took about two hours, but I know it would take less time if I was using a coordinated kit instead of pulling exclusively from my stash.
• I am so, so in love with the little kraft stickers from Studio Calico. They are a perfect extra touch for this project.
• I don't enjoy stamping on the cards. Dealing with ink adds a lot more time to any project. I might consider pre-stamping some cards in the future, but since I think I'll be picking a bit different scheme each week, that might not work so well, either. I also like having each card be a bit different, which I would lose by stamping ahead of time, too.
• I printed these photos at the CVS down the road from us. My drive to and from CVS took significantly longer than CVS took to print the photos, and I was very happy with the quality.
• It's hard to come up with something unique to photograph each day when you're home alone half of the week!
• I'm not sure what happened to the second page's image, but I'm not concerned enough to redo the whole post. You can see it well enough in the overview photo, I think.

Enjoy your weekend!

Project Life 2012: Title Page

{Supplies: Washi tape - American Crafts Dear Lizzie Enchanted, Letter stickers: Sassafras for Studio Calico, American Crafts (&), Cosmo Cricket (tiny type), and Studio Calico; Paper: Studio Calico's Boardwalk kit (8/2011), My Mind's Eye Stella and Rose 6x6 pad; Cardstock: Bazzill (gray) and The Paper Studio; Pen: American Crafts; Die cutting: Slice (2012) and Cuttlebug ("potty people")}

Notes on this page:

•  I knew I wanted to stick with cool blues and greens on this page, so I immediately turned to my Boardwalk kit. 
• The photo of Trevor & me isn't the one that will be there permanently. I want a black and white photo from 2012 for that spot. I just popped that one in for now because the back sides of week 1 were showing through.
• The "At the Start" card was inspired by Elise Blaha Cripe. You can see all her Project Life posts here. I loved the idea of explaining who we are at the start. Things can change a lot in a year, so I think it's important to reflect on that. Trevor could be a captain by December. I could be teaching full-time again. We could have a new addition by the end of the year (most likely a puppy, since I have little interest in children under a year and a half!).
• I am totally in love with any sort of tiny type for this project. You'll see a lot of that in future posts. Cosmo Cricket, Making Memories, and October Afternoon all make some great tiny type stickers. 

I'll be back tomorrow with my Week 1 layout. Have a great weekend!

Luke is 2!

{Supplies: Making Memories Big Kids project pad, Paper Studio blank card, airplane from Hobby Lobby, wrapping paper from Target}

On Monday night, we saw our little friend Luke. I asked him if he knew what tomorrow was. He smiled shyly, raised up a peace sign, and said, "Two!" Yesterday, little Luke turned two. We've known his family about six months, and it is truly amazing how much this little guy has grown up! We're looking forward to celebrating his birthday at "Farmer Luke's" on Saturday. 

This card is pretty simple -- striped paper, a coordinating box, a chipboard piece, and matching stickers. Luke loves trucks, so that's why I chose the firetruck for his card, even though there was a tractor that fit with his party theme. The little airplane is something we found for him when we realized there wasn't an airplane in his collection. Trevor had to fix that, of course!

Project Life 2012 Week 5: January 29 - February 4, 2012

I have officially keep up with this for more than a month! There have certainly been days that I have "fudged" photos by taking one the next day to represent the previous day, but I have kept with the spirit of this project, so I feel like that's okay. I'm definitely behind with putting these into the album, though! I have a full week off from work at the end of this month, so if I'm not caught up by then, that will be my chance to do so! Without further ado, here are my week 5 photos.

Saturday, February 4: A Fannie May Mint Meltaway! When the store in Bismarck closed years ago, I thought I'd never get one of these again. However, I happened to find them at a Jewel-Osco store in Crystal Lake, Illinois while visiting our friends, Dave and Erin. Apparently, these delicious treats are still available around Chicago!

Friday, February 3: While waiting for our flight to ORD, we were next to the gate for a flight to Steamboat Springs. The gate agent kept making calls for boarding, but no one got on the plane! It turns out that it's a small town in Colorado, so it was possible that no one had purchased tickets on this flight -- but it still had to go in order to position aircraft for a flight out of Steamboat Springs.

Thursday, February 2: Becca and Rachel were here for dinner with Trevor and me. Rachel had her jet break down, leaving her in Atlanta for an extra 24 hours, while Becca wanted to make some Valentines for her nieces and nephews -- she had 17 cards to make this year! Rachel bought us all cupcakes from Gigi's for dessert that night, and we got to use my favorite Crate & Barrel plates for the very first time!

Wednesday, February 1: Becca and her intern, Sarah, Allison, Elizabeth, and I made Valentines for a JOY FM promotion -- they're collecting these cards for children in foster care in the Atlanta area. We made 30 cards together that night.

Tuesday, January 31: Prior to our bible study meeting at Books-A-Million in PTC, I stopped by Gigi's for the first time. OMG! These are the Lemon Drop and the Canadian Maple cupcakes. Yes, that's bacon on the latter! It's also in the maple-flavored cake batter, too. It was certainly my favorite of the three Gigi's cupcakes I've had so far. The maple frosting & cake aren't too sweet to begin with, and the bacon balances it nicely.

Monday, January 30: We have Legos everywhere in our house. This is one of Trevor's latest kits, displayed on his dresser. I "ordered" him to use his Christmas money to buy Legos over the weekend because I knew if I didn't, he'd probably end up putting it towards practical things -- and I know my family members well enough to know they'd want to see him spend it on fun stuff!

Sunday, January 29: I LOVED the outfit I wore on Sunday. Absolutely loved it. I had to take a photo to remind myself to wear it again. It was super comfortable. I felt like I wasn't too hot or too cold at all that day, and I just felt very "put together." You can't see it, but I was also wearing jeans that fit very well and grey plaid Roxy loafers that felt like slippers.

Project Life: Week 4

Sunday, January 22: Cookies after Community Group. I was starving and craving something sweet!

Saturday, January 28: Before & After shot of some thrift store refurbs. The tray actually will be getting a bit more done with it before it's officially "done."

Monday, January 23: A peek at a week in progress.

Thursday, January 26: The board I've had for probably two years has finally been hung on a wall! I was rather proud of how I glued the ribbon to the back. The hook is temporary -- might have to find something cuter to permanently hold this board.

Wednesday, January 25: I spent most of the day in bed, feeling icky.

Tuesday, January 24: Documenting my trip to the doctor's office for a yucky cough. :(

Friday, January 27: Card for our friends, Jon and Allison, celebrating their 3rd anniversary

Project Life Week 3: January 15-21, 2012

Sunday, January 15: Last bottle of Laughing Skull from Red Brick Brewing Co.

Monday, January 16: Trevor put together and filled up a shelf for our garage, clearing so much clutter from the garage floor. 

Tuesday, January 17: The first of two days of subbing at Arnco-Sargent Elementary School. I loved having so much fun stuff like children's books, math manipulatives, and toys.

Wednesday, January 18: Fresh strawberries from Publix -- so fresh that the blossom in the carton hadn't had time to wilt much!

Thursday, January 19: The best laid plans....I wrote out a schedule for after school, only to find myself feeling super tired. I did very little of what I had planned.

Friday, January 20: What's on my Nook home screen right now: Mockingjay, Jane Eyre, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and a whole bunch of free books I downloaded a few days ago.

Saturday, January 21: Nasty storms rolled in around noon. We had tornado warnings for about 45 minutes, and it was as dark as it has been around 6 p.m. this winter. Water pooled up between houses and gushed down the water spout so fast that it seemed to miss the tray at the bottom. 

Project Life Week 2: January 8-14, 2012

Sunday, January 8: Trevor's essentials for teaching his Sunday school group: stickers and hand sanitizer. He works with pre-school kids, in the blue group, so he carried a blue sanitizer holder and usually tries to wear a blue shirt on Sunday morning.

Monday, January 9: Leadership Community dinner program on "Is it all about the Weekend?" - We have to attend this on the first Monday of each Monday (unless it falls on a holiday) to grow in our leadership roles at our church. Trevor missed it because he had to work.

Tuesday, January 10: Subbing at ECMS -- This is what normally goes to school with me: a travel mug of coffee, a lunch box with my meal, water bottle & 2 cans of soda, my purse, my ID badge with sanitizer attached, and my car keys.

Wednesday, January 11: Front Street Brewery in Wilmington, NC -- I went along with Trevor for his overnight and had a Curiosity (or two). It was an incredibly sweet Belgian beer that tasted like Alice in Wonderland. No, I can't explain how that works, either, but it was amazing.

Thursday, January 12: Upon our 9 a.m. arrival in ATL, Trevor let me sit in his seat on the CRJ-200 to have my picture taken. I was really surprised how hard it is to climb into his seat!

Friday, January 13: Sutter Home's Pink Moscato. It wasn't as good as it looks.

Saturday, January 14: Vitamins and decaf coffee, two new items meant to help make me healthier, each in their own way.

2012 Goals

We might be more than a week into the new year at this point, but I'd like to share my goals for the year here, so that, theoretically, someone might hold me accountable.

1. Throw away or give away one thing each day.
I am talking about substantial things with this goal. A candy bar wrapper doesn't count. My busted up laptop bag that took its final flight over Christmas break DOES count because while it might still be salvageable, I have no interest in keeping around something that doesn't zip, that has lost most of its hardware, or that is showing that it is a faux leather due to wear on its edges and corners. I'm keeping a box handy to fill with items for Goodwill, and when it is full, I will take it to Goodwill.

2. Read the entire Bible this year.
A few friends and I are doing a chronological, informal bible study this year. With assigned daily readings, I don't think I can fail on this one.

3. Take a photo every day.
I'm doing something called Project Life. My friend Sara at Calico Sun is also joining me. I'm doing a scrapbook with mine, but Sara is doing some really creative stuff (like a video of her photos!). So far, my photos are sort of boring, but I know they'll get better (like this week, when I can maybe go along on some of Trevor's trip).

4. Work towards better health.
I'm not going to say that I'm going to lose x pounds or work out x times a week. I'm doing more than just that. I want to eat more healthy foods, get more exercise, and try to find a way to manage my allergies without taking three medications a day (yes, seriously, I take three medications a day, year round!).

That's it. Just a handful of simple, no stress goals designed to give me something to work towards without causing stress.

Project Life Photos for January 1-7, 2012

I'm not sure why, but Blogger or Picasa uploaded these in reverse chronological order. Since this is a stress-free project, I'm not going to mess with it.

January 7: A few new organizers for my desk resulted in a clean desk for the first time in awhile.

January 6: Trevor shows off his arm, which was poked in the morning for blood work and which bears his clinic wristband from a CT that afternoon.

January 5: Cookies on the oven, waiting for Trevor to come home from a doctor's appointment (yes, he dealt with medical personnel four times in one week).

January 4: After a nasty flu that required medical attention the night before, Trevor came home early from his trip. We spent the day watching TV and movies, and playing on our laptops. This is often the view I have from my desk - back of Trevor's chair and head while he surfs teh interwebz or plays games.

January 3: My shamefully cluttered desk. No, I can't do anything when it looks like this, hence the new organizers I purchased later in the week. I'll admit, I took this photo in order to shame myself into clearing my desk and keeping it clear.

January 2: Our new best friend, the Keurig Mini Plus Brewer. The novelty of this little beverage maker has made even Trevor, the sort of coffee drinker who needs the frou-frouiest drinks from Starbucks, try regular, brewed coffee. He might use it more often than I do -- and it was a Christmas gift to me, from my parents!

January 1: I loved that this newspaper showed some optimistic headlines for the new year, a glimpse into the  caucus and primary circus, and a great graphic wishing a happy new year.

I also liked this photo, too. We rang in the new year with glasses of Sweet Bliss white wine. I'm not sure which photo I'll be using in the album just yet, though!

The Weekend Reader: 2011 Book List

Here's what I read in 2011:

1. Unclutter Your Life in One Week by Erin Doland
2. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
3. Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris
4. Water for Elephants by Sarah Gruen
5. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
6. Club Dead by Charlaine Harris
7. An Unlikely Disciple: A Sinner's Semester at America's Holiest University by Kevin Roose
8. The Walking Dead, Volume 2: Miles Behind Us by Robert Kirkman*
9. Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris
10. Middlesex by Jeffery Eugenides***
11. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
12. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
13. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
14. Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris
15. Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris
16. All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris
17. From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris
18. Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris
19. The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
20. Divine by Karen Kingsbury**
21. The Walking Dead, Volume 1: Days Gone By  by Robert Kirkman
22. The Walking Dead, Volume 4: The Heart's Desire by Robert Kirkman
23. The Walking Dead, Volume 5:The Best Defense by Robert Kirkman
24. The Walking Dead, Volume 3: Safety Behind Bars by Robert Kirkman

*I read this book twice so I could refresh my memory before reading the other books in the series.

**This was one of the worst books I ever read, and certainly the worst one I read this year. If you are a big KK fan, please don't flame me -- I've been assured this is one of her worst works and that I will likely enjoy other novels she has written.

***This was one of the best books I've ever read. It took me a little while to get into it, but once I did, I couldn't stop reading it. I really don't remember the last time I couldn't put a book down like I experienced with Middlesex.

Reflections 2011: The Complete List

I failed miserably at my month of reflections in December. Between sicknesses, travel, work, and holiday fun, I just didn't get a lot of time for reflection. I might come back to these throughout the beginning of 2012, though. This new year has brought with it a new sense of reflection for me, a new desire for transformation. I don't think I've ever felt anything quite like this before.

So, I'm sharing all the reflections here, today, in case you're interested in all of them. I'll be back soon with more stuff. I promise. I will be better this year. :)

Reflections

1. What word best represents the year 2011? Is it a word you chose in advance, like the “One Little Word” project, or did the word “find” you during this past year? Why does this word represent this past year, and what did you learn in relationship to the word during 2011?

2. At the end of 2012, which word would you like to be able to say represented the year for you? Why do you want that word to represent your year? What actions can you take to make that happen?

3. Which 2011 accomplishment are you most proud of? Why are you proud of that accomplishment? Can you build upon that accomplishment in 2012? If so, how will you do so?

4. Did you go anywhere new in 2011? Where was it - a new grocery store, a vacation spot, a new class, a new website? Describe this new place.

5. Where do you want to go in 2012? Is it a vacation spot, a new direction in your work or hobby, a new restaurant, or something else? Describe where you want to go. Tell us why you want to go there. How could you - or your creative life - benefit from going somewhere new?

6. What held you back from achieving your goals in 2011? How can you make sure it doesn’t stop you in 2012?

7. What are your goals for 2012? What are your obligations in 2012? How can you mesh the two of these together?

8. Who or what did you say goodbye to this year? How did this separation affect you? What did you learn from it?

9. Which beliefs did you re-examine this year? How did your beliefs stand up against this re-examining?

10. Traditions are established through repetition. What did you do this year that you hope to repeat until it becomes a tradition? What made this experience worthy of becoming a tradition?

11. What traditions in your life might need re-examining? Why?

12. List the roles you currently play in the lives of others. Elaborate on these roles if you wish.

13. Review the list of roles you created yesterday. How might this list change in 2012? Will you be adding or subtracting any roles to this list? Explain.

14. Describe someone who has played a significant role in your life in 2011.
15. What was the best gift you received in 2011? What made it so special?

16. What was the best gift you gave in 2011? Why do you feel that gift was so special?

17. What’s on your Christmas list this year?

18. What do you do to document your life, your memories, or your ideas? How has your process evolved over the past year? How might it evolve in 2012?

19. What creative pursuits do you enjoy? What did you create through those creative pursuits this past year?

20. How can you take your creative pursuits to a whole new level in 2012? Taking a class, trying a new technique, trying a new creative outlet?

21. What did you make in 2011 that you are truly proud of? Whether it is a pan of brownies or a critically-acclaimed work of art, you’ve made something wonderful. Tell us about it.

22. What was the most beautiful thing you heard this year?

23. What was the most beautiful thing you saw this year?

24. Were you naughty or nice? Write a letter explaining your behavior over this past year, to Santa, someone else, God, or yourself.

25. Simply take a moment to document this day.

26. Who has served you in a practical way in 2011? How can you show your gratitude to them in 2012?

27. Who have you served in a practical way in 2011? How did you do it? Why? What did you learn from this experience?

28. Who can you serve in a practical way in 2012? How will you go about serving?

29. Describe your best day in 2011.

30. What are you saying hello to in 2012?

31. Tell me, me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life? - Mary Oliver

Reflections 2011: Belief

9. Which beliefs did you re-examine this year? How did your beliefs stand up against this re-examining?


I stumbled upon an article about fair trade via the internet. I didn't save the link, unfortunately. However, the main point of the article was this: fair trade creates an artificial shortage in the local supply of some agricultural products, making it extremely difficult for the poor to purchase these products. The example from the article was quinoa -- it has become a "fad food" in America, which means Americans are buying substantial amounts from Bolivian (I think) farmers who used to sell it cheaply to their neighbors. Since Americans are willing to pay more, farmers are selling almost none of their crop locally. Another issue stems from the fact that whenever a particular crop sells for a high price, overproduction usually comes after it, lowering the prices once again. Few crops can continue to sell at a high price unless they are extremely specialized -- for example, Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee always sells at a high rate because it is only grown on Jamaica's Blue Mountain, but crops that have multiple growing areas, like citrus fruits, will fluctuate if one growing region has a bad growing season.


I feel like I need to do more research into this subject matter before I declare "fair trade" a total failure. I also have to wonder if enough research has been done in general into this side of the fair trade issue. I did find it pretty shocking that fair trade could possibly be hurting the very people it is intended to help, though. I've done a bit of searching, and there is an article from The Economist, written in 2006, that delves into the criticisms of fair trade. However, I can't access it without purchasing an online access pass or becoming a subscriber. I may have to look into using an online database through a public library, or combing their physical magazine collection to read this article.

Reflections 2011: Goodbye

8. Who or what did you say goodbye to this year? How did this separation affect you? What did you learn from it?


MSG. Monosodium glutamate. I've made a point not to buy anything with MSG in it. I learned this past year that it is a neurotoxin, known to cause headaches in some individuals. I learned from a nurse that it is a cheap additive that will make anything taste good - even dirt. Because of this, MSG can be linked to obesity rates because it makes unhealthy food seem extremely palatable to the consumer.


Because I am prone to headaches, I felt that cutting MSG from my diet would be a positive change. It definitely has been. Saying goodbye to MSG has meant the purchase of less junk food, less processed frozen food, and less impulsive food purchases. It does mean that I'm more likely to buy name-brand products, too - Lay's Potato Chips don't contain MSG, while our store brand's comparable flavors do contain MSG. I know there is still a lot of junk in my diet (processed sugars and diet sodas, for example), but I feel like eliminating MSG has been good for me.


Over the past year, my headaches have been few and far between. There are fewer "random" headaches -- the majority can now be traced to seasonal or hormonal changes (or a missed can of caffeinated soda). I don't want to let anyone think that I was completely cured by eliminating MSG - I still get a couple headaches a month, but it's far better than the 4-10 a month I had before. I also visited urgent care twice last fall because of these headaches. The second visit sent me home with prescriptions for 10 days of amoxicillin followed by a five day azithromyacin course, and I noticed a marked decrease in my headaches after that. Honestly, though, it wasn't until the MSG was cut from my diet that I really, truly felt better.


Of course, it isn't completely gone. I'm sure MSG is in a lot of the food I eat when we go out. I know it is in Hidden Valley Ranch dressing, which is one of my favorites. I don't think it's in the organic version, so we might start eating that in our house instead. However, the important lesson I learned this year is that saying goodbye to junk in my diet can yield some major results. I'm thinking 2012 will see another "bad for me" item phased out of my diet, but I'm not quite sure what. Given the recent concerns about BPA in canned soups and tomatoes, I think canned foods might be next.

Reflections 2011: Prompts 8-14

8. Who or what did you say goodbye to this year? How did this separation affect you? What did you learn from it?

9. Which beliefs did you re-examine this year? How did your beliefs stand up against this re-examining?

10. Traditions are established through repetition. What did you do this year that you hope to repeat until it becomes a tradition? What made this experience worthy of becoming a tradition?

11. What traditions in your life might need re-examining? Why?

12. List the roles you currently play in the lives of others. Elaborate on these roles if you wish.

13. Review the list of roles you created yesterday. How might this list change in 2012? Will you be adding or subtracting any roles to this list? Explain.

14. Describe someone who has played a significant role in your life in 2011.

Reflections 2011: Goals & Obligations

7. What are your goals for 2012? What are your obligations in 2012? How can you mesh the two of these together?


My goals for 2012 are these: 1) Run a 5K. 2) Paint the inside of my house. 3) Hang up decorations in my house. 4) Purchase furniture to finish off the house. 5) Pay off another student loan ahead of schedule. 6) Complete my final class for Georgia teaching certification.


My obligations for 2012 are these: 1) Make monthly student loan payments. 2) Serve as matron-of-honor in my sister's wedding. 3) Teach for seven weeks while I cover a maternity leave. 4) Serve at church. 5) Keep up the exterior areas of our home to meet the HOA covenants and restrictions.


When considering how to mesh these two groups of things together, I think about a forwarded email I received in college. It was a long, drawn out unrealistic scenario about how a person was asked to fit golf balls, pebbles, and sand into a jar. They began in reverse order, and couldn't do it. The person requesting the task's completion then showed the proper way to do it: the biggest things go first, the medium-sized things come next, and the sand falls into place around them. This short scenario was meant to illustrate that if we place the most important things first in our lives, everything else will just fall into place around them. This is my plan for the coming year. I will put the important things first, and everything else should fall into place.

Reflections 2011: What held you back?

6. What held you back from achieving your goals in 2011? How can you make sure it doesn’t stop you in 2012?


Procrastination. Feeling sick. Time. Money.


I feel like these four things together stopped me from doing everything I wanted to do this year. I have a poor concept of how much time things will take to be completed. I tend to procrastinate by doing things online - Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, reading blogs. When I combine those two things, I find myself with too little time. And then there's the whole sickness thing. Three times this year, I got so sick I was pretty much worthless for awhile. Two of the three turned out to be allergies, which is frustrating because there isn't much I can do about those allergies, short of moving away.


In 2012, I'm not going to play time wasting Facebook games. I'll probably still do the other stuff I do online, but I'm going to scale back on it. I think I might utilize a timer to help me stay on task. I also think using a to-do list and keeping my work spaces clear would help me be more productive. Organization is key, I'm learning.

Reflections 2011: GO

5. Where do you want to go in 2012? Is it a vacation spot, a new direction in your work or hobby, a new restaurant, or something else? Describe where you want to go. Tell us why you want to go there. How could you - or your creative life - benefit from going somewhere new?


I want to go through the finish line.


Yes, there are so many other places I choose to say I want to go to in 2011. I want to go back to Jamaica. I want to go to Europe. I want to go anywhere. But for 2012, the finish line is the goal.


I want to run a 5K next year. I've neglected exercising for years. YEARS. I don't do well with sweating or being out of breath or feeling uncomfortable at all (unless it's being uncomfortable in pretty shoes - that's something I'm great at). Two weeks ago, I bought running shoes. I have a few 5K races in mind right now, and my goal is run one sometime next year. I just can't imagine how great it will feel to complete the race, to cross the finish line for the first time.

Reflections 2011: New Place

4. Did you go anywhere new in 2011? Where was it - a new grocery store, a vacation spot, a new class, a new website? Describe this new place.


There were several new places I visited this year. I took my first trip to Trader Joe's. I I took my first class at Big Picture Scrapbooking, entering the digital classroom for the first time. I visited Pinterest.com for the first time. I also visited two new states for the first time - New Hampshire and Ohio.


New Hampshire left the biggest impression on me. I'd been watching the TV series The West Wing with Trevor for over a year via Netflix discs. President Josiah Bartlett was a native of New Hampshire, and the character often spoke about the beauty and wonder of New Hampshire on the show. It was everything I'd hoped it would be.


We stayed at the cabin Russ inherited from his grandparents on Sand Pond Lake. It is a pristine lake, home to loons and trout and red newts. Mountains surround the clear water. The granite mountain tops are covered in wild blueberry bushes. We picked several quarts of the berries while we were there, and I still have about two cups in my freezer.


The cabin is a huge old house. It has been in Russ' family for about 100 years. His great-grandparents honeymooned there and loved it so much that they bought it. His grandfather lovingly cared for it for many years before leaving it to Russ when he passed away in 2009. Russ' grandmother passed away the following year. A granite bench bearing their names faces the water outside the cabin -- their ashes have been spread over the mountains and the lake.


What struck me about the cabin was the overwhelming sense of peacefulness there. No television, no air conditioning, no internet, no computers, and sometimes, no cellphone signal. While I was raised in the country without those things for many years, the cabin was on a whole different level. Perhaps it was because I've become acclimated to the metropolitan life, where I always have a cellphone signal. It was just so amazing to be living without those distractions for the three days we were there. It felt like a week, but it was simply three glorious days.

Reflections 2011: Accomplishment

3. Which 2011 accomplishment are you most proud of? Why are you proud of that accomplishment? Can you build upon that accomplishment in 2012? If so, how will you do so?

Buying our house is definitely the accomplishment I'm most proud of. I'm proud because we did it on a single income, and we made significant sacrifices to do so. We haven't had cable since the end of February, when we decided that was an expense we didn't need to worry about while we were in the process of purchasing and moving into a home. We don't eat out as much, and we only went to one movie this year. We've also decreased our shopping.

There are so many ways we can build on this accomplishment in 2012. First of all, we have an empty dining room. There are still a few places where we need to put some furniture. We certainly need to hang some decorations on the walls. Speaking of walls, we need to paint. Every room is still the same almond color it was when the house was built in 2010. I think it's time for some color. :)

Reflections 2011: The Next Word

2. At the end of 2012, which word would you like to be able to say represented the year for you? Why do you want that word to represent your year? What actions can you take to make that happen?

Good. I just want to be able to say at the end of 2012 that I've had a good year, that I am in good health, that I have a good marriage, that I was a good friend, and that I did good things.

The actions I can take towards making that happen seem so simple: just do it. Do the right things, the good things, and everything else will fall into place. I think what it comes down to is being mindful of my choices, and probably even more importantly, mindful of the consequences. For example, keeping a quart of ice cream in the freezer and two gallons of root beer in the fridge probably isn't a choice that contributes to good health because the consequences are a) me consuming lots of floats and b) me gaining weight.

Good probably isn't my One Little Word for 2012, just so you know. I don't think I can commit to using something so abstract for OLW. Also, I tend to choose verbs, and I'm not sure I want to break that pattern, either.