Thursday Thirteen Things I’d Like To Do In 2007 (#18)

So this is the time of year when everyone is doing New Year’s Resolutions. I prefer not to do “Resolutions” because they’re generally broken and joked about by the middle of January and forgotten by President’s Day. Then, next January, they’ll be resolved again.

So, instead, I usually try to use the time to reflect and think about the things I’d like to work on in my life, changes, improvements, and so on. I don’t make myself any impossible promises though. I know my limits and I know physics. There’s no way I can lose 60 lbs in 2 months, for example; nor is it likely that I’ll be getting up at 5am any time soon to exercise 3 times a week.

Anyway, here is my list of things I would like to do in 2007, no promises, but I’m working on it.

Thirteen Things about N. Mallory

1. Finish a book a month. That doesn’t sound like a lot, does it? I’ve gotten into a nasty habit of starting books and never finishing them. I started The Dark Side of Christian History last Christmas. I’ve started about 20 other books since then too. I’m about 2/3rds of the way through The Dark Side of Christian History and I’m not a slow reader. I read a lot of online blogs and newspapers and a number of magazines that come to the house. The book is a conspiracy book and while dry it’s good, but it’s also a good example of my problem with not finishing books that I start. So, this year, I’d like to finish at least one unfinished book in each of the twelve months.
2. Be less angry. I’ve been told I’m an angry person. I’ve thought quite a bit about this in 2006. Heck, sometimes I’ve been a bit angry about it. However, I think it can be true on some things. I do have a tendency to hold on to some anger on certain subjects — my last boss and his boss, some of my old doctors, some political stuff — that last one seems to be America’s favorite angry pastime of late. I’m going to try to harness some of that anger and refocus what I can into positive energy. After all, I can’t do anything about the past stuff like my old job and my old doctors, but if there’s something I can do about current events like getting involved in letter writing and campaign help, then I’ll be a positive person doing positive things.
3. Be more healthy. This is an on-going personal project, a continuation from 2006. Now that I’ve actually got some diagnoses for some of what ails me and I’m in the progress of finding out more about my health issues, I’m more than happy to work on treatments that will lead to better health. I’m really working on giving up my caffeine as the doctors wish — though this is my least favorite of all the sacrifices. Physical therapy, acupuncture, nutrition, exercise, medication, I’ll do whatever they tell me. If I can lose weight somewhere along the way, I’ll be extra happy, but really it’s about feeling better and hurting less.
4. Finish a knitting project. I started learning how to knit this fall but had to put it aside with the move and unpacking and new home projects. I’d like to get restarted on knitting and actually finish a project, I have two started — a scarf and a dish towel. I have the yarn for a matching hat and scarf project to do next too. I’d like to make myself some mittens and my mother wants some slippers. I’ve got to get this going.
5. Take up gardening. One of the things I really wanted to do for years is learn how to garden, but living in apartments has squashed that. Now that I have a house with a yard, I can finally try my hand at it and see if I have a green thumb. Inspired by Mac at peskyapostrophe and her vegetable garden, I decided that marigolds weren’t going to be enough for me. I also want to grow my own vegetables this year; so on her recommendation, I used an Amazon gift certificate to order Square Foot Gardening. I’m going to read up on it before Spring. (Please refer to #1.) I’m hoping to grow my own salads this year, avoid the seasonal e. coli outbreaks. That way I can not only have fresher vegetables than what I buy at the grocery stores but I can control the quantity. So often what I buy from the store goes bad before I alone can use it because I’m a one person household. I have to really want a lot of salad if I’m buying from the store or be willing to pay an arm and a leg at the salad bar — which is generally their vegetables that are on the verge of going bad anyway. (I also requested a Burpee catalog on Mac’s sugestion too. )
6. Don’t get in debt. This is just kind of a reminder to myself. I think it could be easy to myself now that I’m in this house paying bigger bills and wanting to do house projects and fix up the place. I’ve been in debt before. It wasn’t fun. Outside of my mortgage, I don’t want to owe anyone. I think it’s important to keep this in mind through 2007.
7. Attend 1-2 write-ins a month. And use that time for actual writing. I haven’t been in a really long time to a write-in and now I really don’t even have the excuse of not having money for the toll road as I have a toll pass. I need to pick one of my writing exercise books and use it every week if I’m not going to work on an actual project. Plus, this should help me with #8.
8. Be more social. I need to find more ways to get out of the house and do social things. When Spring comes, I need to go to every Pug meet-up in the Park, not to mention the write-ins. I need to put myself out there. I need to meet some people. I’d love to join a bowling league or something, but I’d hate to do that to strangers. I need to take some of the art classes at the craft stores and some of the home improvement classes at the home improvement stores.
9. Become the Queen Princess Court Jester of Housekeeping. I want to create a regular to-do list of things to do for the house each week and month, etc. The important thing is to keep up with doing things but not to beat myself up if I don’t do things exactly on the day I set on the calendar. There’s a lot to do around here and it can be overwhelming. I think it’d be easy to let myself be so overwhelmed that I’d give up and go the exact other way until I’m overwhelmed by the mess and don’t know where to start and this is a big place and it could be a big mess. I don’t have to be Monica Gellar-neat, but I’ve got to be manageable neat, like I wouldn’t be embarrassed if the neighbors saw in the window messy or if some new friend stopped by and I wanted to invite him or her inside.
10. Stop procrastinating so much. I procrastinate my procrastinating. Seriously. See most of the above. I still have Christmas presents that haven’t been wrapped or mailed. And let’s not talk about the Christmas cards.
11. Get more involved with my extended family. I’m not close with my extended family like I’d like to be. I’ve written about that here. I discovered that in 2006. I made progress in 2006 toward rectifying that, I think, but I’d like to work harder on those relationships, particularly with Aunt J. I still haven’t met Aunt J’s grandson. I’d like to go visit Aunt J without my parents this year. Maybe I’ll go help her set up her iPod one weekend — can you believe she has a 30G iPod just sitting around in a box?
12. Organize my file cabinet. I’m told that as a homeowner, I’ll finally get to use the “itemize” option on my 2007 taxes in 2008. To do that, I actually have to do something other than drop everything in a big pile in a box I think. I just have to decide on an organizational plan and stick with it. You know, do I organize by month or by bill? Do I put all medical stuff together in one folder? What about household receipts? Do I save every receipt, even the cat food receipts?
13. Go Green. I’ve got a home recycling center after obtaining a list of what can be recycled by the local Transfer Station and how they want it sorted. My pets won’t eat home-cooked meals so they eat the closest kibble I can get as far as what’s comparable. I want to grow my own vegetables. I eat mostly vegetarian. However, I know there’s a lot more I can do to go toward being Green, but I’m not exactly sure what that is. So, that’s something I’d like to explore. I’m looking for book suggestions. (Ha! See #1.)

tags: Thursday Thirteen, bloghopping, meme, New Years Resolutions, gardening, knitting, debt, weight, health, writing, Green Living, housekeeping, dysfunctional family

33 comments

1. on December 27, 2006 at 8:44 pm

   Housekeeping » Blog Archive » Thursday Thirteen Things I’d Like To Do In 2007 (#18) said:

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2. on December 27, 2006 at 11:03 pm

   -- a metamorphoself of gabrielle said:

   Thursday Thirteen: Where’s the Garden of Eden Located?…

   And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden . . . And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted and became into four heads. The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compassed the whole land of Havilah,…

3. on December 28, 2006 at 6:32 am

   Tink said:

   I hope both your and my “resolutions” will last the whole year! All the best for a great year!
   Thanks for visiting my TT. Do you want to start postcard exchanging by swapping a card with me? Send me your address by mail and I’ll send you mine. Look here: http://tinkerbell.nl.googlepages.com/bloggers

4. on December 28, 2006 at 7:14 am

   Di said:

   Believe it or not, the knitting might help with the anger. I don’t knit much now that I live in FL, but I remember it being very calming.
   I did resolutions, but I like your gentler way of saying it.
   RE: healthy eating…see mine re: 5 a day…good for you and good for my husband (he’s in the produce biz!)

5. on December 28, 2006 at 7:17 am

   meredith said:

   # 4 a MUST! And I would like to join you on # 1. I need to read more. I think it would encourage my child who has decided reading is passe to pick up more books.

   Happy TT!

6. on December 28, 2006 at 7:54 am

   Susan Helene Gottfried said:

   OOh, good list! Best of luck with it all — I am also a queen of procrastination (although I read way more than a book a month), so I hear you loud and clear.

   Just sit down and give yourself the time and permission to do this stuff and you’ll be fine.

7. on December 28, 2006 at 8:20 am

   Caryle said:

   Excellent list of things to do this year! I’m right there with you on several of those things, especially the stop procrastinating thing.

   I’m keeping a list of books I read this year, so it should be interesting to see how many books I actually finish.

8. on December 28, 2006 at 9:02 am

   Darla said:

   Good luck accomplishing your goals! My TT’s about resolutions, as well.

9. on December 28, 2006 at 9:04 am

   Terri said:

   Wishing you all the best on accomplishing these goals throughout the coming year. I’m a knitter, so can relate to that one. But I’ve actually finished a few of my projects this past year.

10. on December 28, 2006 at 9:11 am

    Kelli said:

    This is such a positive list! I wish you all the best in accomplishing all of them. I would love to read more, but I find myself doing more for school than for me! Oh. well..at least I’m reading!!!

    Happy TT and Happy New Year!!!

11. on December 28, 2006 at 9:20 am

    PRACTiCAL CHiCK said:

    I love The Queen of Clean. I have How the Queen of Clean Cleans Everything.

    Work hard on your resolutions and don’t be too hard on yourself if you can’t do them all…but focus on number 1! LOL

    I’m up too!

12. on December 28, 2006 at 9:26 am

    elementaryhistoryteacher said:

    The book you are reading sounds interesting. I may have to go seek it out.

    I posted a list from Atlantic Magazine of the 13 most influential Americans. Who do you think the top 13 are?

13. on December 28, 2006 at 9:29 am

    Chickadee said:

    I looked at that Square Root gardening book at work but didn’t buy it (because I procrastinated and it was gone! LOL) but it looked interesting.

    I don’t make resolutions either because you’re right, they are broken ASAP, but I do like your reflections. That’s a good way of starting off the new year, being realistic about resolutions vs. reflections. You’ve got many that I need to work on.

    My 13 is up. I started a new blog so this will be my 1st at my new blog!

14. on December 28, 2006 at 9:46 am

    Barbara H. said:

    I tend to think of general goals and direction rather than resolutions, too. Many of yours could be on my list.

    My TT today is NY resolutions for dogs.

15. on December 28, 2006 at 9:52 am

    Sparky said:

    great ideas all around. If you can figure out how to be less angry, let me know how you do it

16. on December 28, 2006 at 10:00 am

    Becky said:

    I posted my New Year’s Resolutions which I normally don’t make. But, this year I am determined! Good luck with your non-resolutions! Happy TT & have a blessed New Year!

17. on December 28, 2006 at 10:33 am

    Janet said:

    All very good things! I wish you luck

18. on December 28, 2006 at 10:59 am

    Missy said:

    I commend you on #8 and encourage you to join the write-ins. There are also some great authors/writers in the blogging world that can help keep you on the write-path.

19. on December 28, 2006 at 11:43 am

    Southern Girl said:

    Those are some great goals! I’m like you…I don’t like to make “resolutions” either. Sometime before the end of the year, I need to post mine for 2007, too.

    Hope you experience all kinds of good success in accomplishing each one of the thirteen!

    Happy TT!

20. on December 28, 2006 at 12:44 pm

    laura said:

    goals are good to have. ood luck realizing these.
    my tt is up for this week.

21. on December 28, 2006 at 12:52 pm

    Allie said:

    Love the list. It sounds similar to mine.

22. on December 28, 2006 at 1:27 pm

    SciFiChick said:

    Great list! Hope you stick to it!

23. on December 28, 2006 at 1:32 pm

    Tammy said:

    Great list, but it made me feel a little guilty.

    Square Foot Gardening is great and so’s the Burpee catalog. Sometimes you can get some fun seeds from heirloom seed catalogs.

    My first TT is up.

24. on December 28, 2006 at 4:19 pm

    JO said:

    great list! hope you get to do all of them.

    happy new year!

25. on December 28, 2006 at 6:11 pm

    Mitch said:

    Stop procrastinating so much.

    In the new book I’m working on. I list procrastinating and perfectionism as the two biggest problems of achieving goals.

    Thanks for the Read

    Mitch

26. on December 28, 2006 at 6:12 pm

    marianne said:

    great, ambitious list! Much luck with it - I hope you do well.

27. on December 28, 2006 at 7:21 pm

    Lara said:

    I love your list!! Way more inspiring than mine! LOL

    Funny how I was expecting people to come tell me they wanted an ING invite, and the only two responses so far are from people who already have them! And I thought I was cutting edge… only 2 years late! LMAO

    Hope your holidays were full of FUN and LOVE, chica… I miss ya!

28. on December 28, 2006 at 9:11 pm

    Melissa said:

    Great list of “reflections” I’m working on many of them myself, especially get healthy and keep the house clean enough for friends to drop by.

29. on December 29, 2006 at 8:31 am

    Holly Burnham said:

    I applaud your New Year’s plan…as I read your list I see we all seem to struggle with pretty much the same issues; it’s great to have someone line up a game plan.
    Visit flylady.com you will love her plan for effortlessly getting your house in shape. It helped me.

30. on December 29, 2006 at 2:25 pm

    Jenny Ryan said:

    Looks like you have a great year planned!

31. on December 29, 2006 at 3:28 pm

    Norma said:

    You’ve got a great start. #1 is specific–that’s the key. If people think you are “angry” I’m guessing you are a problem solver, not a goal setter. See? I’m trying to solve a problem here. That’s how it works!

    My TT this week is on new year’s finances. And visit my Friday Photo before you dash off.

32. on December 29, 2006 at 3:39 pm

    Bubba said:

    What an ambitious list! I think if I can buckle down long enough to finish even ONE book I’ll be doing well…lol

    Happy TT…and Happy New Year!

33. on December 29, 2006 at 6:55 pm

    Marcia said:

    Well, I know you have your hands full, because if I were to write a list like that, it would be nearly identical! Have fun with it though.

    Happy Friday.

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