A new year in lists

Happy 2012! 

I am amazed that it is really and truly 2012. What happened? It seems I was just celebrating Y2K, with the anticipation of what might happen when those darn computers did or did not recognize the new millenium.

Now, it is 2012?!

How in the world did that happen?

I had a lovely kick off to my new year. I happened to find myself at in one of my favorite spots in Florida listening to a great band with a slew of my favorite family members. 

We laughed and joked and had a great start to a new year.  A family reunion at the beach is a lovely way to start a new year. 20 people is a fabulous number to  have stay in one house, especially when you all like each other, which we do very much.

"kids"

"Grownups"

I am really unsure of what this year will bring me and my family.  

My oldest will turn 13 this year. My husband's practice will turn 13. Our house turns 87.

What does any of this mean? I have no idea. 

I am at a place in my life where I feel I am floating along in limbo. Hence the lists. 

Will this make me more interesting?

My husband told me that lists are guy things. Whether or not this is true, I find it an interesting statement about me and my love of them. I am a "guy's" girl in that I like "guy" humor, I am not super girly and most of my life, my closest friends have been "guys". 

I kinda cracked up because my closest friend is a list lover as well. She is not super girly either. Maybe that is what drew us together, our love of lists and children that loved water. 

(We met at baby swim class).

I lost my momentum of reviewing and checking off the list at the end of the year. But in review, I did accomplish a fair amount of my goals, silly and serious. I dropped several out of sheer laziness as well, mixed with a little over achiever attitude. Also, my attitude about "resolutions" did not change and I really did not keep up with them. 

However, the ones I did, I did well. 

(One last) Review of the 2011 list

#1 Eat less sugar : Check! Until the holidays I cut way back. Saw a big difference in lots of health related areas.

 

#2 Cook a new ethnicity once a week: Check! We ate a variety of goodies and I rediscovered my knack for creating dishes out of this air!

#3 Paint the doors and trim in my house: got farther, but still working on this. 

#4 Read 100 book: 62! Whoo hoo! I reread a few favorites and read a lot of different books, mostly serious. Also read a few of my daughter's books. 

#5 Find inner peace: Really did try on this one. The end of the year caught up with my (around September) but this was a thought provoking goal which made me realize my kids need a peaceful roll model.

#6 Learn 60 Bible verses: Embarassing! Dropped it... 

#8 Reduce my carbon foot print: Check! we bought a new air condition/heating unit and our house is running on less. Lights have been turned off like it's 1975 and our garbage can is less full every week. Recycling is less as well. Not sure what I am doing other than buying less, recycling items, and getting things fixed, but somehow it is working. 

#9 Reduce my spending: Ongoing... Still not happy, but it is getting better. I had a blowout birthday trip...

 

#10 love more: We have no new animals...

#11 Train for a half marathon: Check! walked a half with my sisters, ran Ragnar... I think I was successful!

#12 learn to swim: Check! took lessons, swam in the ocean and also in a pool. Check!

# 13 Embrace my inner craftiness: epic fail. However, I did refinish a desk for  my daughter. So half a check.

I am considering a new list...things to be done in 2012. Instead of resolutions, a to-do list of self and maybe home, improvements. Pondering this is difficult. The only thing I have so far is "sticking to it"...whatever it is...

Tune back for more rivetting topics.