Ten on Tuesday - More and Less

This photo has nothing to do with 10 on Tuesday; it's just a cross-section photomicrograph of grass that makes me happy.

The Ten on Tuesday topic for today is an interesting consideration of 5 things you want to do less in the new year and 5 things you want to do more. This seems like an especially good way to list the ways I'd like to live in 2015, so I was able to come up with more than five fairly quickly. I'm in no way promising I'm going to be a learned, walking, encouraging, mindful listener by the end of the year, but I am going to be taking the necessary and ongoing small steps.

I may have to post this next to my kitchen sink as a reminder!

 Looking forward to reading more Ten on Tuesday more and less lists ...

My Year in Books

I've tried to figure out how to share my reading in 2015, and it looks like the easiest way may be through goodreads' compilation of My Year in Books.

In 2015 I read:

• 83 books
• 26,899 pages
• 12 5-star books
• 31 4-star books
• 31 3-star books
• 8 2-star books
• 1 that I couldn't bring myself to award any stars (Hausfrau in case you're wondering.) 

Some of my favorites in 2015 include:

• Our Souls at Night
• The Wild Inside
• A Man Called Ove
• Truck
• Mink River
• Gratitude

Some books that I'm looking forward to in 2016:

• My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout. I loved Olive Kitteridge, thought that The Burgess Boys was just average, but I think I'll be listening to this one as soon as it's released on Jan. 12th.
• Barskins by Annie Proulx. This won't be published until June and doesn't seem to be in goodreads yet, but since she's the author of The Shipping News, I have to give it a try.
• A Doubter's Almanac by Ethan Canin
• Pax by Sara Pennypacker. This is juvenile fiction, but the irresistible cover makes me want to read it.

 Here's hoping you have some time this year to enjoy a good book (or two)!

I'd love to hear what you're excited about reading in 2016.

A Memory Jar to Jar My Memory

New starts always feel like great opportunities to wipe the slate clean, begin again, and try to do things better. January 1st is a BIG new start, but I've certainly learned over the years that trying to do too much, too quickly, too perfectly inevitably results in frustration and failure on my part. So, my New Year plans for 2016 are simple.

I've got one resolution (I'll elaborate in a later post) and I'm doing one thing. I think both of these will have some interesting and long-term results, but on the surface they are straightforward and uncomplicated, greatly increasing my chances of actually carrying them out.

My one thing is a jar. Not a new or original idea by any means, but one that Justin brought to my attention after he read a facebook post. The idea is to write something every day on a small piece of paper, fold it up, put it in your jar, and then dump them out and read them all next New Year's Eve. The fact that a 22-year-old male thought this was meaningful enough to mention to his mother really struck me, so that's what I'm doing.

People have written about something they're grateful for, an accomplishment that day, or just something lovely that they noticed. I'm not giving myself any constraints, just that I write something positive. We shall see what this year brings.

Wishing everyone health, happiness, love, and something memorable every day in 2016!

Am Cam Catch-Up

The Am Cam had some technical difficulties (I got too busy to take photos), 

but it's time to catch up.

Look who bloomed on Christmas!

Minerva opened up her first bud, and since Christmas here was weirdly warm
 (72 degrees!), I took advantage of the weather to take her outside. 

We've since had a return to more seasonable weather, but that has also meant gray, dark, dreary skies. It's tough to find enough light to take photos, but here are
Minerva, Sakura, and Scarlet together.

Sakura has one flower shoot, getting ready to open soon. Maybe for New Year's Day? Minerva has three gorgeous flowers open, another bud on that shoot, and a second flower stalk with yet more buds. She'll be blooming for a long time! Scarlet blossomed a few weeks ago, and her flowers faded quickly. I cut off her flower stalk, and she's now finally growing some leaves. 

Here's hoping that 2016 provides plenty of opportunities for
beauty and blossoming for all of us.

Ten on Tuesday

Since this year is rapidly waning, today's Ten on Tuesday provides the perfect opportunity to list 10 Things You Did in 2015 That Made You Feel Proud. Making this list required a review of my year since I couldn't think of anything off the top of my head. Reading through a year's worth of blog posts did remind me of a few things.

1. Started making walking a priority. This was easy in the summer, but became more difficult when daylight saving time ended. There are days that I don't do 10,000 steps but I still walk every day. Something is better than nothing!
2. Justin's college graduation. I didn't do any of the hard work, but would like to think that I provided plenty of support. 
3. Kon-Maried quite a bit. There is still more to do, but I got rid of enough stuff that I can see the difference.
4. Read 81 books (so far -- there are still two more days in 2015!). I'm not sure this is a major accomplishment because reading is something I love to do, so the real challenge for me is not reading, especially when there is something else I should be doing.
5. Completed Book Bingo this summer. Again, not an earth-shattering accomplishment, but it did take a focused effort and was a big help in broadening my reading horizons.
6. I knit more in 2015. Okay, I only finished one more project than in 2014, but I think my goal of two more projects in 2016 is a realistic one!
7. Started Calculus One. I had plenty of calculus and math in college, but that was decades ago. Attending several of Ryan's Calculus Two classes showed me how much I had forgotten, so I'm slowly but surely working my way through this Coursera online course. While it's not easy for me, I am finding it fun, interesting, and challenging. I will try Calculus Two at some point, but what I'd really like to do next is a good course on Dante's Inferno.
8. Made some difficult decisions. I have quite the knack for shying away from the tough choices, but there were several this year that I faced head-on and did what had to be done.
9. Became more adventurous. Only some small, subtle changes might be evident to others, but I'm ever so slowly becoming more adventurous in what I eat, what I do, and how I think. It's hard to teach an old dog new tricks, but I'm trying.
10. Thought long and hard about a New Year's resolution. I hope the feeling of pride will come at this time next year when I see how well I've carried through, but it is a good and necessary goal that I'm excited about (and maybe already a tiny bit proud because I've made some baby steps this year.) More about this in a later post.

I didn't cure cancer, solve the global warming crisis or do anything really big in 2015,

 but my small accomplishments still make me feel a bit of pride.
What are you proud of this year?

Not a Creature Was Stirring ...

Not even a mouse.

Wishing you all time to enjoy the quiet beauty and peace of the season.

Ten on Tuesday

Today's Ten On Tuesday topic is like a balm to my soul. Carole has asked us to list 10 Things You Look Forward to Doing After The Holiday Rush, and I'm so looking forward to doing these, starting the afternoon of the 25th! Due to some major family and work commitments I've done next to nothing for Christmas, but this time crunch has helped me to decide what is really important.

1. Decorate the tree. This one may sound a bit facetious, but we finally made time to get a tree just last night. This is what it looks like now, but decorating may happen in the near future, maybe even before Christmas. 
2. Spend time with my kids. It doesn't happen often enough, but both kids are here for a short while and I'm enjoying every minute of having the whole family under one roof.
3. Making (and eating!) prime rib. Our Christmas dinner is simple -- prime rib, twice-baked potatoes, and Brussels sprouts from the garden. It's easy to prepare and I can't wait to eat some delicious prime rib with some wonderful people around the table.
4. Finish some Christmas knitting. I have 7/8 of a hat done and have only just cast on for some fingerless mitts, but I hope to relax with my knitting someday soon.
5. Visit the alpaca farm. Ryan and I have a tradition of heading to our local alpaca farm together where we have a great day visiting the llamas, alpacas, and yaks, and he buys my Christmas present. I always look forward to spending time with him during this wonderful low-key day.
6. Knit a Baa-ble Hat. I've seen some really nice ones, and I think Donna has knit more than one. Every time I see a new one, I want one of my own even more.
7. Read. I've been listening to some audiobooks, but nothing that has been able to hold my attention while my mind feels scattered and worried. I really want to get lost in a great book.
8. Kon-Mari some more. I went through our Christmas lights in hopes of getting them on the tree some day, and was shocked to find six strands that didn't work (even though they were in the box labeled "lights that work"!) I hope to cull some more decorations along with whatever else does not bring me joy.
9. Get organized electronically. My laptop has a charging issue that probably means I'll need a new one in the new year. I'm going to go through files, photos, documents, etc. and not just transfer them without some thought and organization.
10. Spend time judiciously. I've been forced to think about how I use my time since there has really not been enough of it lately. There have been plenty of days that I have wasted time, and I find myself wishing I had some of it back. I want to consider the tradeoffs we have to make between presence and productivity and live my life well so I have fewer regrets. Annie Dillard said it well:  

"How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. What we do with this hour, and that one, is what we are doing. A schedule defends from chaos and whim. It is a net for catching days. It is a scaffolding on which a worker can stand and labor with both hands at sections of time. A schedule is a mock-up of reason and order—willed, faked, and so brought into being; it is a peace and a haven set into the wreck of time; it is a lifeboat on which you find yourself, decades later, still living."

What are you looking forward to doing when things slow down a bit?

  I hope you find make time to do it soon.