Last year, I made a few very specific resolutions for 2007. For the most part, I did well. Despite some slacking off during December, we eat at the kitchen table, I'm not terribly freaked out by the basement, our college pictures are in albums, and I had seedlings become mighty tomato plants. I also started sewing some skirts and other clothes for myself, and learned to knit. These two items may be why I don't feel that I've definitively become a better blogger - my hands are otherwise occupied in the evenings.
I liked the resolution process, though. Going for small, measurable goals makes me feel rather good about myself on December 31, and self-esteem is in short supply when you're as neurotic as I am. I guess all those years of writing goals for my 4-H record books have paid off - I want a clear idea of what I'm shooting for, not some ambiguous ideal state that I may never get to. (Come to think of it, it looks like 4-H has colored my view on the Iraq war, too...how will we know when we've won? Four and a half years and I'm still not sure.)
With the exception of a couple of personal things, here are the resolutions for 2008:
- Finish the basement. This doesn't sound like a small goal, but my plan is for the basement to be furniture-ready at the end of 2008. The actual process of moving furniture in may take a bit longer, since it will require careful shopping and large purchases. But we'll be ready for it.
- Start up some yoga again. I'm not an exerciser. I hate getting sweaty and out of breath, and I'm not concerned enough with my own personal image to do it in spite of my distaste. I do like yoga, though - stretching and strength building followed by a nice lie-down on a mat
is my kind of activity. My muscles felt better when I was doing yoga regularly, so I'd like to start that up again.
- Complete sewing this pattern. I have the pattern. I have the fabric - a beautiful lightweight charcoal gray wool. I even have enough cheap quilting cotton to make up a complete muslin. And I am terrified. I think I may need to do some alterations to make it fit right, and that's something I've never done before. The nice wool fabric was pricey, and I would be heartbroken to make it up into something I'll never wear. (I would make this a resolution to learn how to alter sewing patterns, but I can't ever say that's something I have accomplished - there will always be something more to learn.)
- Stock up some meals in the freezer. It may have something to do with spending more time and energy on sewing and knitting this year, but I just don't want to cook as much as I used to. I still feel pretty strongly about the value of making my own meals and not eating too much processed food out of boxes, though, so filling up the freezer with meals I can pull out on short notice sounds like an ideal solution. Now I just need to find some recipes that aren't glorified Hamburger Helper and get started. (And toss or do something with the two turkeys in there that I bought when they were really good deals, but never got around to cooking. If these turkeys were children, they'd be walking, talking, and almost ready for preschool. Seriously.)
- Start using my reusable bags. I have a couple of old-ish library totebags that I've been meaning to use as grocery bags for, oh, seven or eight months now. This year I intend to use them. At least once.
- Make some more crafty posts. I made a post or two about sewing last year, but I never really got in the hang of posting about every finished object I came up with. I'm not really sure how to go about this goal, and even less sure that this blog is the place for it. My attempts at a second blog failed miserably a couple of years ago, and I don't think I want to repeat that. I'll most likely look for a way to integrate a photo stream of my projects with this site, or perhaps link to my Ravelry profile once the site is open to the public. We shall see. One way or another, there will be more craftiness. In the meantime, just look at the cute bunny slippers I made for my sister Anne for Christmas!
I realize that these goals are all about me. In fairness, I asked Craig if he had anything to include, and all he said was "finish the basement." So never fear, he's accounted for.
