Reporting Day: March

I really don't feel like reporting in which is probably a really good indication of my need to report in--not that I wasn't reasonably good.

Year-long Goals:

1. Read 12 Nonfiction books: Read "How We Fight" by Dominic Tierney--a really interesting look at how we (Americans) fight different types of wars--why we accept thousands of casualties in a war against a state but relatively few against insurgents, etc. This puts me at 3 for the year. Right on track!

2. Read 2008-2010 to-read list: When I last reported I had finished the 2008 to-read list and was moving through the 2009 to-read list (I believe I had 2 books left on this list). Since then I started and stopped a nearly unreadable book and have checked out the final book on my 2009 list--all 900 pages of that book are still sitting on my bookshelf. (This was, of course, in addition to reading all the books not on my 2009 list) Will be quite happy if I get 2009 completed by the end of this month.

3. Read the New Testament: I'm into John now and right on track.

4. Attend the Temple twice a month: I absolutely didn't think I was going to get this one finished this month due to some very poor planning but then on the very last day of the month my afternoon completely opened up and I was able to make that second trip to the temple!

5. Go someplace new: Still haven't thought about this one much.

6. Write 12 thank you cards: Oh, I am bad!

Monthly Goals:

1. Drink 6 cups of water daily: I think I missed 2 days this month.

2. Eat 2 fruits daily: I think I missed 3 days this month--but I was feeling ill so eating wasn't a priority.

3. Eat 3 veggies daily: Same as the fruits. Also I would just like it noted here how, despite the missed days, hard I worked on this particular goal--as in there were a number of days that I was eating spinach as a bedtime snack. For the most part, though, I'm getting pretty good about getting my veggies in during normal working hours.

4. Exercise 30 minutes 3 times a week: I rocked this one!

And the end result: better looking skin, glossier hair, and I'm down 5 pounds. Not only that, four days into the new month and healthy eating is still a habit (I know, it is only 4 days but still...).

Goals for April:

May was going to be my clean/declutter/organize month but I've been bitten by the Spring cleaning bug so I thought I'd move this one up a month:

1. Go though entire wardrobe and try everything on and then get rid of everything that doesn't fit, make me happy, or perhaps has holes.

2. Organize closet and dresser.

3. Organize bookshelves--including catch-all boxes on bookshelves.

4. Clean walls, doors, baseboards, windows, blinds, and carpet of bedroom.

5. Organize pantry.

6. Flip mattress and wash pillows.

What They Say Is True

You know how THEY always say that drinking water is good for your skin? And how I have really, really terrible skin. And how, even though I have often heard the advice about water being good for my skin, I have never really tried it out (or at least not for a long enough period of time to count)--cause I am a really terrible water drinker. Well, it turns out they were right: water is really good for my skin. Not, like, good enough to take a picture and post it or anything (cause I still have terrible skin--just not really, really terrible skin) but last night, as I was washing my face, I noticed that my skin does look remarkable so much better than it normally does--except that patch under my nose that is currently red and raw from the amount of tissues I have been forced to use of late.

And to add to my triumph: I only add to arise from bed once last night to visit the bathroom!!!

I know they are small, insignificant joys, but they are my small, insignificant joys.

Reporting Day - February

So it is time to check in once again and report on my New Year's resolutions. And so far, I'm feeling pretty good:

Yearly resolutions:

1. Read 12 Nonfiction books: I've now read 2 and am right on track.

2. Read 2008-2010 to read lists: I completed what was left on my 2008 list and have 3 books left on my 2009 list

3. Read the New Testament: I'm into Luke

4. Attend the temple twice a month: did it! and didn't even wait until the last week of the month

5. Go someplace new: still thinking about this one

6. Write 12 thank you cards: wrote 3

Monthly goal: Prayer

Like I mentioned last month, this was a difficult goal to track but I feel like I accomplished what I wanted (more frequent and more thoughtful prayers) so I'm going to call this one good as well.

March's monthly goal: Health

This one is one I can actually track (yay!) and so far I am doing a perfect job of it!--okay so it is only day 2 of the month but still I'll take perfect even for just a couple of days:

1. Drink 6 cups of water every day (i.e. get to know my bathroom better)

2. Eat 2 pieces of fruit every day

3. Eat 3 servings of vegetables every day

4. Exercise for 30 minutes 3 times a week.

Reporting

There is absolutely nothing that keeps me more on top of my New Year's Resolutions like reporting on my blog how I am doing. When I don't report I don't keep my resolutions. When I do report I tend to keep at least some/most of them. I think it has something to do with a self-preservation that stems from not wanting to look inept or be embarrassed by my lack of resolution keeping. There is also nothing like reporting when you have actually had a pretty good go at you resolutions:

Year-Long Goals:

1. Read 12 Nonfiction books:

I read one: "More than Petticoats: Remarkable Utah Women"--It was a terribly written book that I would never have picked up except we were reading it in book group, but, hey, I get to check off 1 of those 12 nonfiction books. Now I just need to figure out what to read this month (any suggestions). I already have the first half of the month scheduled out with books and none of them are nonfiction so I really need to start thinking about this or I will be on my way to reading 11 nonfiction books in December.

2. Read 2008-2010 to-read list:

I have 1 and 1/2 books left on my 2008 to-read list so I fell like I am making some progress.

3. Read the New Testament:

Nearly through with Matthew!

4. Attend the temple twice a month:

So, yes, I ended up attending the temple twice last week. And yes, one of those times was on Saturday morning in a purposeful attempt to watch the BYU Men's Basketball team that afternoon (I would like it noted that while I did arrange my temple attending time around a sporting event my temple attendance itself was in no way related to the event) and it would appear that I was not the only one with that idea as I was forced to park a least a 1/4 of a mile away from the temple. As I was walking my 1/4 of a mile I started wondering if my local temples see a drop in attendance during BYU sporting events and if temple's world-wide see an increase of temple attendance during the first couple of months of the year the way gyms do. Something I will need to remember to ask my temple-working friends.

5. Go someplace new:

No movement on this one

6. Write 12 thank you cards:

Sadly, no movement on this one either

Monthly Goal:

Posture:

I think I mentioned earlier this month that this was a rotten goal as there is no real way of measuring my success except to say that I have a better understanding of what makes good posture, a better awareness of what I, in particular, need to do to have good posture (No Crossing of My Legs), and have made a real effort throughout the month to have better posture. And I'm going to go ahead and call all that a success.

This month's monthly goal:

Prayer (another rotten goal without any key measurements):

1. Pray morning and night (I tend to let my morning prayers slip through until mid-morning and sometimes forget entirely on weekends--oddly enough especially on Sunday (I blame 9 am church--or at least I'd like to except that I manage to pray in the mornings when I have to be to work at 8 am)).

2. Spend 5 minutes before each prayer to ponder what I want out of the day/what I have accomplished and how I have seen my Heavenly Father's hand in my life.

Any other ideas on the topic of prayer would be much appreciated.

The One on Resolutions

It's not to late to be talking resolutions, is it? I really, truly had intended on being on top of my posts but then life got in the way (which I suppose is really a positive) and I have become a complete blogging slacker. I've got the day off, though, so in between sleeping until that blessed hour of 8, catching up on a few Church responsibilities, cleaning my bathroom and my room and possibly my stove, and reading (something that has been sorely lacking from my life of late), I though I would catch up on blogging (mine and yours).

As I mentioned, I really had intended to be on top of blogging and on top of resolutions this month/year (lets just pretend last year's resolutions didn't exist--except for the one about learning to sew a skirt!). In fact, I spent much of December considering what kinds of resolutions to have, how many, and then mapping it all out. And for the most part, though I haven't told anyone about them, I am already making some good progress! What I have decided on is 6 goals that I will be working on throughout the year and then 1 goal I will be working on each month (And thanks to everyone who has been publishing your resolutions. You have been an inspiration to me and my goals). Here is what I am working on/going to be working on:

Year-long Goals:

1. Read 12 Nonfiction books (at least 6 of them published in 2011)

2. Read all the books on my to-read list that date from 2008 to 2010 (about 70 books)

3. Read the New Testament (I am already 13 chapters in so this on is going quite well)

4. Attend the Temple two times a month (which means I will be attending this week and next week or twice next week--must to better)

5. Go someplace new (I had this goal last year and went to Toelle for about an hour and counted it. Not this year! This year I will go someplace new for real)

6. Write 12 thank you cards

January Goal:

Improve my posture (which is a terrible goal as there is no real measurement that I can do to say I have completed the goal but as I have the world's worst posture, something simply had to be done) by reading up on improving my posture (check), practising good posture throughout the day (small check--sometimes I forget but lots of times I remember), telling others to smack me upside the head when I am displaying poor posture (this is what I am doing now--feel free to smack away). Here is what I have learned about me and posture: crossing my legs is evil and is likely to induce slouching, it is possible to sit at a desk for long periods of time with good posture if you sit in the chair in the way it was intended to be sat in, driving with good posture is extremely difficult--the posture bit not the driving bit.

So here is to a new year and a new set of things I am going to do!

I Am One Who Sews

I do not look on "Reality" TV with much fondness. That said, I somehow got sucked in by two (yes, two!) "Reality" shows this summer. The first, Food Network's Great Food Truck Race (or something like that), ended in such a dumb manner as to cure me from ever watching that series again! The second, Lifetime's Project Runway, has taught me that I know absolutely nothing about fashion (and really that is okay judging by what they are calling fashion)--I am now watching the show mostly to see when they finally kick Gretchen off! However, watching Project Runway has sort of brought out a secret inner desire to be able to sew. It is a secret desire that most likely would have gone unrevealed (despite a New Year's resolution to sew a skirt this year--and a pillow) if not for my lovely cousin Jen who after throwing a fantastic baby shower (the homemade soup was amazing) invited me to stay and learn how to sew a skirt. Amazingly, I was actually able to follow her very good instructions and left with this fabulous little number:

Probably should have snapped a picture of just the skirt, but you get the idea. 

Thanks Jen! You are the best!

Nonfiction

(or an update on a resolution).

I made myself a nice little resolution of reading 12 nonfiction books this year. I made (and kept) this resolution last year with the general idea of reading one nonfiction book a month. Last year I had to rush at the end of the year to actually complete the goal so this year I thought I would try to keep myself on top of things a bit better. Now it is April and I have read 10 nonfiction books so far this year and have discovered I have a real love for this stuff (especially if it runs a little more scholarly, well researched, and well written and a little less "this is why I am right and everyone else is wrong"). So what have I read so far? So glad you asked. Here it is:

84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff -- a really easy introduction (felt like cheating almost) into my 12 books of nonfiction. It is a collection of letters written back and forth between a writer in New York City and a book shop in London shortly after WWII. Short and charming.

The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream by Barack Obama -- this is just what it claims to be: thoughts. It doesn't claim to be a plan or any kind of directive for public policy but a collection of thoughts and observations and a somewhat personal attempt to see how he measures up. His University Professor really comes out in the writing of this book (a real positive for me) and I fell absolutely in love with Michelle (even though the book is not about her in any real sense).

A Secret History of the IRA by Ed Moloney -- Probably not something any of you would ever pick up (and probably rightly so) it is a pretty long account of the peace process in Ireland with obvious focus on the IRA's roll in that process. I found it absolutely fascinating and very readable (but rather long).

A Short Guide to a Happy Life by Anna Quindlen -- Already mentioned here, but I'll just say again how much I loved this book (and its pictures).

A Single Voice by Kristen Oaks -- this is LDS (Mormon) nonfiction which is something that, even though I am LDS, I tend to avoid because how do you say I didn't like this book when it is written by a religious leader--even though they all go to great pains to say that these are just personal opinions? Kristen isn't actually a church leader but her husband is so I still did feel a bit guilty saying that I didn't love it. It needed some better editing and a tighter line of reasoning.

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell -- This is a must read! I loved it from start to finish and found so many of the ideas so fascinating that I just had to share them with whoever was around (just ask my sisters). It is about the super successful and the many aspects that make them successful. It is not, however, a guide on how to make your kid super successful--although some of the ideas would translate easily into the raising up of a successful adult.

The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game by Michael Lewis -- Yes this is the book that brought us the Sandra Bullock movie of the same title, however the book itself is not just the tale of Michael Oher. It is, as the title suggests, a look at the evolution of a game--that game being football. As such there are long (or perhaps they just felt long) explanations of the game of football and how it has changed over the last 30 years. This was a fascinating story to read after Outliers because the first chapters discuss how story of Michael Oher is a perfect storm of sorts in that he and his body type (a rather rare body type apparently) happen to be around at the precisely right time in history (or the history of football) to turn him into a super success story (this is one of the themes from Outliers). While I'd give the book only 3 out of 5 stars--because of those long chapters on football--I now can wax long on the history of the left tackle and am kind of looking forward to seeing some left tackles in action this fall and I suppose that should count for something. Plus the story of Michael Oher is as interesting as the movie portrays it to be.

The Man who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales by Oliver Sacks -- didn't like this one at all. It lacked compassion and depth and required far more knowledge in neuroscience than I--or pretty much anyone--have.

Almost French: A Love and a New Life in Paris by Sarah Turnbull -- This is about as close as I usually care to get to reading a biography because while I say that I like all book genres, the truth is that I really tend to HATE biographies. This is because the nature of the biography is to do pretty much everything except tell the exclusive truth--I particularly dislike biographies of people who haven't actually done anything. Technically, I suppose, this is a memoir and it did tend to lack some of the me, me, me, and "watch me rise above it all without telling you about my failings," or "now I'm going to shock you so that you will want to talk to me on your talk show" aspects that so many other biographies have and so I let it slide in my twisted little mind. The end result of reading this book: I wanted to visit Paris but never, ever want to move there.

Bonds of Affection: Civic Charity and the Making of America--Winthrop, Jefferson, Lincoln by Matthew Holland -- Very well written and researched academic work by Holland (who is the son of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the LDS Church and is currently the president of Utah Valley University) was just so enlightening and fascinating. It changed the way I think about charity both personally and politically.

So there it is. My list of 10. I have 2 more to read to complete the resolution but I've been so completely bitten by the nonfiction genre I predict a much larger and broader reading for this year.

Oh, and any suggestions from you as to what nonfiction I should be reading would be very much appreciated.

Drawers and a Book

So these two topics don't really naturally go together, but (I feel like I say this a lot lately) I'm short on time so today they are getting bunched.

First off, my newly organized drawers (that I am excessively proud of):

I especially love that I can now see everything in my drawers at a glance.

And second, that really good book I was reading:

The is book three in Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn series and while I really enjoyed the first two books, I really, really, really loved this one.

Now for my short (and not very good synopsis): It is a epic fantasy that has all the typical clashes between good and evil with all the new and different species that so many fantasy books revolve around (not that I am at all saying that this is bad). What sets this series apart, though, is that the good guys win in book one. So then book two is basically a look at what happens after the good guys win or what happens after "happily ever after." By book three, of course, everyone fully realizes that maybe they didn't quite defeat evil in the first book and that leads up to one final showdown. (you'll be able to find a more descriptive summary at Amazon or pretty much anywhere else)

So what I loved:

1. The look at what happens after the good guys win.

2. The romance--cause there has to be a romance.

3. I love that Sanderson so thoroughly thought the entire series out. You are given little kernels of information in books 1 and 2 that you don't even think really apply to the story only to find out in book 3 that they were really important. And there are so many twists and turns that were really quite fun to discover and be surprised by.

4. For the LDS reader (Sanderson is LDS) there is so much LDS theology, imagery, and history in these books (especially in book 3) that it will just boggle your mind. I've been finished for days and am still seeing new connections. (I also think there might be a slight Star Wars connection that I am dying to ask someone else about so read it and get back to me).

Organization

So one of my New Year's Resolutions is to declutter and organize my bedroom. Well the bedroom has been successfully decluttered (and stayed decluttered for an entire week now) so now it is on to organizing. Specifically, I want to organize my clothes (dresser and closet). To this end, this video clip has been something of a revelation (well the middle part was not particularly useful to me, but I loved the beginning and the end). I realize most, if not all, of you already know how to fold a t-shirt and then how to place it in your dresser, but apparently I did not know--did not even know that I did not know. If, however, you are more like me than you are willing to admit, you may just want to check out this clip:

How to fold a t-shirt

You might also want to head over to Cardigan Empire to check out all of her recent posts on closet organization.

Should the video not work (as it is not working for me right now) head over to this post at Cardigan Empire for a successful viewing.

Reporting Day: January

Fear not! I will not be reporting on every single resolution every single month (partially because there are some that I haven't even looked at and partially to spare you the pain).

So January wasn't really a great month for my resolutions (too cold!) but I did have some good forward movement on a few:

4. Drink 5 cups of water daily--I know that it is supposed to be more than that but I am a water drinker so I'm just trying to be realistic--and so far it is working out for me. I could be doing better (I'm not really sure how much water I am drinking) but I am drinking water more regularly throughout the day.

10. Complete Young Women Personal Progress. Check off 2 (Divine Nature, and Knowledge)

15. Compile a collection (40) of tried and true recipes (1/2 of which will be vegetarian). I have gotten a really good start but I need more vegetarian recipes.

19. Wake up, shower, get dressed at 7:30 every Sunday--I have the dreaded 1pm worship time on Sundays this year and I know if I don't get up Sunday mornings will just be a waste--worked so nicely this last Sunday that I'm thinking of not dreading the 1pm time slot. I was soooo very good at this until the last 2 weeks. I do love doing this and have really started enjoying my Sunday's more.

22. Read 1 poem a day (love, love, love doing this). I think I missed 5 days in January (forgot to take any with me on vacay) so there is some room for improvement.

28. Bake fresh bread weekly. I rock at this. So for I have made Challah, tortillas, French bread, Lion House Rolls, bread sticks, cornbread, and soft wrap bread. (notice the trend in websites there). Tonight I am making pizza dough for tomorrow. Really love this resolution.

So there you go. I still have a lot of work to do but I feel like I am at least moving forward (and reporting here definitely helps that).

I Resolve To...

Two years ago I stole a rather lengthy resolution list (really love this list and may return to it soon) and faithfully kept at it throughout the year and accomplished some fun and great things. Last year I shortened the list thinking it would be great to just focus on a few things and failed in spectacular fashion. I guess I am just one of those people who needs a big long list to motivate me into action. This year I have been so inspired by the many resolution lists that I am reading around the blog world that I've stolen some of your resolutions--hope you don't mind--to create my 2010 list of resolutions:

1. Read the Old Testament (was going to pick the New Testament because it is shorter but I decided to go with the OT since we are studying it in Sunday School this year)

2. Read the Book of Mormon again

3. Read the Gospel Principles manual.

4. Drink 5 cups of water daily--I know that it is supposed to be more than that but I am a water drinker so I'm just trying to be realistic--and so far it is working out for me

5. 3 30 minute workouts a week (to start in February--cause I'm lame like that)

6. Declutter my bedroom (I've decluttered my bookcase, I've decluttered my blog following list, and now it is time to move on to the real clutter problem in my life)

7. Organize clothes--get rid of what I don't wear and what I don't love

8. Create 4 new music mixes

9. Read 12 nonfiction books

10. Complete Young Women Personal Progress

11. Learn to sew a pillow

12. Learn to sew a skirt (I've had the material for a skirt and a pillow for over a year and have done nothing with it)

13. Write and mail 12 thank you notes (because mail is wonderful and thank yous are wonderful)

14. Send Christmas cards

15. Compile a collection (40) of tried and true recipes (1/2 of which will be vegetarian)

16. Complete Christmas shopping and wrapping before December 1st

17. Declutter bedroom (cause I will need to do this at least twice this year so I'm putting it down twice)

18. Organize clothes (again I'll need to do this at least twice this year)

19. Wake up, shower, get dressed at 7:30 every Sunday--I have the dreaded 1pm worship time on Sundays this year and I know if I don't get up Sunday mornings will just be a waste--worked so nicely this last Sunday that I'm thinking of not dreading the 1pm time slot

20. Read each month's Ensign cover to cover

21. Eat 2 fruits and 2 veggies everyday--I'm going to struggle on this one

22. Read 1 poem a day (love, love, love doing this)

23. Memorize the Gettysburg Address (I knew it once and thought it would be nice to know it again)

24. Memorize 1 poem

25. Visit 1 spot I've never been to before

26. Take a hike with my family

27. Visit a museum(s) 6 times--at least 3 different museums

28. Bake fresh bread weekly

29. Wear lipstick

30. Visit the temple at least 24 times this year

The First Monday

It is the first Monday of the year and somehow I feel that I should be very productive (not yet worn down) today.

Sadly I've been plagued by the theme song from The Smurfs and do not feel I have been very productive.

(Were did that song come from? Not who wrote it, but how on Earth did that song get into my mind?)

The song has me thinking, though, about all those wonderful cartoons that I grew up with: Rainbow Brite, The Care Bears, He-Man, She-Ra, GI-Joe. Those were good times.

Perhaps this post will get it all out of my sytem and let me get on with the business of putting the finishing touches on my New Year's resolutions. With a little focus and a bit of luck I just might manage to get them up tomorrow.

A Call to Arms

I'd like to depart from my usual reticence of talking politics (briefly) and bring an issue of great personal importance to your attention.

You know that I love the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival and you know that I love libraries (especially my library). These two wonderful powers for good have joined forces to propose a Center for Story and Art (one of many proposed titles of the project that would include an auditorium with a large stage and seating for around 600, large classrooms, backstage amenities, a lobby, and offices) that would be shared between them as well as offer meeting and performance spaces to the community at large. Sadly, unscrupulous forces (boo, hiss) at work are attempting through lies and threats to destroy any chance of fruition and it would appear that the Mayor and City Council are succumbing. I refuse to be silent on the issue so I ask that you humor me for a few more minutes.

Reasons to build:

1. The library routinely puts on programs that are very well attended. These programs, in fact, are so well attended that people are sometimes actually turned away at the door or the event becomes standing room only (not ideal when the program lasts for 2 hours!!!). Clearly the library needs more space.

2. The Timpanogos Storytelling Festival attracts more than 40,000 individuals each year to its events. It is considered one of premier Storytelling festivals in the world. It brings thousands of people into the city each year. And yet it does not have a permanent physical presence in the city. I believe it has proven that it deserves such a presence and am very excited about the further events it plans to put on if such a building is built.

3. There is currently no other venue in the city that can provide a quality space for performances and other gatherings. (And those of you who are familiar with my city do not even say the word Scera as they are not available to local performing groups and have nothing whatsoever to do with the word quality--I have strong feelings on this I tell you.) Furthermore, many local performing groups have already voiced their avid support to this proposed plan--or in other words, it would get used!

How it is to be funded:

1. By funds gathered by the existing CARE Tax (Cultural Arts and Recreation tax)--money gathered for the express purpose of arts and recreation--this means no new taxes and no increase in taxes.

2. By grant money (our blessed U.S. Congress has already set aside money for the building).

3. By private donations--private donations haven't even been officially sought yet and already 1 million dollars has been pledged.

So there you have it. I think it is an excellent idea (obviously). To this end I have started to my own campaign to get this proposal accepted.

Step One:

Get a letter to the editor published in my local newspaper. As of this morning step one is complete. Read here to see my letter online.

Step Two:

Convince you to make a comment in support of my letter online (or even write your own letter to the editor in support of the proposed Center For Story and Art). You have to register to do so but that is what junk email addresses are for, right. Please, please, please.

Step Three:

Convince you (and lots of people) to write letters to and call the Mayor and City Council. For those of you who are think "but I don't even live in your city" I still think it is totally appropriate for you to comment, write, and call as a) we are getting Federal money--that is your money--and b) the Center will be utilized to benefit those who live beyond the boundaries of the city. So again I say please, please, please.

Write to (you can write 1 letter and they will make copies for all):

Mayor Washburn and Orem City Council
76 North State Street
Orem, Utah 84057

Call:

801 229-7035

Email:

Mayor Jerry Washburn jcwashburn@orem.org

City Council:

Margaret Black mbblack@orem.org
Carl Hernandez chernandez@orem.org
Dean Dickerson ddickerson@orem.org
Karen McCandless kamccandless@orem.org
Mark Seastrand meseastrand@orem.org
Shiree Thurston sathurston@orem.org

I am now stepping off my soapbox, ceasing all melodramatics, and looking forward to a fantastic afternoon.

Just Say No...

...to 'Reality' TV! That is to be my mantra for the coming year. No more! I will not be sucked into your mindless entertainment! I will not sit through up to three hours of any one of you in a single night. I will not waste any more time on you.

Bold words, I know, but after spending 4+ hours watching the final episodes of Biggest Loser and Dancing with the Stars I've decided that I need to create my own personal intervention. To be fair (to myself), I've never really been much of a reality show watcher. I don't watch American Idol, or Survivor, or The Bachelor (cause really we all know he isn't going to end up marrying the girl--never has before), etc. and never have, but as has recently been highlighted even if I only watch a couple they are robbing me of my precious time--time that could be spent doing something that is actually productive like finishing one of the loveliest books I've read this year: Fine Old High Priests by Donald S. Smurthwaite.

When I first thought of swearing off reality shows I thought it might be difficult especially when others begin talking about what happened the previous night. But then I realized that people don't really talk about what goes on on reality shows--probably because much of it is such mindless "entertainment" that there is nothing to talk about after it is over. For example, I could say that last night Gilles was robbed of the Dancing with the Stars trophy but beyond that there is not much to say. Perhaps you could attempt to argue the point but as neither of us are dancing experts the argument would quickly fall into a "who is prettier" discussion and clearly Gilles is the winner:

You might still try to argue the point, but then we would begin to sound like the 12 year old girls in my ward who spend 2 hours at a service project seriously "discussing" who is better: Edward or Jacob (clearly Edward) until they are annoyed/mad at each other for not seeing the obvious and no one wants that--trust me I've lived that.

After solving my worries that interesting conversation might drag me back into the clutches of reality TV, I began to look around for other possible reasons I might be sucked back into its evil clutches but finding none (cause let's face it positive, uplifting reality rarely gets air time) I feel pretty happy and empowered by my decision. And now I bid a happy adieu to reality TV!

Here's hoping this little post will keep me strong the next I have nothing to watch.

Confessions of a Future Resolution Breaker

I come before you today to tell you that I plan on breaking one of my resolutions. In fact, I plan on breaking this resolution 13 times over the next 3 months. Why? Because I have some winter weight to lose and a couple of my sister's have some baby weight to lose and so we are doing our own in-family Biggest Loser competition. This means that I will have to weigh in publicly (in front of my family--eek!) 13 times which pretty much obliterates my goal of not weighing myself this year. I however will only be weighing myself 13 times and not in between weigh ins to determine if or what I am losing so I kind of feel that I am still adhering to the spirit of the resolution (a little bit).

And now for a bit of unrelated business. That crazy woman you might have seen wandering through 2 Walmarts at 11 pm last night wearing hot-pink pleather slippers, baggy ill-fitting jeans, a baggy sweatshirt, no make-up, and crazy hair looking for 6 feet of yarn to finish up her baby blanket project might indeed have been me. In my defense I forgot I was wearing the slippers until I was half way to Walmart and decided I wouldn't go home and change since, after all, it is Walmart we are talking about. Neither store had the yarn--curse you Walmart!

Sore Throat

I was reading the newspaper the other day (before moving on to work on the crossword as per resolution no. 8) and learned that having a sore throat is not a symptom of a cold it is a symptom of your body fighting a cold.

Well right now my body is putting up a strong fight.

Just wanted you to know so that you wouldn't think I was already breaking resolution no. 6 (will not neglect blog). There are also a couple of other resolutions that I have decided I am totally within my rights to break while sick: resolution no. 5 (will make bed--as there is no point if I just keep crawling back in) and resolution no. 7 (will not mindlessly watch tv. was watching CSI:NY last night and couldn't follow the story line--and let's face it CSI:NY is not rocket science so mindlessly watching tv is apparently all that I am capable of right now).

Resolutions for 2009

Last year I stole most of my resolutions from Bridget Jones's Diary which consisted of 6 things I would not do and 8 things I would do. Then just to round it out I added 5 more things of a more spiritual things to the to do list. Then I promised to report on my resolutions on a monthly basis. Well things went really well for me as far as reporting until about June and then I kept forgetting to do it at the beginning of the month and began promising myself that I would for sure report next month. The good thing, though, is that even though I wasn't reporting to you I was still working on my resolutions and in the end did quite well on most of them.

So now it is that time of year to once again sit down and resolve to do something or to stop doing something. Just for fun I decided not to blatantly steal of this year's resolutions from a drunk fictional character.

I Will:

1. write in my Journal more. This is a carry over from last year (I just never managed to really get in the habit) and really I shouldn't use the word more but come up with a specific number of days a week, but...well I don't want to force myself to write something when I don't really have anything to say. Rather, I want to create the time and space each day to write if I happen to have something to say. I want my journal to be a place of joy and relief not a chore. Will have to think further about how to do this.

2. drink 6 cups of water a day. I believe I'm supposed to drink more than that, but I have been a very bad water drinker of late and need to start slow.

3. read more non-fiction. There is that word 'more' again. I think I only read 4 non-fiction books last year and I am not pleased about that. The thing is, though, I get lots of fiction suggestions and not so many non-fiction suggestions. So please suggest away. This year I want to read 12 non-fiction books.

4. attend the temple at least twice a month.

5. make my bed every day. I don't know why this 30 second chore is so difficult for me but it is.

I Will Not:

1. neglect my blog for two weeks--1 week and 6 days, ok, but not 2 weeks!

2. not turn on the tv without purpose. This is when the tv sucks me into its evil world. If I turn on the tv to watch a show I usually watch that show and that is it. If I turn the tv on because I'm bored I tend to watch for hours and hours--and not necessarily watch quality tv for those hours. This must stop.

3. not start a crossword or read the funny pages before I read the front page of the newspaper.

4. not weigh myself. I do not need a scale to tell me when I've gained or lost, when I'm exercising or not, or when I'm eating better or not. In short I do not need a scale to tell me when I am healthy. Healthy is best measured in other ways and so I hereby swear off scales--and already I feel lighter.

So there they are. Wish me luck.

Celebration Etiquette

So exactly what is the proper way to celebrate when one goes to Old Navy to buy some jeans--the first time in a full year--and discovers that one has dropped 2 jean sizes? I don't know about you but I head to my local European-style bakery and get a lovely horn pastry with a cream caramel filling.

Resolution Report: April

Let's see how I did last month:

• Will not be lazy: Ok, so if you measure it by the amount of tv watched (one of the ways I would measure it) I am doing really well. But now that I am not wasting so much time watching tv I think I need to start examining whether or not what I am doing now still falls into the "lazy" category. I read a lot more now than I did a couple months ago which is not a bad thing, but I do think I need to be DOING a bit more.
• Will stay in control of mail in-box: Still going well
• Will not get annoyed with family: Did pretty good on this front last month
• Will not get upset over men: Excellent
• Will be positive about everyone: Still a problem, but doing better. Reading The Peacegiver has been a huge help.
• Will develop inner poise: I worked on becoming a better conversationalist (which I think is key to feeling your inner poise--I think being able to talk about what you think without throwing your drink on someone fits into inner poise. Also, I think being able to talk with conficence that you have something interesting to say rather than with fear that you have nothing to say is another good part of feeling your inner poise.)
• Will lose 10 pounds: Lost 2 more pounds bringing my total to 8 pounds this year!
• Will purge flat of extraneous matter: I'm still feeling very organized.
• Will give away horrible clothes: Purged again!
• Will improve career: Finished my courses and got an A in both. Now I need to start applying for some jobs while I look to see what courses I will be taking in the Fall.
• Will read books: Love, Love, Love this goal.
• Will listen to classical music: I increased my time listening to classical music last month. Yay!
• Will go to the gym: This was a bit hit and miss. Need to do better.
• Will make music mood mixes: Probably time to do some new mixes.
• Will read Book of Mormon: Finished.
  Will read Joseph Smith lessons: Caught up!!!
• Will read from Preach My Gospel: This one is a bit hit and miss--which is bad since that talk I gave last month encouraged everyone to be studying this study guide. Must do better.
• Will write in journal: This one has been hit and miss as well.
• Will do Family History work: Worked on this a couple of times this month and am learing Danish to help with my Danish line.

Well, there are some areas that still need some work, but I'm feeling pretty happy about where I am right now. I think the focuses for this month will be: writing in my journal, making some mood mixes, and developing inner poise.

Meet Henry

Have you ever seen the Sandra Bullock movie 28 Days? Well if not the premise of the movie is a drunken Sandra (and a bunch of other drunks or addicts) goes to rehab and after many ups and downs is eventually "cured." It is perhaps not one of the greatest movies ever made but it was a Sandra Bullock movie and so I dutifully saw it. As the group is leaving rehab they are given a set of instructions to follow before they are allowed to enter into a relationship with another person. Step 1. Get a plant. When you can properly take care of a plant you can move on to Step 2. Get a pet. Once you can properly take care of a pet you are prepared to enter into a relationship with another person without falling down drunk again. So I present to you Henry or the reason why I am still single:

Henry is a plant that I have had for something like 8 years and when he is healthy he blooms with lovely white flowers. The problem is he is not healthy often--I tend to forget to water him. While I was studying in Ireland my merciful Grandmother took Henry in, nourished and loved him, and he thrived under her care. Unfortunately, I came home and Henry came back to me. When he was returned to me he had lovely flowers and beautiful green leaves. Now look at him. The picture actually doesn't do full justice to the state he was in because I took the shot shortly after I had trimmed away all his dead leaves. He had been delegated to a room that isn't used much and that is where most of the forgetting-to-water-him trouble truly stems (I thought the morning sun in the room would be good for him). Now, though, I have moved him to my bedroom where I will hopefully be more mindful of watering him. Another possible problem would be my continually calling him Harry. I don't know why I do this (obviously he doesn't even look like a Harry) but it is an on-going problem--maybe in a way similar to some music helping plants to grow calling them by the wrong name works to stunt their growth (I promise I'm working on it Henry). Anyway, I wonder if this could be why I am still single: I haven't yet learned to care for a plant so why on earth would I be trusted with the care of another human being (although I would hardly be responsible for watering another human being). With this argument in mind I have decided to take a new interest in helping my Henry to thrive. Once I get that under control I will branch on to a pet (probably a fish or something--that counts right?--probably doesn't because it doesn't actually require more care than a plant) and then who knows what will follow.