Getting things done

This is an update on plans, hopes and dreams for this new year.

Hiking and asking others to do things with me. So…I planned the second hike of the year. This one will be about 1.9 miles. I say about because I am notorious for wandering off trail during my hiking attempts last year, and thus ending up with a hike longer than expected. However, since my goal for January hikes is 1+ miles and this one is billed as 1.9 miles, I hope I can stick to the path. In light of my goal for asking others to do things with me…and the fact that today is Sunday, I invited, on the spur of the moment, my friend to go with me. However, she is dog sitting today, so she countered with availability tomorrow afternoon. So…now we are going together tomorrow. Perhaps it will be warmer than the 55° it reached this afternoon. Still it will be steps on two goals for this month. And only two more hikes to go for the month.

Meals. I wanted to expand my cooking repertoire this year. Thus far, I have made an Middle Eastern dish (Shakshuka) that I liked a lot. And I have found a recipe in a Vegan cookbook for stuffed peppers that I will try. (Need to do some grocery shopping). I have also found a couple of Italian recipes ~ Tomatoes Stuffed with Tuna Mayonnaise and Chicken with Balsamic Vinegar ~ that look good to me also and within my skill set.

Writing. Actual writing includes doing this blog more frequently, daily doing a morning post on FB and doing some more descriptive reports of activities on FB. I have not gotten back to working on that short story that I started to write, but I have not forgotten it. I just finished a book by Ray Bradbury (Zen in the Art of Writing). Wonderful! Very informative.

Scotland. Still need to do the vision board for this. However, I did listen to an audiobook (Scotland with a Stranger by Ninya). It is a memoir of her trip and pointed up to me things I need to consider (exchange of monies, where to stay, what to see, etc.) And, as I reported before I am aiming to make my hiking part of the planning for this trip. Her memoir made me see that that might just be a necessity!

Genealogy. I started by getting a book on beginning genealogy and by signing up for an extension course on beginning genealogy. The course hasn’t started yet (next week) and the book will be going back to the library soon. I still need to start some research into the Deans in my family tree. I wanted to do so this past week, but I never seemed to get to it. So far, my steps on this goal have been minimal.

Environment: becoming plastic free. I did try silicone muffin cups last week. Initially I thought they looked too small…and they are small. But the cups fit the muffin pan fine. And, I loved how the muffins slide so easily out of the cups, not like the paper ones that stick to the muffin and must sometimes be torn away. And, clean up is great! Now to get rid of the aluminum/paper ones that I have.

Environment: gardening. So far this year, I have planted 5-6 potato eyes and one garlic clove that was sprouting.

So…that is my report on some of my goals. I still have more to do on each…and, of course, there are more goals to work on. Still I am pleased with the first two weeks of this year. It may not seem like a lot of progress…but that’s OK. It is progress. And, for me, that is what counts since the life I am living is mine.