New Years Goals; 2012

This year I will begin studies at the Ohio State University. My main focus is school but I will also devote a good deal of energy cultivating a healthy lifestyle by getting involved in the production of vegetables in my own backyard and taking time to exercise at the remarkable OSU gym. I will meet many new and interesting people, develop lasting relationships, and visit loved ones who don't live so close anymore. I will practice skills I already have, and try out new things. I will see new places, work hard, and test my strengths. Most of all, I will enjoy this life that I have been blessed with. Here are 54 goals I have set for myself this year: 

1. post these goals on my blog (1/1/2012)
2. give an update on my birthday (5/8/2012)
3. give a final report at the end of the year
4. write as many blog posts as I wrote last year (1/45)
5. take a beekeeping class
6. exercise twice per week at the OSU recreation center or YMCA
7. soak in a bath or sit in a sauna once per week
8. journal once per month
9. plant a flower garden
10. plant a veggie garden
11. build a snowman  
12. fly a kite
13. carve a jack o'lantern
14. run/walk in one 5k event
15. try sculpting something 
16. read 12 books
17. randomly call an out-of-state relative or friend once each month
18. go on a day-hike of 5+ miles 
19. visit a zoo 
20. visit an art museum
21. visit an aquarium 
22. go to IKEA with a friend
23. try five new foods 
24. paint the living room 
25. paint the bathroom 
26. get a professional massage 
27. unpack all of our boxes 
28. put a guest bed in the guest room 
29. bake goodies and give them away for no particular reason 
30. donate to NPR 
31. pick another borrower to lend to on Kiva.org 
32. buy a used canoe and take it out on a lake (and tip it!)
33. join a club at school 
34. take a road trip to Niagara Falls and cross the border into Canada for the first time
35. visit my beloved Colorado
36. continue to work on weight loss, aiming for healthy weight of 120-150 pounds or BMI of 21-24
37. go on a Sister's Vacation with my fabulous hermanas 
38. visit Grandparents in West Virginia 
39. play on the beach (any beach!)
40. mail four unexpected letters/cards
41. visit five unique parks, museums, historical sites, etc.
42. go camping
43. volunteer 25 hours 
44. enter a photo contest
45. attend an American Indian gathering
46. add five counties to my list of U.S. counties visited
47. complete 12 courses at OSU
48. maintain 3.5+ GPA 
49. attend the Circleville Pumpkin Show
50. preserve some of the harvest to enjoy during the winter 
51. vote in November elections
52. complete all Christmas shopping by November 30th
53. decorate the outside of the house with lights for Christmas
54. mail all Christmas presents by December 15th

Education Update

I'm so excited, blessed, and most of all elated that I don't ever have to take another math class. It was looking like I had to, but it's amazing how things work out, after giving the admissions team enough time to go over my transfer courses.

Everything has been taken care of, and I'm enrolled to start classes next week. I'm totally excited to be a Buckeye! I will graduate sometime in the year 2013, May 5th at the earliest, possibly as late as December 13th (don't mark your calendar yet!), there may be another study trip to Latin America before then.

Luckily, Ohio State offers a Bachelor's Degree in my favorite branch of Anthropology: Linguistics. So that's what my major is, and I'll begin preparing for certification in TESOL (teaching English to speakers of other languages). I have only a few general education requirements before I can focus on my concentration. This quarter I'll be studying: Phonetics (the sounds of language), Fiction in Literature, Music Cultures of the World, and of course I'll be singing in the Women's Glee Club ♪♫♪

New Years Goals; 2011: Final Report

Here I am at the end of 2011 and glancing back at the progress I made on goals set for myself on the first day of the year. This is a great opportunity for me see which goals I was able to follow through with in order to reevaluate what is important to me, and to set more suitable goals for next year. Even though I didn't reach every goal I set for myself, I met a lot of them, and I had a lot of fun doing it! 

1. Post these goals on my blog (1/6/2011)
2. Give an update half-way through the year (6/25/2011)
3. Give a final report at the end of the year (12/31/2011)
4. Get a job!!! (Sears, May 20)
5. Enroll in a regular fitness class or join a gym (YMCA, August 17)
6. Go on 12 planned dates with Dusty 
7. Travel to a unique park or national forest or historical site or museum each month 
1. National Museum of the United States Air Force, Dayton, Ohio
2. Hopewell Culture National Historic Park, Chillicothe, Ohio
3. Armstrong Air & Space Museum, Wapokeneta, Ohio
4. Indian Lake State Park, Logan County, Ohio
5. A.W. Marion State Park, Lake Hargus, Pickaway County, Ohio
6. Ohio Riverfront Park, Marietta, Ohio
7. Old Man's Cave, Hocking Hills, Ohio
8. Lake Hamilton, Hot Springs, Arkansas
9. Yoctangee Park, Chillicothe, Ohio
10. Buckeye Furnace, Jackson County, Ohio
11. Daniel Boone National Forest, Red River Gorge, Wolfe County, Kentucky
12. Barthelmas Park, Circleville, Ohio 
8. Walk/Run 500 miles outside of regular daily activities (102/500)
9. Buy a used banjo (opted for a guitar instead - May, 2011)
10. Learn to identify 20 new species (10/20) 
• House Sparrow, Dogwood Tree, Mourning/Turtle Dove, Purple Archangel, Goldfinch, Titmouse, Gerbera Daisy, Grackle, Buckeye, American Lotus
11. Write in my journal once per week (21/52)
12. See five musical performances live (3/5)
1. Drums Downtown VIII, Columbus (February 18)
2. Shoefly, Circleville (May 7) 
3. Remington Ryde, McConnelsville (June 16)
13. Buy a used bicycle (March 11) 
14. Go camping  (October) 
15. Fly a kite
16. Write ten more blog posts than I wrote last year (43/65)
17. Read two books of poetry (0/2)
18. Join a book club (February 16)
19. Read 12 books 
• Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver
• A Short Guide to Writing About Art by Sylvan Barnet
• Art History Volume 1 by Marilyn Stokstad
• Investigating the Social World: The Process and Practice of Research by Russell K. Schutt
• Pigs in Heaven by Barbara Kingsolver
• Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire
• An Anthropologist on Mars: Seven Paradoxical Tales by Oliver Sacks
• The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
• No Nest for the Wicket by Donna Andrews
• The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
• How to Live on 24 Hours a Day by Arnold Bennett
• Sisters by Kathleen Thompson Norris 
20. Learn 12 new songs (9/12)
21. Grow ten species of plants (5/10) 
• Primrose, Gerbera Daisy, Chocolate Mint, Ginger Mint, Aloe
22. Try a new recipe each month (8/12)
1. Vegetarian Red Lentil Kufta (red lentils, bulger wheat, onion, olive oil)
2. Boston Baked Beans (navy beans, bacon, onion, maple syrup, ketchup, brown sugar, ground mustard, Worcestershire sauce)
3. Tzatziki sauce (Greek yogurt, cucumber, dill, olive oil, lemon juice)
4. Sweet Easter Bread (flavored with a little bit of lemon and orange zest and decorated with a red-dyed egg)
5. Crab Legs and Corn on the Cob, boiled together in a large pot, then sauteed in butter, garlic, and dried red pepper flakes
6. Mustard crusted Salmon
7. Broccoli and Pine Nuts and caramelized Onion with balsamic vinegar 
8. pork chops simmered in apple juice with nutmeg and ginger 
23. Invite others over for dinner three times 
24. Practice with Rosetta Stone once per week (16/52)
25. Attend the Feast of the Flowering Moon Festival in Chillicothe (May 27 - 29)
26. Attend the Southern Ohio Storytelling Festival (September 9 - 10) 
27. Attend the Circleville Pumpkin Show 
28. Learn about this year's issues and vote on November 8th (registered to vote in March)
29. Interview three of Dusty's great-aunts/great-uncles (1/3)
30. Transfer 2008-2009 digital photos from computer's hard drive onto labeled discs 

Happy List 2011

A list of 100 things that make me happy, written in preparation for my New Years Goals for 2012.

1. soaking in a hot bath
2. being outdoors
3. long talks with my husband
4. running
5. hiking
6. massages
7. bird-watching
8. seeing live music
9. playing with my cats
10. conversations
11. clean hair
12. cuddling 
13. art museums
14. taking notes
15. journaling
16. speaking Spanish
17. uncluttered surfaces
18. feeling energetic
19. historic architecture
20. being on a bridge over water
21. building a snowman
22. panoramic vistas
23. making music 
24. flowering trees
25. old movies
26. making spreadsheets and lists
27. clean floors
28. playing with Photoshop
29. organized spaces
30. photography
31. blogging
32. going sleeveless
33. spotting wildlife
34. traveling to new places
35. camping
36. dancing
37. playing in the ocean
38. learning new words
39. reading non-fiction
40. reading poetry and prose
41. reading fiction
42. reading social research reports
43. clean windows
44. listening to music (and singing along)
45. hot tea by the fireplace on a chilly day
46. carving jack o'lanterns 
47. visiting with relatives
48. discovering new music
49. being in a classroom 
50. teaching others
51. relaxing on a shady porch with iced tea on a hot day
52. writing memoir
53. writing non-fiction
54. thunderstorms
55. road trips
56. swimming
57. canoeing/boating
58. being productive
59. giving gifts
60. collecting driftwood, rocks, sand, and seashells
61. pedicures
62. wearing skirts and dresses
63. feeling strong and healthy
64. watching the clouds go by
65. the smell of spring flowers
66. skinny dipping in the moonlight
67. building sand sculptures on the beach
68. county tracking
69. learning about diverse human cultures
70. playing Words With Friends
71. cotton blanket scented candles
72. cool summer breezes
73. regular restful sleep
74. being in class
75. orderliness 
76. cooking with vegetables 
77. autumn leaves falling
78. learning about history
79. watching summer fields glitter with lightning bugs 
80. researching
81. philanthropy
82. identifying species of birds, plants, trees, 
83. poetry
84. putting my feet up after a long day of work
85. sitting around a campfire
86. laughing
87. singing my heart out
88. maintaining a welcoming home
89. baking sweets
90. watching crime shows
91. blankets and sheets straight from the dryer
92. playing The Sims
93. chocolate
94. having guests
95. marking things off my to-do list
96. sticky notes
97. decorating my home
98. going shopping 
99. meeting new people
100. sending letters the old-fashioned way