Today is my birthday! I am now 36!
When my mom called this morning to wish me a happy birthday, she asked if I have anything fun planned today. The answer, sadly, was "not really". I work until 3 pm then will sit in my State and Local Taxes class until 6pm. Yippee! Actually, after class Steve is going to take me to dinner and then I'm sure we'll play games or watch a movie, so there IS something fun to look forward to eventually. Thankfully.
A friend recently had her 36th birthday and to celebrate it, she made a list of 36 things she wanted to do during the year. I kind of liked the idea, but I definitely don't want to come up with a list of 36 things. Instead, I started thinking about wishes or goals that I could work on this year. I don't like having too many things to work on at once - spreads my attention a little too thin - so I came up with four.
1. Write 5 Sadie books. I've had this idea to write a series of children's book based on our dog Sadie ever since we adopted her. I've managed to make a list of topics for the books and even once started to write the first one but never finished it. I'd like to write, edit, and "perfect" five Sadie stories this year. Who knows if they'll ever get published, but it would be fun to record, in a fictional way, some of the quirks and enjoyments of owning a retired greyhound.
2. Learn how to sew and make at least 3 things. Last year, my mom gave me her old sewing machine. It's in good working order, she just bought a new fancy machine and didn't need her old one any more. She taught me how to sew when I was a little girl...it didn't go over very well. I wanted to be outside playing with my brothers and friends, not inside sewing straight lines, which was pretty impossible for me to manage. Now, I'd like to try again. I'd like to be able to make simple projects like curtains, pillowcases, and maybe a skirt or two for me.
3. Read the entire Harry Potter series in French. When I was in Paris awhile back, I bought the 7th book in the series in French and read it. While in Montreal recently, I bought the first and second. I finished the 1st while on the plane home and am now reading the 2nd. I'd like to buy the other books in the series and read them, too. Just for kicks. (In a somewhat related note, I'm also buying toddler books in French - colors, numbers, baby animals, etc. Maybe both Baby and Steve will pick up a little French along the way!)
4. Increase my church activity. I don't just mean how often I go to church, though I mean that too. I'd like to become more involved with my ward and feel more a part of it. I have a great neighbor who is also my visiting teacher. She does a great job of letting me know when activities are and I've been to a couple, but I'd like to go more often.
That's it. My general hope is to improve my existing talents and to maybe develop one that helps me be creative in a new way. My life is already so enriching and fulfilling, but these are things that I'd like to do to make it even more so.
When my mom called this morning to wish me a happy birthday, she asked if I have anything fun planned today. The answer, sadly, was "not really". I work until 3 pm then will sit in my State and Local Taxes class until 6pm. Yippee! Actually, after class Steve is going to take me to dinner and then I'm sure we'll play games or watch a movie, so there IS something fun to look forward to eventually. Thankfully.
A friend recently had her 36th birthday and to celebrate it, she made a list of 36 things she wanted to do during the year. I kind of liked the idea, but I definitely don't want to come up with a list of 36 things. Instead, I started thinking about wishes or goals that I could work on this year. I don't like having too many things to work on at once - spreads my attention a little too thin - so I came up with four.
1. Write 5 Sadie books. I've had this idea to write a series of children's book based on our dog Sadie ever since we adopted her. I've managed to make a list of topics for the books and even once started to write the first one but never finished it. I'd like to write, edit, and "perfect" five Sadie stories this year. Who knows if they'll ever get published, but it would be fun to record, in a fictional way, some of the quirks and enjoyments of owning a retired greyhound.
2. Learn how to sew and make at least 3 things. Last year, my mom gave me her old sewing machine. It's in good working order, she just bought a new fancy machine and didn't need her old one any more. She taught me how to sew when I was a little girl...it didn't go over very well. I wanted to be outside playing with my brothers and friends, not inside sewing straight lines, which was pretty impossible for me to manage. Now, I'd like to try again. I'd like to be able to make simple projects like curtains, pillowcases, and maybe a skirt or two for me.
3. Read the entire Harry Potter series in French. When I was in Paris awhile back, I bought the 7th book in the series in French and read it. While in Montreal recently, I bought the first and second. I finished the 1st while on the plane home and am now reading the 2nd. I'd like to buy the other books in the series and read them, too. Just for kicks. (In a somewhat related note, I'm also buying toddler books in French - colors, numbers, baby animals, etc. Maybe both Baby and Steve will pick up a little French along the way!)
4. Increase my church activity. I don't just mean how often I go to church, though I mean that too. I'd like to become more involved with my ward and feel more a part of it. I have a great neighbor who is also my visiting teacher. She does a great job of letting me know when activities are and I've been to a couple, but I'd like to go more often.
That's it. My general hope is to improve my existing talents and to maybe develop one that helps me be creative in a new way. My life is already so enriching and fulfilling, but these are things that I'd like to do to make it even more so.