2011-2012 analysis, thus far

I didn't get around to a discussion of new shows this year, but I thought I would share my schedule again, since we're in hiatus mode (for the most part). You may remember my previous posts on this topic (you can look at them here, here, and here if you want a refresher). This year's schedule looks like this right now:

There are some significant changes from the last time I shared it. Some of these changes were not much of a surprise and I talked about them in the post from March, when I cut Supernatural. Since then I've removed the shows I mentioned might be on the way out (Chuck, Glee). There were other shows in there that I tried watching and just didn't work for one reason or another, including 2 Broke Girls, Grimm, Pan Am, Hart of Dixie, and possibly a few others I've already forgotten.

Interestingly enough, Glee, which I thought would be one of the last things to go, was the first one I stopped watching.  I just could not take it anymore. I don't know what happened over there, but the plot (when it had one) was horrible and they managed to make pretty much every character beyond annoying. Words are deserting me, but I could not stand the characters anymore so I stopped watching it. Except Britney - she remained as awesome as ever.

Then Chuck, in all it's adorkable charm. It's the same show it always has been. I thought I would watch this season, since it's the last one. But I was SO BORED. I couldn't take it anymore and I wasn't looking forward to watching it at all. So it went on the Netflix list for someday when I find it appealing again.

I'm still watching The Office, but it really isn't what is used to be. I find myself missing Michael Scott in pretty much every episode. That's just sad. I'll keep watching for now, but it's a low priority. Especially up against Vampire Diaries, Community (sadly benched for now) and Parks and Recreation. How I Met Your Mother remains, as does Bones. That makes 5 definites on my schedule, lower than it used to be. And outnumbered by new shows that so far have held my interest, at least somewhat.

So on to those new shows.
~Once Upon A Time I find intriguing in its premise and execution. So far I'm enjoying it, though I can't say I rush to watch it. It builds up on the DVR and then I get around to watching several in a chunk. I am interested to know what happens next.
~I can't decide if I like New Girl. I like Zooey Deschanel but I do find her character pretty annoying and often unnecessarily "quirky." Sometimes I find it cute and funny; a lot of the time I find it awkward and slightly off-putting. But I'm hanging in there for now.
~I'm kind of on the fence about Suburgatory as well. Some of it I don't like. But there are a lot of little things that make it good so I keep watching hoping it will work out the kinks. And I think Jane Levy, who plays Tess, is quite good. I think this is one of her first roles - I'm impressed. Plus she's adorable. I also think Cheryl Hines is fabulous and always entertaining.
~I Hate My Teenage Daughter just started. At this point it's very run of the mill sitcomy, but I'm sticking with it because of Katie Finneran. She is so funny and she makes this show enjoyable for me. I've loved her since Wonderfalls and I'm so glad she has another show. I hope it lasts longer and becomes as good as she is.
~I thoroughly enjoy Up All Night, but it isn't really must-see for me. Will Arnett, Christina Applegate and Maya Rudolph are all fantastic. I wish it were staying on Wednesdays and that NBC were cancelling stupid Whitney so Community didn't have to be benched. But NBC has a history of doing things like this because they wouldn't know good television if it smacked them across the face. That's all I really have to say about that. Nothing to see here. Moving on.
~That brings us to Secret Circle. Another one about which I can't make up my mind. It's no Vampire Diaries - I'll start with that. Both series come from L.J. Smith books, but thus far Secret Circle has not pulled me in like Vampire Diaries. I can't put my finger on why, but I'm trying to hold on through the season to see if I like it more. I seem to remember not being in love with Vampire Diaries initially either, so maybe things will change. Unfortunately, I think there is a vast difference between the casts and I just don't find the actors in the Secret Circle all that interesting, except perhaps Phoebe Tonkin. Plus, I am interested in where they're going with the story; just like Vampire Diaries, they veered almost completely off book pretty fast, which makes things interesting. We'll see.

I will have to come back when the midseason shows have started and give my opinions on those as well. I just never know how something will turn out, even from creators/producers I love. The mix has to be just right and there's no way to know if everything will combine into something good. I have found that having a DVR makes the process different than it used to be. I think it helps me give shows more of a chance to catch my interest, but also helps me decide quickly if I like something or not by how many of them are piled up to watch. It's interesting. I do find that I watch a lot less TV overall than I used to, and almost none during the week. So the DVR has really opened up my time to do the things that are important to me. I like that.

So I meant for this to be slightly deeper and more reflective than that, but my brain isn't cooperating. Maybe I'll be functioning better next week (which I have off! yay) and be able to post something of slightly more substance, that perhaps isn't quite so long. I probably won't post anything else before Sunday, so Merry Christmas!! xoxo

Tree! (and a few other pictures too)

I don't want to forget to put up a picture of our tree (Penelope), since I finally got a picture of it. Though since this was taken, more ornaments were added, and we're adding the strands of popcorn and cranberries tonight. Oh well. I'll try to get another picture when it's done. We have a red and white theme this year. My first couple are super fuzzy because there was not enough light, but I like them anyway. They look cool.

Here is one with some light:

And because I was so excited to see blooms in December, I took a few pictures of those too.

Gorgeous!

Merry Christmas everyone!! xoxo

November Miles

Now for my mileage. I find it much easier to update these separately. I am pleased to announce that I met and exceeded this goal in November. Woo! I walked (and ran a tiny, tiny bit. Not too much because of my knee (and my treadmill belt that won't stay put!)) 27.5 miles in November. That's more than twice the amount I needed to meet my goal. Which means my current total is 315.5 miles!! And there is still December. I'm feeling quite happy and proud of my accomplishment. Until next time. Love to all and welcome to another wonderful Christmas season! xoxo

November Books

I know my goal has already been completed, but that doesn't mean I've stopped reading. You may have noticed that I've added a currently reading section to the left, so you can always see what I'm reading at any given time. Here is what I read in November.

Shadowland (The Immortals #3)

This is another book in a series that I started a long time ago and I've decided I no longer want. I started reading this I don't know how long ago, and just wanted to finish it and then get rid of the three books I have. Another young adult book in a supernatural series. It's OK and I do tend to get hooked again when I read them. However, I find most of the characters irritating (which may be the writing or just a sign that I'm maturing - it's a toss up). I understand the popularity of the books, but I also don't really care if I ever read the next book(s).

Jane Bites Back

My mom gave me this book either for Christmas or my birthday or something because I love Jane Austen and I love vampire stories. So she thought I would get a kick out of this. It is a fun premise. The book itself wasn't bad, actually. I found it to be an easy read and enjoyable. Several things were just plain silly; it's clearly not meant to be a serious, dramatic vampire novel. That's obvious from the cover. Do I feel the need to keep it a read it again sometime? Nope. I have other such things for that (like all of Austen's books). But I did enjoy reading it and I can sell it to the bookstore so someone else can also enjoy it.

Certain Girls

OK, this is another one that I listened to instead of actually reading the book. I'm getting more and more into this whole audiobook thing. I never used to like them, but I started listening to certain things, like Sarah Vowell (who I find extremely enjoyable as audio) and The Daily Show (also a lot of fun). I stuck to the nonfiction for a long time because I didn't want to interfere with the voice I have in my head when I read novels. Usually the audiobook voices didn't match my inner voice so I didn't enjoy them. This was my first try with fiction; why not when it only cost $3? I actually really got into this. There were two different narrators: the mother and the daughter, read by two different actresses. I thought it really worked. And I enjoyed the story. It's difficult to talk about writing style and whatnot after listening to a book, because I feel like I noticed the "acting" much more than the writing. However, this had Jennifer Weiner's usual humor that I enjoy so much. And it made me cry because of something that happens that I won't spoil. Anyway, I liked it, but I've liked all of her books, so that's not much of a surprise.

The Stolen Child

I am really thrown off by this cover because it is quite different from the one my book has. But whatever. I was surprised by how I was sucked into this. I found the premise intriguing. It is about changelings and is told from two different perspectives: the changeling that takes over the life of a young boy, and the young boy who then becomes a changeling. I really liked the style and the switching narratives. I can't really explain it but I was thoroughly engrossed. I read a lot of this book on my way to and from my car before and after work and I would look up and find myself at my destination without really remembering the walk. That doesn't happen very often because obviously you need to look up to avoid running into things. How I managed not to run into anything (or anyone, for that matter) is beyond me. I would read other books by this author in a heartbeat. Excuse me a second while I go look him up on Amazon... OK I'm back. On to the last one.

Missing Mom

This one took me a while to read. I started it but then had to put it down and read something lighter (that's where Jane Bites Back came in). Then I picked it back up last weekend and couldn't put it down. I finished it in two days, which is quite the accomplishment for a Joyce Carol Oates book. I love her writing, but it is dense and heavy and extremely emotional. This is about dealing with the sudden death of a mother, and I found the entire thing very well done. Very true to the emotional upheaval and different ways people react to loss and deal with grief. Now that I've finished it I think I need something light again to balance it out though.

So that's it for the books. How many is that? 5 for November, which brings the total to 49! Woo!

October Miles

OK I'm back. I know you're awaiting my mileage with barely contained excitement. ;) It was a rough month and my low count shows that. However, I still managed to do 10.25 miles. So go me! And that brings my total to: 288 of 300. So, no I didn't get to my goal in October like I thought I would, but I'm that much closer. So close I can taste it. 12 miles away! That is so doable!! I'm excited. Thanks for the support and encouragement. And accountability - just as important.

Until next time! xoxo

October Book Update

I was just thinking to myself that I should post something, but I didn't know what. And then I realized today is November 1, which means I should update you all on my goals. Once again, I do not have my workout log with me, so this is just the books. But not much happened mileage wise anyway, due to illness and my knee issues. So, on to the books. I did read a lot more than usual because of the down time and sheer exhaustion.

Ophelia

I thought the plot was interesting, but I was not very happy with the characterization. It felt too modern. I know it's cool to have different perspectives and whatnot, and I like that concept, but I feel like the character of Ophelia was adjusted to have a modern female perspective, and that just isn't how I think it should be. She's a character in a Shakespeare play. Women in that time period did not tend to think like that. Maybe she was one of the exceptions, fine, whatever. It bugged me. But I thought the story was interesting. So overall it was OK.

Bookends

This was a cute book and I found it very interesting because I had never even heard of Moravians before. I was fascinated by all the little cultural and religious details the book had. And I thought it was a sweet romantic story, with funny parts. Predictable? Yeah. But a cute, fun read nonetheless.

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

I decided to reread these to finish the series and then sell/donate these books. I do enjoy the series, especially the first book. I like Ann Brashares' easy style and honesty. This was just a simple, enjoyable reread for me.

Second Summer of the Sisterhood

This book and the other two are less enjoyable for me. I like the stories and the characters, but I feel like some of them do the same things over and over, especially one character. But then, they are teenagers, so that's pretty true to life. A bit tedious from my perspective, but still an enjoyable read. Guess that means I really am an adult now. That's frightening.

Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood

I give this one the same review as the second one. Enjoyable, a bit tedious, but not unrealistic.

Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood

OK, I admit that I was glad by the time this was over. The inability to learn from mistakes started to get on my nerves in this one, especially with Tibby. I know these are fictional characters, but all four of these girls have some serious emotional issues. By the end, all I could think was that all of them could really benefit from therapy.

The Organic God

This book was for bible study, and it was really good. It's all about getting back to the basics and really getting to know who God is. I liked it a lot, though I wish it were longer. A lot of it could be expanded on, in my opinion.

Unfamiliar Fishes

Technically, I listened to this one, but I'm counting it. I really enjoy Sarah Vowell, especially in audio form. This one is about the history of Hawaii and how it was colonized and became part of the United States.  I liked it, but I need to listen to it a few more times to really get a full impression of it. As of right now, I like The Partly Cloudy Patriot better, but I've listened to that one a few times.

OK, so that is 8 books in October, which brings my total to: 44!! Goal met and exceeded. Go me!

I'll be back soon with my mileage. xoxo

Update with good news

So I went to the doctor on Friday and she said she thinks my knee is the result of sciatica from being in bed sick for a week. So that's good news, right? Nothing major is wrong, no big injury or anything like that. She gave me stretches to do and said to take 600 mg of ibuprofen every 8 hours, as needed. And I think it's helping. My knee is less stiff and doesn't hurt as much anymore. I still can't quite bend it or straighten it all the way, but I definitely think it's improving. And I walked a mile on my treadmill this morning. Yay! My doctor said I'm allowed to walk - that's all I'm allowed to do, actually. Which bums me out a little, but I'm so glad I can walk, at least. It's certainly better than nothing and I can continue to work on my goal. And me getting up at 5 this morning was no small feat either, so I give myself credit for that too. :D

Possible snag

So, you know my walking goal for the year? The one I'm so close to completing? We may have a problem. As you know, I was sick all last week. Lying in bed, head in a fog, no energy, sick sick sick. While I was sick and lying there like a lump, my knee started to hurt. I didn't do anything to it (that I'm aware of) but it started feeling really stiff and swollen on the inside. Being me, I figured I would leave it alone and let it rest and it would get better on its own. Well, it's not. It's been about a week now since it started and the stiffness is spreading up and down my leg. I can't bend it all the way or extend it all the way, and I can't put any pressure on it. Which means - walking is extremely difficult and probably not the best idea. Sigh.

I have to call the doctor and have it looked at, which bums me out. But hopefully it's nothing too major and I would very much like to avoid doing serious, permanent damage. I'm hoping that this will be easily and quickly fixed, but if not, I guess I'll just have to accept it and adjust my goal accordingly. It might mean I meet the reading goal more quickly though! :D

Anyway, I'm hoping to get an appointment for Saturday (or after work on Friday, if possible). Please keep me in your prayers. Thanks!

September Update

This is a little late. I was in bed all last week with a nasty cold thing. Ugh. But I'm up and around again and hoping not to get sick again this season. So here are my updates.

Mileage: 20.5 miles, a little under my monthly goal. My new total is 277.75 of 300. I'm on track to reach my goal. If I make my monthly goal in October I will actually pass my goal before November gets here. Here's hoping. :)

Books: I read two books this month, so my new total is 36 of 40. On track here, too, and might possibly reach my goal before November. We'll see how the month goes.

The Mortal Instruments Book 4: City of Fallen Angels

Good next book in the series. Sets up the next book, so there's an annoying cliffhanger-y ending, but whatever. Overall, mostly enjoyable, though I do get irritated with the whole lack of communication in relationships thing that so many young adult books seem to use.

Going In Circles

I love all of her books because I enjoy her writing style and sense of humor, and I appreciate how she can make things funny and deep and thought-provoking without falling into a bunch of cliches or getting all sappy. It's so refreshing. I recommend her to everyone. And you should also check out her blog, which has been awesome forever, and I'm sure will continue to be so for as long as it exists. It's over on the right in my list of blogs, or you can just click here.

I'm still not 100% yet, so I don't have much energy to think or write more now, so that's it for this time. Bye for now! xoxo

May you always take the left.

Sometimes it’s smart to let the roads take you on their own surprises, even if all signs say you might be headed toward the unknown.

Another new season

It's that time of year again. September. The return of the masses at work. The start of new and returning TV shows. New bible study at church. A new bible study soon for my home group. Practically the start of the holiday season. And soon the start of another year of my life. This is the big one, I guess. 30. It often seems like such a huge deal for people, and I'm sure when I was young 30 seemed really, really old. But now it just feels like another year. I've been looking forward to my 30s for some time now, actually. Sure, I don't have the things I thought I wanted by the time I got to 30 - a husband, a family, etc. But I do feel like I'm where I'm supposed to be. Maybe I don't have a husband, but I do have a family of my own making, the people close to me who are sometimes even better than family because I chose them. So I want to celebrate them.

To Millie: She calls us her angels, but she's our angel too and I'm thankful for the time we have with her.

To my roomie Paula: I know we both get cranky sometimes, but overall we have a lot of fun and still manage to have meaningful conversations every now and then. ;) May that continue in the days, weeks, months, and years ahead as we continue on this path God has laid out for us.

To Marco, who somehow manages to be a combination of the little brother I never had and the big brother I didn't get to grow up with, who makes me laugh even when he's bugging me. Who can lead us to God in worship one minute and crack me up with the dumbest joke ever the next. How do you do it?

To Alli, who is exactly 51 weeks younger than me, but always makes me feel like I'm hanging out with the cool older sister who has a lot of fun and makes me laugh, but also knows so much and shares that wisdom with me as well. Hanging with Alli is a growing experience for me, and I'm very thankful for that blessing.

To Selena and Cheryl, who I'm just starting to really get to know. I look forward to going deeper together in bible study. I already know you're super fun to hang out with. Now we'll get to know each other on another level.

To Mel. I don't really have words, just a feeling in my gut that God has put you in my life for a very good reason (as He does with everything) and that it is a blessing for both of us. I look forward to that.

To Raquel and Mo, even though I don't see you much anymore, I think about you often and pray that you are well. We need to hang out more.

To Moriah, who teaches me to look at myself with more love and less criticism. I struggle, but I think some of it is sinking in finally.

And last, but never least, to Jen. My longest friendship. My best friend since high school, my best friend always. We've had some great times. We've had some rough times. You've been there for me when I really needed someone to talk to about all the craziness (you still are!) and I hope I've been able to give you support too. There are miles between us, but we are close in spirit (and online :) ). Through everything I think we've both grown up, grown closer to God and closer to each other. In my life full of broken relationships, I have you to remind me that I can do it. For that I am most grateful of all.

I love you all! Happy new season. May it be one full of love and laughter and growth. I look forward to meeting and getting to know new people, and expanding my little, crazy, God-made (and Elizabeth-stirred) family.

August Mileage Update

Look at me, back so soon. :) Now that I have my log, I can tell you that I did 27 miles in August. That's not too bad. My new mileage total is 257.25 of 300. Getting there! Gotta run, things to do and all that jazz. Ciao for now! xoxo

August Book Update

Hi all! I don't have my workout log with me right now, so I can only do a book update. I figure it's better than nothing, because I might forget to do both if I wait. I managed to get through five books this month! I'm impressed, considering how busy and tired I've been. Go me. What did I read? (Thank goodness for Goodreads and Shelfari, or I would never remember any of this!)

1421: The Year China Discovered America 

A very interesting book, if a little difficult for me to get through. I thought it was well written, but a little too defensive, I guess. Maybe it's just because the author isn't technically an historian, or because he wanted to reach a wider audience, so he felt the need to write in a way that was just a little too... something for my taste. I can't exactly put my finger on it, but it kind of got on my nerves. Other than that I really enjoyed it and I learned quite a bit.

In the Shadow of the Ark

Honestly, I'm not sure I liked this book very much, but I can't really put my finger on why. The story was OK, I guess, but I had a really hard time getting into it and considered stopping through basically the entire book. I made it to the end, and I was glad when it was over. That's all I have to say about that.

The Mortal Instruments Book 1: City of Bones

This is the first book in a series, as I'm sure you can tell. I've said it before: I love a good series. I have read this book before, but it had been awhile so I reread it and I enjoyed it. I like the plot and the characters, though every now and then there are things that just make me roll my eyes. Overall, though, a good read for me.

The Mortal Instruments Book 2: City of Ashes

I hadn't read this one before. I enjoyed it so much that I went out and bought the fourth book in the series (in hardback, gasp!), which I am currently reading, before I even got to the third book. Unlike Twilight, I actually like the heroine of these books because she doesn't seem as weak or stupid as Bella Swan. She's very headstrong and stubborn, and quite rash, though, which definitely gets her into trouble and irritates me sometimes, but overall not a terrible character.

The Mortal Instruments Book 3: City of Glass

Ah book 3! Finally wrapped up some threads that were beginning to irritate me. Things that I saw coming from the first book that I felt were being dragged out in a somewhat contrived manner (won't spoil what here, in case someone wants to read the books), though I've seen similar things done in much more annoying ways in other books and TV shows and movies, so whatever. But I did feel relieved and had to set the book down and say, "Finally!" when certain things were revealed. Phew. It felt like it took forever, but it really wasn't that bad. And I immediately began the fourth book when I finished this one, so obviously I enjoyed it. :D

So that brings my new total to 34 of 40. Almost there! I'll try to get my mileage update done soon, when I remember to have my log with me. Ta for now. xoxo

July Goal Update

I'm actually getting one done on time. Amazing. So, on with it before I get distracted.

Walk/run goal: 35.5 miles. Not too shabby. I can do better, but I'm still quite pleased with that number. Bringing my new total to 230.25 of 300 miles. I'm well on my way to that goal. :D

Books: 0. I'm still on a book I started back in June. I've been distracted and not in a reading mood, which doesn't happen very often for me. So my total here continues to be 29 of 40 books. Oh well, I can't do it all all the time. That's life. Let's see if I can make up for some of that this month!

Awesomest surprise ever!

Look who showed up at my office yesterday afternoon!

Totally made my day. And just when I really needed it too. :D

June Goal Update

Walk/run goal: 20 miles. I've done better, but I've also done worse, so I'm cool with that. That brings me to 194.75 of 300 miles.

Books: I read 4 books in June (Back When We Were Grownups, Queen of the Oddballs, Mr. Timothy, and Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist). So that's 29 of 40 books.

A quiet moment

I guess I'm feeling introspective at the moment. A little melancholy maybe. That's not the word I want. Wistful? Longing? I don't know. There are so many things I've always wanted in my life that I don't have (yet) and sometimes it catches up to me and I wonder. Maybe I won't have them. Maybe it's not part of the plan for me. I don't know. I'm not sad exactly, just contemplating how things could be different, the path I have followed and where I'm going. I don't know what my future holds, or if I will get all the things I long to have. Listening to the radio this morning they played a song I needed to hear, just to remind me. I get those a lot. So I'm going to share here.

It has taken me a long to time to reach the place I'm in now. Knowing how much I'm loved by God and knowing ultimately that's all I need. No one can give me what He gives me. He is the only one who will never let me down.

I have a good life. I love my life, I really do. I enjoy being relatively free of responsibilities and having some of my burdens shared. Having a roommate is working out well for me. Maybe this is unusual, but we have fun and talk about all kinds of things. I have someone there to support me and keep me accountable. It's good. Is this where I pictured myself at almost 30? No, but that doesn't make it bad. Still, I have moments when I wish... I don't even know. That I were further along in my journey? That I were ready for the things I've always wanted? Maybe.

Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

But are the desires of my heart what they should be? I don't believe they will be fulfilled if they are not in line with God's purpose. I also believe that if it is not in His plan, He will remove the desire from my heart, so that makes me think that one day, whenever that may be, I'll be ready. I just hate that it feels so difficult and never ending sometimes. I began praying a little while ago that He would remove the things that I have held higher than Him in my heart. Scary. But I don't want anything in the way, no matter how much I might feel like I do. That's just a lie to hold me back, and I don't want to hold on to it. I know God has so many things for me if I will only let go of the old things so I can receive His blessings.

Several weeks ago, my roomie and I went to church on Sunday so we could be in the service (we often miss the service on Saturdays because we volunteer in the nursery). After service we had this incredible prayer time with two of our friends. Just the four of us in a side room praying over each other and crying - like, we need extra boxes of tissue crying. It was intense and emotional and amazing. I was sobbing listening to my friend pray over me. I knew what she said came straight from God because there was no other way for her to know those things. And I carry that prayer with me and hold it tight, knowing He will fulfill his promises. It won't be easy, but it will be worth it. Someday, someday, I will be ready. I won't be fully healed and whole in this life, not until I go home to be with Jesus, but I have hope that there will be a time that I will receive the blessings God has for me to enjoy here.

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13 

For now I just keep holding on to the hope I have in the Lord, that He will continue to heal me from the inside out so I can be who He created me to be. And when I'm ready, He will place me where I need to be to receive the things I long for in the deepest part of my heart. They don't need to be spoken; He knows them. But I still pray for them every day. And pray that He continues to work in me to move and grow; to reach out and share the love He has given me.

Sheepish Goal Update

I'm way overdue on this. The longer I wait the more overwhelming it seems, even though it only takes a few minutes. So I'm biting the bullet and doing it now. Let's see what we've got, shall we? Wow, I'm more behind than I thought! I need to do March, April and May. My how the time flies! Let's start at the very beginning (a very good place to start).

March Goal Update

Walk/run goal: I did 22 miles, which is low for me, but I was packing and moving, so...

Books: I read two books. (Lincoln At Gettysburg: The Words That Remade America and The Jane Austen Book Club) Again, low, but I was very busy.

April Goal Update

Walk/run goal: 20.75 miles done. Exhaustion and lack of time are the cause of that one.

Books: One lonely book, and not a book book, more quick read, illustrated fairy tale thing (Fairy Tales for Angry Little Girls). No real books at all, which doesn't happen all that often, but when I'm super busy and tired and have what seems like a billion magazines piled up, this is the result.

Oh well. I read a lot of magazines. I unpacked and settled into my new home. I participated in the Easter Choir at church, which was such a blessing. It was a busy, but very good, month.

May Goal Update

Walk/run goal: 38.5 miles. That's better. Getting back to my normal workout routine helped me to feel better in May than I did in March and April, physically and emotionally.

Books: 5 books (The Night Watch, Sharp Objects, Daughter of the Loom, A Fragile Design, These Tangled Threads) The last three were a trilogy. I do tend to choose series over individual novels. I've always been that way. I also prefer series over movies. I like the story to keep going.

That brings my tallies to:  174.75 of 300 miles and 25 of 40 books. Hey, that's not too shabby! I'm well on my way to both goals, definitely past the halfway point for both of them. And the year isn't half over yet, so I am officially ahead of schedule! Go me!! And I've already done 10 miles and 2 books this month, so I'm off and running (well, mostly walking right now, but you know what I mean).

Stay tuned for my next post with pictures of my new home. Coming soon, I hope!

Coming up for air

I'm just starting to emerge from the moving bubble after almost a month. I know I need to post my March goals update (though not much was done due to the moving) and I promise I will post more pictures of the new place. For now, here is our doormat:

xoxo,
E

Movin' on up!

Hi! I haven't been around much recently because I've been moving. I'm exhausted but I'm happy to say that by the end of this weekend I will be done moving into the new place. I'm so glad to be getting out and away from this condo that was only supposed to be temporary almost three years ago! I don't have any pictures yet, but when I have a chance to take them I will share them here. I'm probably going to be offline until late tomorrow so I can move my computer. The cable guys are coming tomorrow between 1-3, but I'll probably be too busy unpacking and trying to settle down so I can get up for work Monday. I'll be back soon though. Don't miss me too much! :oD

This is how I feel sometimes

And tonight is one of those times, thanks to a long, hectic, chaotic week.

And now I'm going to bed and hoping for less confusion tomorrow!

Surrendering

I've been wanting to discuss TV again for some time now. I've recently done something nearly unprecedented - I've removed two longstanding shows from my schedule. I talked in a previous post about my chart and categorization, etc. I'm going to show you my chart as it currently stands.

This is the fewest number of shows I've watched in I don't even remember how long. It's a whole new world for me. Biggest Loser and Supernatural are gone from my spring schedule. A year ago, I don't think it would have even occurred to me to remove a show I've watched for as long as I've watched Supernatural. But things, they are a-changing.

I used to fear the changes God was making in me in this area. I didn't want to give up the shows I love; I didn't want to surrender things I felt so attached to. It terrified me. I was obedient up to a point. I would pray for change but ask to keep certain things - I didn't want to go all the way. Even then, He helped me along, helped me to let go a little bit at a time, but I was resistant to it so it wasn't what it could be. I can't put my finger on when exactly I changed enough to want to change, but now I welcome it (in this area, anyway.) I've slowly been inching my way along this path, afraid to end up in a place where I don't know who I am anymore. Lately, though, I've started praying fervently for change. 

The first time I asked Him to remove anything that was before Him in my heart, I did it full of fear and reluctance. But every time that I ask, I feel stronger in my resolve, more secure in who I am in Him and more ready to let go of the things weighing me down. And things are starting to shift. I think it started with Glee. You may remember how much I adored this show last year. It quickly became my favorite show, but like many things that come on suddenly, it began to fade just as quickly. I don't know if it's the show or if it's me - probably a combination (I know I'm not the only one wondering where the plot went this season), but I just don't care like I did. I still watch it, but I've lost the need to see it right away. I usually tape it now and watch it several days later. It's still cute and the songs are still fun, but the need is gone.

Then Supernatural. Poor show. I watched it faithfully, but I just don't care enough anymore to tape and watch it every week, or to keep up with it online. That's what Netflix is good for, anyway. Then I just couldn't tolerate the manufactured drama of Biggest Loser. I tried to stick it out for Jillian's last season, but I couldn't take it anymore, and I don't miss it at all. I'm not a fan of the reality genre anyway, so that one was easier to let go. What's more, I find myself pondering what will go next and when. Not if - it's definitely when. It's probably going to be Chuck, which I've started to find quite repetitive. After that, I could see giving up Bones, maybe The Office after Steve Carrell leaves, and perhaps, at some point, Glee. And inside, there's a strong part of me that is excited about not having so much of my time taken up with these commitments. I feel relieved at the prospect of having more time of my own to focus on the things I love and the people I enjoy spending time with. And the shows that I truly enjoy watching every week. Like Vampire Diaries, which is just a fabulously good time every single week! But that's a story for another time.

February Goal Update

Hi all! I know, I know - I didn't really post anything in February. I have lots of stuff going on that I want to talk about, but that will have to wait for a later post (soon!). Right now I have to check in on my goal progress.

Offical tally:

Walk/run goal: I did 52 miles this month, so my total is ...drumroll, please... 93.5 of 300. Woo! I'm almost one third of the way to my goal!

Books: This month I read 9 books (A Caress of Twilight, Seduced by Moonlight, A Stroke of Midnight, Mistral's Kiss, A Lick of Frost, Swallowing Darkness, There's No Place Like Here, Sin in the Second City, How to Be Lost). So that makes 17 of 40. Almost halfway! I might increase my goal number if I continue at this rate.

Again, the majority of books this month were from a series, but now that I've finished the two series I spent the last couple of months catching up on, I am open to more variety. Part of my focus right now is also to decrease my book collection, so I'm trying to read books that I can sell/donate after I've read them. I enjoyed There's No Place Like Here, Sin in the Second City (which was a very interesting look at part of Chicago's history) and How to Be Lost, but they are all going in the next trip to Half Price Books.

Another good month for both goals. That makes me happy. I promise I'll be back soon with other goings on in my life.

January Tally

Official tally:

Walk/run goal: 41.5 miles of 300

Books: 8 of 40 (Cerulean Sins, Incubus Dreams, Micah, Danse Macabre, The Harlequin, Blood Noir, The Lynne Truss Treasury, A Kiss of Shadows) I'm hoping for a bit more variety this month; six of these books are from a series.

Goal Update

My first goal update! I know it's not quite the end of the month, but I'm updating anyway. So let me see how I'm doing so far.

In my original goal post (hee! goal post) my first set of goals were spiritual. I haven't really done much with those yet. I know I need to, but I'm not really there yet, I guess. I don't have a dedicated prayer time, other than when I go to bed, which is when I always have concentrated prayer time. I haven't been reading Scripture daily, except my Scripture-a-day calendar. I feel a little bad about that, but at least I'm getting something. Full tithing is still a goal I'm working toward. Church attendance has been so-so. I've been helping in the nursery, so I miss the sermons, but I'm fulfilling my service goal. I have been listening to KLOVE every day, except for the last week or so. I've been caught up in listening to some old CDs. I haven't even attempted journaling yet, and I don't look forward to it. Sigh. That one I just don't know about. The one I feel like I'm having the most success with is choosing forgiveness and grace every day. That I've really been focusing on, so that's one goal I've been working on.

The other area I wanted to work on was my health, in all areas. This is where I've put much of my attention over the past month. I am losing weight. Yay me! Slow and steady. I am more than on target to reach 300 miles by the end of the year. As of today I have done 34.5 miles - 10 miles over my goal for the month! Go me! The first few weeks I only managed 3 days of exercise per week, but this week I've done 4 so far, and I plan to have a good workout on Saturday. I am beginning to reincorporate my weight training. I did Turbo Sculpt last night for the first time in quite a while. It was tough and I'm super sore, but I feel great.

As for my diet goals: I have been doing my Shakeology (almost) every day. I've missed a couple of days in the month, but that's it. It really helps me stay on track all day. I've been working to make sure I get more fruits and veggies, and that's going well, as is the decreased sugar intake. My sugar craving is definitely declining the more I go without it. I'm also managing at least 7 hours of sleep every night (with maybe a couple of exceptions). I am very strict about going to bed at 10 because I know I feel better when I do that. I've kept Sundays as my day of rest, when I just relax and don't have to do anything. It really helps, especially after/before a super busy week. And I'm on track for my reading goal. So far this month I've read 7 books. Woo!

And that brings me to my financial goals. The main one here is to stick to my budget, which I've been doing very well this month, I think. I have a lot more money at the end of the month than usual, and it would be even more if I hadn't had an unexpectedly high medical expense. And I haven't charged anything on my credit card, which makes me very happy. I haven't gone to the library yet - that's still on my list, but I've been reading the books I already have. I did buy one book this week, but it was used and I only paid 3 dollars for it. So I'm forgiving myself for that. I think if I maintain this level of control and continue to stick to my budget, it is definitely possible to reach $10K in savings by the end of the year. Maybe even sooner. Yay!

That's where I am right now.

TALLY:
Walk/run goal: 34.5 of 300
Reading goal: 7 of 40

This year is going very well so far. Talk to y'all soon. xoxo

Push It

I'm doing a challenge to learn how to better set goals and organize my life. If you are interested, I highly recommend it. You can sign up on the website: http://www.chalenejohnson.com/30daychallenge/. Once you sign up you will get one email per day with a video and an assignment. It's helping me a lot. I am on Day 5 now, and today's assignment is to promise people that I will accomplish my "push goal(s)" in the next twelve months. What is a push goal? It is a goal that makes other goals achievable. We're supposed to promise people we'll accomplish them as a form of accountability, because most of us are far more likely to do things to avoid letting others down. So here are mine (I have two):

#1: Stick to my budget! This will enable me to achieve other goals like paying off my credit card, increasing my savings, opening a Roth IRA, and moving when I find the right place. All of this will contribute to my financial stability, which is a huge priority for me.

#2: Focus on my health! Fixing my focus firmly on my well-being will help me achieve several other goals. I want to get up earlier, run/walk 300 miles and lose 50 pounds. It will also contribute to my determination to make myself and my home more organized, as well as my goal to read 50 books this year (which will help me relax more). My health and well-being are one of my biggest priorities.

So, I am fulfilling my Day 5 assignment by promising all of you who read this (which may only be a few people, but that's OK) that I will achieve these goals in the next twelve months. If you decide to sign up for the challenge, let me know and we can be accountability partners. It's never too late to start.

Let's get this new year started!

OK, so it is now 2011, which will take some getting used to. I can see myself automatically writing the wrong year for at least the next month. One thing I'm really noticing is how the new year has lost some of its excitement over the years. Not the aspect involving new beginnings and goals and all that, but the celebration part. I'm such a night owl that when I don't have to get up early I stay up way past midnight anyway, so that part isn't special at all anymore. Usually I spend at least a little time watching one of the New Year shows on TV. I think last year was the first when I just didn't care; I just flipped over for a minute for the countdown. This year I was watching The Office with a friend and we paused at 11:59 for the countdown and then went right back to what we were doing. And then continued to watch The Office until almost 4 am. (That part was unusual for me.) I was up until 5 this morning, not because of excitement or celebrating or anything interesting. Just because I couldn't sleep yet. So I guess I'm a little sad that I don't find it as exciting as I used to. And it's somewhat disheartening that hiding behind my eagerness to plan for a new year and set up new goals and reboot things and all that fun stuff, there's a voice that just says, "Here we go again." No excitement, just resignation. Maybe because nothing in my life really seems to change year after year - I make progress and then I slide backward. I want this year to be different, I want to make permanent changes and stick to my goals. But then, I want that every year and here I am in pretty much the same place. Maybe I'm just tired.

And I don't want to be so negative. I know I've made some really good changes this year. I'm learning to let go of things, not only emotionally, but physically too. I got rid of 15 bags of books a couple months ago. That is unheard of for me. And it was extremely upsetting, but I feel good about it now. And I have gone through my books since then and collected another 8 bags to get rid of. Plus all the other stuff that I just need to donate already and get out of my house. I will feel so much better once that's done. Plus all the paperwork I've gone through, the stuff I've thrown out that I've been hanging on to for years for no reason. That's huge. I'm getting things in order, refusing to allow myself to be weighed down by carrying all of this stuff with me everywhere. It's not easy and I struggle with it every day, but I am determined. So, let's move on to my goals for this year, shall we?

I'm doing things a bit differently this year than I have before and I hope that will help me stick to things better. My first step in making goals this year was thinking about my priorities, my values, what's most important to me. And when I really thought about my priorities - what they are in my heart and what is reflected in my actions - I can boil it down to two main ones at this time in my life. The first is God. This is very true in my heart and my mind, but I don't know that it is always reflected in my actions, so I have some goals for that. The other is my health, but when I say that I am including my physical, emotional and financial health all together as one, because they all go together. Of course, so does spiritual health, but I think I cover that pretty well with my first priority, so let's move on. There are other things that I value, like my family, my friends, helping others, etc. But God and health are my two biggest right now.

That brings us to my actual goals. I'm not sure how clear this will be. I was reading something about setting goals and the person said first determine priorities, then set goals and list ways to achieve those goals. I did that, but my actions to achieve the goals are, in themselves, goals. So maybe that covers my short and long term? I don't know, but this is what I came up with.

My first goal is to keep growing closer to God, and to put in more of an effort than I have been lately. What I mean by that is that I have been slacking off in my focus and dedication and I want to be more active than passive. Some of the things I've come up with to achieve that are: having a dedicated prayer time every day (which I haven't really been doing lately); reading Scripture daily (which I really haven't been doing lately); full tithing (I've been working my way up to it and I'm almost there. I just need to commit that last little bit); regular church attendance (I do usually do this, but sometimes I lose focus. And when I can't make it, I often don't get around to listening to the sermon online, which I really need to do); service, service, service (so important and I've been slipping the last few months); having a daily worship time (this already happens because I listen to KLOVE every morning on the way to work); journaling (ugh! I hate journaling. BUT, it really does help, so I will try again); choose forgiveness and grace every single day. Those are some of the main things I came up with. The overall focus here is for me to really make God my top priority.

My other goal is to focus on and maintain my physical, emotional and financial health. All three of these are so intertwined for me that it just makes sense to have it all as one goal, but within that are lots of goals. First, I want to lose weight. My overall goal is to lose 50-60 pounds because I think that would get me down to a fairly healthy weight that I can maintain. My first goal, though, is to lose 10% of my current weight, or 21 pounds - and yes if you do the math you can figure out how much I weigh right now. I've been here before and I know I can do this. The following goals go along with this one. I want to run/walk 300 miles this year. That's almost 6 miles a week, which is totally doable if I stick to my goal. I can do that in one workout, so I know I can do 300 miles in a year. Along with that, I need to work out at least 4 times per week, and at least two of them need to include weight training. When I'm focused and taking care of myself, I like to do 5-6 days, but I'm trying to give myself a goal that won't crush me with its weight. This will also help my emotional health because it helps me relieve stress.

Next is my diet. This is where I get tripped up the most because I end up eating way too little. Yes, I said too little. It is so bad for my metabolism and it messes up my workouts and sabotages my health and weight loss. So, first of all, I need to make sure I eat enough every day. I'm back on my Shakeology, starting today, which is the best way to start my day. I need to eat more fruits and veggies and minimize my sugar intake. I also need to remember to rest. I need 7-9 hours of sleep per night and in order to do that during the week, I need to go to bed by 10. I also find that I need one day per week when I don't have to do anything or go anywhere. This is my day of rest. But I also need quiet time every day. Those are for my physical health, but also my emotional health. I also want to read more books, so I'm setting a goal for that. I'm going to try for 40 by the end of the year. I'm looking forward to trying to meet that goal, but I'm not going to pressure myself because this is supposed to help my emotional well-being, not add to my stress.

Which brings us to financial health, which for me equals emotional health. I need financial stability. When I don't have it, I get stressed out. So my biggest goal here is to stick to my budget!!! I have a good, balanced budget that includes little extras, but I always exceed it. That needs to change. I have worked in the last several months to decrease a lot of my bills and remove unnecessary expenses. Now I just need to curb my impulse spending. I want to go to the library more and buy used books, if I even buy them at all. I need to read the books I have before buying more. I'm going to use my tax refund to pay down my credit card (again) and put more money in savings every month. My goal is to reach $10K in my savings again and then start a Roth IRA. I want my credit card to be used sparingly, like it used to be, instead of all the time, as it has been lately. I would also like to move this year, for both my financial and emotional well-being, but I'll talk about that more when I find the right place.

That's it. Those are my goals, action items, whatever you want to call them. Some of them are extremely easy, some of them I do already, some are going to be difficult. I'm going to do my best and try to keep myself accountable when I slip. So let me know what some of your goals are, if you've made some. Maybe we can help each other. Happy New Year!