Where in the world have you been?

I looked up today and realized—January is gone.  I thought that 2008 really zipped by, but 2009 seems to be going at warp speed.  I realized last night just how long it had been since I connected with many of my friends from all over the globe.  It made me a little sad, and also made me start to think of ways to better keep in touch.

My life has been crazy since moving to Texas, but crazy in a good way.  I actually think that I am developing a new life that is fun, crazy, a little goofy and a bit of a roller coaster at times.  A new friend claims that I have finally found myself, I just am in the process of refining and redefining the life that I want to lead.  That’s a pretty big challenge, and in part may have something to do for nearly dropping off of the grid.

What have I been up to?

• Working a crazy schedule that has me working more afternoon shifts than I would like.  Those hours seem to mess up my sleep and eating patterns.  Next week I work 12-8:30 pm and the following 3 weeks I work 10 am to 7 pm.  But I have a good job, and in these economic times all appears to be very secure that I will keep the job.
• When I can squeeze it in I started taking a karate class.  I never pictured myself learning karate, but when I have been able to make it to class I have enjoyed it.  I plan to continue, and have asked for at least Monday nights to attend class.
• I’ve continued my charity projects–a bit limited compared to the past.  I have Valentine’s Day cards I am working on for Hospice patients, and I’ve started knitting for the Dulaan Project.
• I experienced my first ice storm in Texas this week and am still laughing at the way everyone freaked out over a little ice.  On the plus side temperatures will be in the 70’s for the weekend.  )
• I’ve battled a few personal demons, and started poking around inside of my head and dealing with some ghosts from the past. That’s never an easy thing to do, and can be a bit unnerving to look at one’s self in that light.  Knitting time has become pondering time as I reflect on things that seem to be nudging me to pay attention.

My life continues to be an interesting journey.  You might think that after 50+ years I would have life figured out–I realize that I’m really just beginning to understand and figure some things out.  I don’t see that as a bad thing, I also don’t plan on spending the next 50 years trying to find myself.  In the words of that immortal sailor Popeye, “I am what I am.”

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. – Helen Keller

Everybody eventually becomes who they are.

If you wait for tomorrow to follow your dreams, by the time that you get there they’re gone. – Willie Nelson

Life is a journey, not a destination. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

New year on the horizon…

2009 is nearly here, and I started thinking about goals for the new year.  I’m not calling them resolutions, just a few things that have been on my mind lately to work toward in 2009.

1. What’s Cookin?
   I want to learn to cook—cook differently than I have been cooking for most of my life.  I knew how to cook for a family of 4 in the cornfields, but cooking for one, or even two has left me challenged at best.  To compensate I grab whatever is quick, or whatever I can find in my local grocer’s freezer.  My goal is to cook two new things every week.  Doing the math here, that’s well over 100 new things to try and to learn how to cook.  
    
2. Get My Financial Affairs in Order
   For the first time in my life I want to put myself on a budget, and do my best to stick with it.  That’s going to be a challenge for me, but at this stage of my life, I think its’ about time to get a real handle on my finances, spending, and my investments–you know be a grown up?  )
    
3. Giving Back
   In 2008 I sent a card to my friend Steph in Washington, D.C. to arrive in time for the 3 Day Breast Cancer Walk.  I said that in 2009 I planned to be there with her walking.  That’s a promise I intend to keep.  To do that I’m going to have to definitely get back into shape, so that will satisfy two goals I have for 2009.
4. Work Skills Enhancement
   I want to learn how to use Camtasia to create web based training modules.  I think with my background in web stuff this should be a reasonable goal.
5. Explore Texas
   This is one great big state and I want to see more of it.  Short getaways, and attending SXSW in Austin for sure.
6. Explore some new hobbies, or fine-tune some that I enjoy now.
   The metro-plex is a huge area, there have to be all sorts of classes in all sorts of things in this area, just a matter of taking some time to do a little homework and online research.  I miss Yoga, belly dancing..pottery? Painting? Why not?

The Bucket List — Carry over from 2008

1. Take a trip to Denmark to see where my ancesters roamed.
   I’m not sure that trip goes along with my goal to become more fiscally responsible, but perhaps investigating and figuring out where my ancestors actually roamed is a great start in 2009.
    
2. Parasail
   This one seems do-able in 2009.  )
    
3. Write a bodice ripper and have it published.
   If nothing else, I have an incredible book about dating in one’s 50’s that I have gathered quite enough material for!
    
4. Knit an absolutely gorgeous lace shawl.
   I have yarn that I bought on my trip to Ireland..the first step is finding a pattern and then starting.  Just do it!

New to the list in 2009

1. Travel always seems to be really high on my list.  I’d like to see the pyramids, take  a mediterranean cruise, see the sites in Paris, spend a wild and crazy weekend in Vegas taking in the shows–see the mountain vistas in some part of the western United States.
    
2. I want to learn to ballroom dance–you know Dancing with the Stars type dancing.  (Finding a partner would probably be a pretty good first step? )

That’s a start, a few things to shoot toward in the next year.  I hope as goals are met, I can add a few more challenges to my days. 

Over the weekend I saw the movie The Yes Man..it struck a chord in me that saying yes to new challenges and situations can open up a new world of possibilities.  A stretch goal for 2009 is to say yes to more opportunities than those that I say no to.  It’s never easy to step outside of one’s comfort zone and try new things and new experiences.  But, what am I waiting for? I’ve not discovered a fountain of youth here in Texas, or have I?  I think my relocation has opened me up a lot more to life, and all that it has to offer.

What about you? Have you set any goals?

Ann

Tonight’s new dish Breast of Chicken with Lemon Butter from 5 in 10 Cookbook–5 Ingredients in 10 Minutes of Less–just $6.98 at Half Price Books yesterday…One down, 103 more new things to cook in 2009!
 

What can one person do?

Feck, you know that you can make a difference, whether you have 5 bucks in your pocket, or just a little goodwill in your heart. 

Chris Brogan posted a link tonight from @meglyn and her support our troops project.  Go read what she’s up to, (I’ll wait). 

Simple enough, and straight from the heart.  What does it cost you to send an email, seriously, just a few minutes of your time.

Me? I’m going to do that AND send in a donation to the USO–where I know that my money will go to where it needs to go.

…tis the season….

)

Ann

Tis the season…

I’ve not made a secret of the fact that I have really been dreading the holiday season.  The past two Christmas seasons have been the absolute worse of my life.  This year I was all set to bury my head in the sand and pretend that I had no clue where my Christmas decorations might be hiding.  After much thought I decided that not having a tree, and trying to ignore the season would only make me sadder.  I thought about my mom, and I know in my heart that she would want me to be celebrating this holiday season, my new location, my new life. 

So today, I pulled out the boxes of decorations and decorated my beautiful tree with white lights and silver decorations and began to put my Santa collection around the base of the tree.  I decorated the small tree with special ornaments that remind me of many Christmases past–ornaments from friends, ones I made, even a few Texas ones that I bought last year.  That little tree is covered with all sorts of love.  It made me think about my daughters and how they would whine and complain about helping me decorate the tree, but the ornaments told a story.  Each year I would make them a special ornament, or buy them something for the tree.  When I left the house, I left the ornaments behind for them, a link to their growing up years.  I hope when they hang them on their tree that they think of me..and that one day they will understand the choices and the decisions that I have made.  I think they will, they are pretty bright girls–look at their mother?  )

I have a small Santa collection of 5 Santas.  Very nice expensive ones that were given to me over the years by both my mom and my brother. While unpacking the boxes they were tossed all over the place from being pulled from the closet.  One box I opened from the bottom and found a card at the top/bottom of the box, long since hidden and forgotten:

To Ann from Mom & Dad,

I hope every time you see this you will think of me.

Mom

As you can expect I was a mess after reading the card, and sobbed for a full 5 minutes.  Umm, I kinda think that was Mom’s way of letting me know that it’s ok to celebrate, to enjoy life.  I will miss not being with my daughters on the holiday, but honestly last year it was an hour or so they visited the apartment, the year before I spent Christmas alone.  I will be in Ohio December 19-21 and will get to see them both when my daughter graduates from college…but I will be back in Texas for December 25.

I have a lot to celebrate this year.  I can remember decorating that tree last year and telling myself that next year–this year I would be in Texas for Christmas, and here I am.  I have a job that I love, terrific people to work with, and some new people who have come into my life and added much joy.

Tis the season to celebrate JOY and to celebrate life, that’s exactly what I plan to do. 

)

…and yeah Mom, I thought about you today when I unpacked that Santa and put it under my Texas Tree….

You know darlin’ everything’s bigger in Texas…

No, that’s not a line from a recent date.  That was my reaction when I ventured into The Woolie Ewe yarn shop yesterday.  Wow, I have never in my life been in a yarn store that big, it was overwhelming.  When I go to the yarn store it usually takes me two or three trips around to make a decision. I have to touch the yarn, try to find what would work well for the project I have in mind. zOMG there were so many choices in so many price ranges.  I bought a hat pattern, but there were hundreds of patterns and books.

I went to find more yarn for my project of completing 11 hats by Thanksgiving.  I did linger over the lace shawl patterns but decided that I will begin that project, that bucket list goal at the beginning of the year.  There were a group of people sitting at the table knitting and a variety of people walking around to help if you needed it.  I got the biggest kick out of the mom dragging her adult son around the place holding yarn up to his face to pick out the best color for his scarf.  He looked like he might have played linebacker in high school.  The funny part was that he was into it as much as she was.  They settled on a green to match his eyes and a gray. 

When I walked up to pay for my yarn they added me to their mailing list, that could be serious serious trouble.  I now have a great place to take all of my knitting buddies when they come for a visit in Texas.  I was amazed by the service and the friendliness.  When they asked if I wanted the two hanks of yarn I had purchased spun up on the swift I was wow-ing.  Not that I don’t have a swift and a ball winder at home, but this small extra step impressed me.

I’ll be heading back in that direction again.  I finished the hat I was working on last night, a plastic camo yarn type close to the head hat.  I started a new hat after that..I had forgotten what a yarn snob I am, I am really enjoying knitting with the new stuff.  So very bright and soft.  With this new incentive I’m definitely going to make that 11 hat goal.  Six hats done, 5 to go!

Caution, major life trauma ahead…

I’m not sure if it’s just a woman thing, or a man thing too..finding someone new to cut your hair is traumatic.  In the cornfields I have had the same lady highlighting, perming, trimming and cutting my hair for nearly 10 years.  It’s just not practical to travel back there when my hair needs attention.  Since arriving in Texas I’ve pretty much been ignoring the gray taking over—the natural highlighting. 

Tuesday I was out taking a walk around the neighborhood and stopped in at the salon in the shopping area near my apartment complex.  Since I’ve been working the afternoon shift this week it seemed like a good opportunity to get something done with my hair. 

The shop was very nice, the lady doing my hair talked but not too much.  In the bright light of the salon I took one look in the mirror and was shocked at just how gray I was.  YIKES!!!  So as my hair was combed and painted and wrapped in foil I really hoped for the best from this trip. 

When washing my hair, the beautician gave me an amazing scalp massage and I didn’t want to get up from the chair, it was so relaxing.  The highlighting was the best I have ever had.  She also suggested parting my hair on the opposite side and she razor cut some bangs for me…still long enough to tuck behind my ear.  I loved the look and my team mates at work told me I looked sassy with my new do.  I even felt a little sassier!

As I sat under the dryer getting the color cooked in I noticed that the other lady in the salon adding a little color to her hair was knitting.  What are the odds of that?  I couldn’t hear the discussion over the hum of the dryer, but she told my beautician that I was a professional knitter.  (Shoot I was working on a mindless knitting hat.)  She did give me a great tip on a LYS (local yarn store) I had just put the address of a few yarn stores in my GPS yesterday.  This one is The Woolie Ewe and I plan to venture there tomorrow before work.

Weather is a bit cooler in Texas and that seems to have me in the knitting mood…I haven’t been in a yarn store in months, I’m overdue!

Today’s Question: Are you a morning or night person?

Please..talk amongst yourselves.  )

Ann

Can’t sleep…

Thankfully I’m working 2-10 tomorrow, but I also have been invited to an thank you lunch for my work on a project for another department, I need to be there by 11.  Sooooooooooo, I can sleep in a little bit in the morning.

I was driving home tonight when the radio announcer broke in to announce that Obama had won the election.  I came home, turned on the lights, and the power went off in the housing complex.  The first thing I thought was some sort of issue because of the election…how sad is that?  The power came back on, and I sat like quite a few Americans and watched Obama’s speech.  I truly believe this will be one of those moments, like the first lunar landing, the assassination of President Kennedy, the Beatles on Ed Sullivan that one will remember where they were at that particular moment in time.  (And shut up if you don’t remember when any of those things happened.  )

I set a goal for myself today to knit 10 hats for Rad Bad Beanies by Thanksgiving.  That’s a pretty lofty goal for someone who has a crazy busy schedule and a bit of a social life–actually after checking at the last update from Rad Bad Beanies, I’ve knitted 44 hats to date, starting in 2005—let’s make the goal 11 and bring that grand total up to 55. 

I hopped up on my soapbox tonight about my feelings that one person really can make a difference.  Someone took it the wrong way as if I was talking about the election and/or the reduction of the DOD budget.  Ummmm..you give me far too much credit for where my head was at.  My mind was thinking about doing for others, never crossed my mind that I was tryng to make some sort of political statement. 

Off to do a little reading–Life is a Verb. 

Hugs all around…

Ann

I voted today… :o)

It was exciting today voting for the first time in my new adopted state of Texas.  Things were a bit different than in the cornfields.  It was my first time using an electronic voting machine.  I was really surprised by all of the campaign signs and people campaigning so close to the polling places.  It was also the first time that I voted early.  I was working the afternoon shift today, so I went before work and waited in line maybe 5 minutes at the  most.  I’ve heard reports of people standing in line 1+ hours after work when trying to vote.  Next Tuesday will just be crazy.

I have voted in every election since becoming eligible to vote with the exception of one year when I moved and didn’t change my voter registration.  It’s just something that’s been ingrained in me since childhood. 

I also took my Honda in for an oil change today to the Honda dealership.  The little wrench lit up on my dashboard letting me know it was time for service.  Service waiting room was very nice, free snacks and a big screen TV.  I loved the part on the news when they showed all of the snow.  I snorted to myself…heh heh heh–I won’t miss that.  I started a mindless knitting hat and just enjoyed my 20 or so minutes there. Not only was it fast and reasonably priced by my car had been washed when I got it back. 

I’m going to check at the complex office tomorrow night to see if and when there is trick or treating in the apartment complex.  I have two cute little girls in the apartment above me, I’m going to put together something special for them for Halloween. 

Today’s Question:  What was your best Halloween costume ever?

Mmmmm…fresh baked cookies….

My apartment smells like fresh baked snickerdoodles.  That’s because I just baked a batch and a half for work tomorrow.  I have a plate for the office, a dozen for a co-worker who loves snickerdoodles who had a bad day today and nearly a dozen little festive Halloween type bags tied with a candy corn printed ribbon.  To me? Nothing special, just business as usual.  It’s amazing what a little bag full of cookies can do to make an impression.

If you asked my college class students who often celebrated Fun Day Monday, Terrific Tuesday, and What’s Up Wednesday what sorts of things I did in a given semester, this behavior would not surprise them.  For as long as I can remember I’ve just enjoyed doing these kinds of things, it’s never felt like a chore, it gives me pleasure.  I’ve also found it’s a whole lot easier to ask someone for help when you’ve worked on building a relationship before you actually needed that help.

This week my class was cancelled due to the computer conversion.  It’s the first time since my first week that I’ve worked a normal 8-5 schedule.  It’s also given me a chance to get back into my other love course management–using Moodle instead of Blackboard.  I’m still poking around trying to figure new things out.  I need to track down some guidebooks, tutorials or manuals.  The net connection at work makes that darn near impossible, so maybe a little time at home this weekend to see what I can come up with.

What made your day a little brighter today?  What the heck are you up to?

The question of the day….If you had to describe yourself using three words, it would be…

Me? Happy, Contemplative, Goofy!

Where in the world would you like to visit?

Sara, inspired today’s blog post with her savings plan to head to Europe. Talk of SXSW popped up on Twitter and I set my sights on that as one of my travel destinations for 2009.  While searching for airline ticket prices at Travelocity I decided to set up fare watches for 10 destinations…

In no particular order the list has started with…

Austin:
SXSW is definitely an achievable goal for 2009-if the computer conversion at work isn’t that weekend.

St Louis
Two of my favorite trips in 2008 were to visit @Mongo, @GeekDave and all of the other midwest gathering crazy people.  I want to go back.

Dayton
I’m sure there will be a trip back to the cornfields in 2009..not sure when.

Washington-DC
I know that @LoganDawg is missing me

Fort Lauderdale
Those crazy friends of mine in south Florida make me want to visit–often!

Kauai
This is my daughter’s island n Hawaii..I’d love to go spend some time with her this year.

Las Vegas
I’ve never been..think I need to see the bright lights in 2009

New Orleans
I’ve never been, another place that’s close that I would love to experience.

Lake Tahoe
A postponed celebration with my buddy in Florida to see this beautiful part of the country.

Colorado Springs
I’ve never been there, but really want to see the scenic vistas of Colorado.

If you would have told me last year at this time that in 2008 I would have visited, Miami, Washington-DC, St. Louis, Ft. Lauderdale, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio I would have laughed at you. Not to mention that I would be living in the Dallas area.  The nice thing about living here is being so close to a major airport.  It offers me all sorts of opportunities for trips to different parts of the world. 

I’m still planning to take a trip back to the Hill Country of Texas…to follow the route that I took 5+ years ago when I first fell in love with the state.  2009 is shaping up to be a busy travel year if I accomplish all of these spots.

Just where would you love to travel to in 2009?

)

Come on..dream a little..dream a lot…

ask
believe
receive