New Year, New Cheer

Well, it's taken three days, but I'm finally reviewing my 2009 goals and the results are just a hair above average. The big winner is this here blog thing. My goal was to post 10 times a month and I posted 365 times! The key to my success was to shorten the posts and stop adding pictures. However, I have been severely chastised by my husband (who just started blogging a month ago) that blogs without photos are boring, so I plan to integrate some longer photo posts with my event posts. These longer posts will have to do with my goals, so with any luck, I'll do better at fulfilling in the coming year.



Besides the blog, I had intended to:

• Finish the first draft of a novel-- I'm only about half done


• Set up an office -- I have a table stacked with folders, but need to sift through file cabinets and get an actual desk


• Reconnect with friends and family--I did spend more time with a few people I've known for a long time, but didn't make any new friends; I did join a book club and a writing group and volunteered at 2 places.


• Grow organic vegetables -- I took a composting class and made some compost mix; I got self watering pots and planted peppers and tomatoes and basil. The basil grew like wild fire, but the tomatoes and peppers were less than satisfactory


• Travel more -- I went to the San Francisco area, visited friends and family in Richmond, VA and western Massachusets and Santa Cruz and Santa Barbara, CA, had a "couples' weekend" in San Luis Obispo, and a 30th wedding anniversary week in a cabin near Glacier National Park (and blogged about it)


• Get a new job -- I applied for one job at CSULB


• Take better care of my health -- I've been pretty good in the last four months of maintaining a regular weekly exercises routine of 2 simple yoga sessions, 2 sessions with light hand weights, 2 half-hour or more walking sessions, and 2 meditation sessions; I have maintained my weight but not lost any

Some unexpected achievements this year were: listening to 25 recorded books, setting up a regular housekeeping schedule, and reading several writing magazines regularly.

So this year, I will pretty much attempt to do better on these goals than I did last year.

• Blog -- Continue short event-oriented posts and add longer pieces at least one a week focusing on my annual goals. Goal: 5 posts a week =260 posts (Continuing post series--Blog-a-rama--will feature blogs I like and why)
• Finish novel -- Set aside at least 5 hours a week for writing; continue to read writing magazines and books; set aside a long weekend for myself as a birthday present (Continuing post series--Scribblocity--will discuss thoughts about the novel and writing in general)
• Set up office -- break down office set up into doable pieces; (Continuing post series--Sanctuary--will examine what will make an office efficient and inviting for me)
• Friends and family -- Continue to volunteer; continue to look for opportunities to go out with friends; join at least one social group (Continuing post series--People who need people--will feature local volunteer groups)
• Organic gardening-- get out there and get my hands dirty; this year concentrate on herbs (Continuing post series--Down to the roots--will chronicle what's growing and what's not)
• Job--I will apply for Census job and at part-time agencies as well as investigate starting up a research business
• Travelling -- Visit New York City, take a camper trip with the family, take a long weekend by my self; take a trip with a friend (maybe Elderhostel); go on a cruise (Continuing post series--Road Trip!--will report on these trips)
• Health -- Continue exercise routine; do more biking and walking--2 pleasure excursions and 2 functional excursions per month; work up to having at least one vegetarian day per week (Continuing post series--Paniers a-plenty--will discuss bike and walk routes)