(Image from: www.scrapalbum.com)Before I start making a whole new list of resolutions, there's one thing I must ask myself... Did I keep my resolutions from last year?
Below are my resolutions from last year, in review:
25 things to finish before 2010:(if not completed will roll over to 2011)1. try a new recipe at least once a week. (Kept)I've tried a LOT of new recipes this year: 13 bean soup,
macaroons,
apple pate de fruit,
ham and celery jello loaf, stuffed tomatoes,
chocolate mug cake,
mint jelly,
plum chutney,
noodle mushroom ring,
dilly beans,
coffee coffee cake and lots more that I can't even remember. But did I try something new each week? It probably averages out to something like that. Yes! I think I kept this resolution.
2. start writing in cursive again. (Sort of kept)I started writing in cursive again, and then it dawned on me... No one knows how to read cursive anymore. I mean the
Palmer Method is fantastic! But I got really tired of people asking me what it said. Therefore, instead of cursive I switched to something more like
foundational or book hand. This has been a good choice. But one thing I learned is... THAT IT IS REALLY HARD TO CHANGE YOUR HANDWRITING! When I was a kid, I had great handwriting, but somewhere along the way, it changed. And by the time I was in college I was left with something like chicken scratch. Something had to change, and it wasn't easy. I had to consciously write each letter for everything. And everything I wrote took forever. But now I'm gaining speed in my new handwriting, even though it's getting a little sloppy. And I'm writing in my new handwriting without even thinking about it anymore. With some tightening up, I think it's a handwriting I can be proud of.
3. get my fountain pen working. (Sort of kept)Well, I got my fountain pen working again... and then it broke.
I didn't fix it after that.
4. post something to etsy once a week. (Partially kept for a month or two..)I started out really good at this, then after I got sick, I did really bad. Currently, I don't think I've posted anything to our
Etsy shop for months.
5. go roller skating in the basement more often. (Didn't keep)I have to confess, I didn't go roller skating in my basement once in the past 365 days... How sad! This resolution didn't get kept, mostly because I was too lazy to keep the following resolution.
6. sweep the basement floor so it's safe to go rollerskating in the basement. (Didn't keep)This resolution didn't get kept for the lack of a push broom. If I had a push broom, or could borrow a push broom, I think I'd be in good shape. After all, I LOVE roller skating, but sweeping the basement floor doesn't sound like fun at all.
7. draw something (even if it's just a doodle on an old note pad) once a day. (Not sure if I kept)I'm not sure if I kept this or not. I'm not really aware most of the time when I'm drawing something and when I'm not. I might have drawn something everyday, but I might not have too. I think I left this resolution a little too vague.
8. try a new restaurant once a month. (I tend to go to the same places time after time.) (Intentionally didn't keep)Money was so tight this year, I ate out as little as possible. And when I did eat out, I spent as little money as possible, so I'm afraid it was mostly Taco Bell for me. But I did save a lot of money in doing so.
9. learn to crochet. (Kept)My sister taught me to crochet this year and I made a
nice little granny patch scarf. But now I need to keep up on my crocheting so I don't forget how to do it.
10. knit a sweater. (Started to keep)I started
making the pattern for the sweater and a bought some yarn for the sweater a couple of months ago, but I just didn't have enough time to actually make the sweater.
11. finish the projects I've started. (Not sure if I kept)This resolution was just too ambiguous. Did I finish the projects I started? Well which ones? I finished lots of projects this year. But of course I couldn't finish them all. I wonder which one I had in mind... I should have been more specific.
12. write down my ideas in the project book before starting them. (Mostly kept)I did write down a lot of new projects in my project book, but I could have written down more too. This one is just mostly kept.
13. finish my new website. (I took a break during the holidays, but break time is over!) (Not kept)No,
my poor website is in the same sorry state it was in last year.
I did work on it a little, but I don't think it will be finished until it needs to be.
14. spend more time outdoors. (camping, boating, biking, hiking, gardening, riding an old tire down the creek, whatever! I just need to see some sunlight! I'm starting to resemble Snow White.) (Kept)I did spend a lot of time outdoors this year. I laid out on a blanket and watched the clouds while I watered the
garden. And I helped build a rock bridge to the island in the creek, I rode my bike up to the coffee shop a few times to just sit and read out in the sunshine, and I went
backpacking and
spelunking. Now that it's winter I wish I were spending MORE time outside. But overall I think I did pretty good with this one. Next year, I hope I can get outside even more than I did this year.
15. invite people to my house. (Kinda kept)This year, I did invite some people over to my house. I had a
garden tea party this summer and had a few friends over for tea and crafts. But really my tiny apartment doesn't lend itself to large groups of people. I think I need to invite more people to things, but try not to cram them all into my home.
16. play the accordion more and work on reading notes. (Partially kept)I've been playing the
accordion lots, and getting better. But I threw reading notes out the window. I just can't wrap my brain around those little dots. Why do you need dots to tell you what to play, when you can hear the music? Plus, I can't get from, this dot looks like this, to this dot sounds like this. Dots don't make noise. And why do the dots have letters assigned to them? Letters don't make sounds either. I guess it's a good thing I never wanted to become a music major or play in a band. The conductor would have thrown me out.
17. buy less books and check out more books from the library. (Kept)I did a really great job keeping this resolution.
The Multnomah County Library system is top notch! It's so easy to use. It's like Netflix for books! You can keep a reading list online, and you can have them hold your books at a Multnomah County Library of your choice. They'll email when your books are due, or ready for pick-up. Then you can drop off your old books, when you pick up your new books. It's brilliant! I love the library.
18. start a Goodwill box in the trunk of the car and fill it slowly with things to go to Goodwill, then when it's full drop it off. (I don't want to become anymore of a clutterbug than I already am.) (Sort of kept)I did start a Goodwill box. But I realized I didn't put anything in it when it was in the trunk, so now it's by the door. I also haven't actually dropped anything off yet, but I have given stuff away out of the box. So, I guess this resolution is a work in progress.
19. reline my beloved coat that is falling apart at the seams and has more holes than a piece of Swiss cheese. (even if it means paying someone else to do it.) (and it probably should be dry cleaned too, it still smells like cigars and fireworks from the New Year's Party.) (Kept)My mom got my coat relined for me for my birthday last year. Thanks! Although, I don't think I ever got it cleaned, next year perhaps.
20. work at taking better pictures. (Kept)I bought a new better camera off of Dave and Trina, and learned about lighting and built a
macro box. It was a good year for photography. Now I've just got to learn how to use all the settings on this camera!
21. visit Marti and the calligraphy class. (Didn't keep)Poor Marti! I haven't visited her once! If I wait much longer she'll probably forget who I am!
22. get my teeth fixed and mercury filling free. (Kept)It cost me a small fortune, but my teeth are mercury filling free. I figured now was a good time in life to do it, if I was ever going to.
23. take my telescope out and don't let it gather dust. (Kept)I did take my telescope out a couple of times this year. But it's hard when I'm so far away from the dark skies in the country. The city lights are impossible. And the weather unpredictable. There have been several times that I've packed it up and driven up to my parents house only to have it cloud over and not be clear at all. I'm starting to realize that I'm a sorry excuse for a city dweller. I really miss taking it out more often.
24. finish finding the Messier objects. (I've only got 18 of 110 to go, and they're mostly spring and summer objects.) (Partially kept)I knew when I made this resolution that it would be impossible to keep. It has taken me nearly 10 years to find as many as I have and the ones that are left are the hardest ones to find. Plus, I'm terribly out of practice. And since they are the ones that are only visible for a few weeks or even days in our hemisphere, I knew my odds were slim that the weather would cooperate. However, I did find four new ones all on
one mostly good summer night this year; which leaves me with 14 still to find.
25. find a nice boy. (Haven't exactly kept)He's proven more difficult to find than all 110 Messier objects, and I have to confess, I've barely looked.
• • • • • • • • •
Overall, I think I did pretty well.
I kept about 65% of my resolutions. (If I round it all out systematically.)
Happy New Year!
T
Winston Spencer Churchill, The Last Lion Vol2.
The New Arabian Nights 
The Arabian Nights 
A Wind in the Door 
Winston Spencer Churchill, The Last Lion Vol1.
Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters 
Kidnapped
A Tale of Two Cities
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
A Room With A View
1984
Robinson Crusoe
The Moonstone
Lord of the Flies
A Wrinkle in Time
The Stars Are Ours
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall 
The Old Curiosity Shop 
Heidi 
The Grapes of Wrath 
A World Lit Only By Fire 
Little Women
Peter Pan
Fahrenheit 451 .jpg)
The Children of Húrin 
Wuthering Heights
The Time Machine
Swiss Family Robinson 
The Phantom of the Opera
The Woman in White
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