2012 Goals: December Update

Writing
1) I met with my writer's group on 12/29, sneaking in under the deadline of meeting this quarter.  The other members of my writer's group are so inspiring, I'm so happy that we met.  One of the members wrote a novel in November as part of National Novel Writing Month and we had lots to discuss.

Healthy
2) Tracking, tracking, tracking food and workouts. This was probably the most challenging goal.  Some weeks I did great (even tracked for more than three weeks straight without missing a day) but then there were some weeks when I only tracked a couple of days.  Though I did not meet my goal, I ended up tracking more this quarter than any time since 2002. So I'll take it.  

Romance
3) Going on a date once a month sounds like an easy goal.  In September My Heart's Desire and I went to a fun wedding, in October we did not make it out, in November we went to the movies on two separate occasions (once we had a babysitter and once my dad and stepmom shooed us out of the house so they could adore Babyface), and we have plans to sneak out to a movie tomorrow. 

Community Service
4) I wasn't sure how our family was going to be of service this quarter.  After Hurricane Sandy hit, I knew.  Local organizations connected with Occupy Sandy asked for donations.  My Heart's Desire and I went through our house and filled bags with personal care items, first aid supplies, baby diapers and wipes. 

Parenting
5) I bought several books that our parenting class teacher recommended and they had just been sitting on the shelf.  I met my goal by reading two of them.  I read The Tao of Motherhood by Vimala McClure and Simplicity Parenting Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids by Kim John Payne and Lisa Ross.

Tell the Wolves I'm Home

Several moons ago I signed up on the library waiting list for Carol Rifka Brunt's Tell the Wolves I'm Home.  Once I got my hands on it, I devoured this book in less than a weekend. This book tells a riveting story, and the reader is drawn in by the emotions and experiences of the main character.  The less you know about the story, the better.  Just pick it up and read.  You'll wish your flight was longer.

Today I am grateful for family and friends near and far, sunshine, having things to look forward to, that my holiday shopping is done, hot chocolate, quiet, my mentors, a super warm and cozy wrap, Babyface's developing sense of humor, free Kindle books from the library, flexibility, The Gray Lady online, and being able to see the silver lining.

Today I am grateful for hearing Babyface's babble, FaceTime, holiday music, being able to help others, laughing, good friends, an old car that gets me where I need to go, embracing my inner cheeseball, holiday fun to look forward to, and restaurants with a sense of humor.

 

The Tao of Motherhood

At the recommendation of my hippie parenting class teacher, I picked up a copy of The Tao of Motherhood by Vimala McClure.  Reading it reminds me what it takes to be a good mother in a beautiful way.  All I have to do is pay attention to Babyface, do what I think is right, and keep it simple.  This book can be read in one sitting, in small bites, and over and over again.  Every time I read it I have a new favorite passage.

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore

The first chapter of Robin Sloan's Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore is so intriguing I splurged and bought a copy for my Kindle.  I loved the premise.  Of course I did, a 24-hour bookstore is one of my dreams. While it was interesting at first, the excitement waned and I found myself correctly predicting the end (something I can rarely do) but the foreshadowing was pretty heavy handed. My high hopes for this book were dashed around the midpoint.