-
Spring 2021 Goals
I’ve kept a lot the same, as I was too ambitious in my goals and too lazy in my actions. I tried to simplify these, and there are some things up in the air at the time of writing.
-
General
-
Get moved into my apartment and get it set up
-
Unpack and declutter, hopefully sell a considerable amount of stuff at a yardsale
-
Start and keep up on Bjorn’s habits, training, and health
-
Work on my routines and habits
-
Start working on more eco practices
-
-
Health
-
Clean rest on Sundays (and keep working on cutting down my Internet time)
-
what did you enjoy as a child (making things, messes, play do, Legos, models, dolls, crafts
-
-
End seasons with week off, maybe a 3 day weekend cabin
-
Work on my eating habits
-
Find a therapist I like and try Parsley health if I can or something similar, possibly may have to put this on hold.
-
Start walking a round about way to avoid the sugar bowl, really work on the sugar issue, maybe with a fast
-
Walk a couple times a week, preferably outside, this should be fairly easy as I need to walk Bjorn
-
Stretch
-
Some small exercise routines on an app
-
Start tennis and horseback riding lessons
-
I’d really like to lose 15-20 pounds (I need to lose more, but I think this range is doable for this period of time).
-
-
Career
-
Private goal #1
-
Private goal #2
-
Private goal #3
-
Private goal #4
- Improve my job situation. I’m still waiting to hear on a few things which will affect my course of action in many spheres.
-
Work on my tech learning plan, lets see if I can aim for around 150 hours (depends on work situation).
-
-
Self-Improvement
-
Break the lateness habit (look up tips)
-
Try to work on no gossip, whining, complaining, cussing/exclaiming, exaggeration/imprecise speech, and petty politics rule and when someone else brings it up, don’t take the bait or state your resolution. When angry with family talk it out in the car and therapy
-
Figure out how to ask questions to get people to think, rather than stating my own opinion (usually defensively)
-
Work on Spanish and learning tech
-
Work on habits and morning and evening routines.
-
Work on my screen time (overlapping goal with Health).
- Work on blogging more consistently and better. Work on improving my writing.
-
-
Finances
-
Improve job situation
-
Pay off all debts, try not to get new ones or at least as many (I’ve gotten into the habit of collecting a variety of installment loans, you know, like Affirm, and Paypal).
-
Save a lot in backup and emergency funds
-
Have a 2nd source of income
-
Brainstorm a 3rd source of income, preferable passive?
-
-
Learn to Live
-
Horseback riding and tennis
-
Do more online book groups and discussions.
-
Take one in person craft class
-
Attend at least one in person event (Arts on the Green June 12th at Yew Dell).
-
Do some fun Springy things
-
Those series of blog posts
- Work through my movie lists as well as any that interest me from the AFI and BFI lists. I’m trying to watch two movies a weekend. Really sit down and watch without hoping to other tabs, stopping in the middle etc. I’ve done pretty good, I’ve had to stop to walk Bjorn, but I’ve been watching far better than I have been for awhile now.
-
-
Beauty
-
Start getting facials
-
Start getting laser
-
Start getting 2nd braces
-
-
Crafts
-
Finish Mom’s gift (frame and all)
-
Finish Harper’s frog, toad, and frances by end of February
-
Finish three more baby blankets
-
-
-
How I Did on My Winter/1st Quarter 2021 Reading Goals
Try to keep my books borrowed from the library to 12. Try to keep any other borrowed books to far fewer. I’d say I succeeded, I got a Kindle and the limit on that is 5.Join an online book group, I’d like to join The Enchanted Book Club deluxe, maybe in March, depends on what they are reading. I didn’t join this one yet but I joined two read alongs.- Work through important to reads and long held borrowed books:
- The Idiot
- War and Peace
- Dune? Maybe, if the movie is coming out in September, perhaps I could wait to start until Spring, but knowing me, I might not finish it time, and who knows, they could bump up the movie, since clearly its done if it was supposed to be out LAST September.
- House of Mirth
Looking for Transwonderland.Very good.The Shadow of the Wind. Good in literary merit, morally not so much, decadent.Overcoming Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts. Hmm.- Factfulness
Hemingway Didn’t Say That.- Wheel of Time
- I’d like to read one or two more classics besides those listed above from my Classics club list
- I’d also like to read one or two more books besides those listed above from another country, perhaps another mentioned on A Strong Sense of Place
- Fun potentials
- Ethel Lina White mysteries
- Mercedes Lackey fairytale retellings and fantasy
- Circe by Madeleine Miller
- Books to match my current study schedule (History, Logic, Geography, Civics, Christian Apologetics, World Religions). Genealogical reading should be on Ancestry.com, I don’t really need books for that subjects, its mainly to be building my tree.
I read 20 books this season and bought a Kindle.
I reread 7 novels
Read 4 nonfiction books (one about another country) and 1 nonfiction booklet
I read 1 graphic novel
I read 7 other new to me fiction books (one set in another country)
-
How I Did on My Winter/1st Quarter 2021 Goals
I’m trying to go by seasons and pick a theme. The theme from now until March 20th is Foundations.
Health
- Clean rest on Sunday (I heard this term for guilt free rest on The Perfectionism Project podcast, I don’t listen to it much, I find it hard to listen to, but I’ve received a few really great one point things that really strike me). Enjoy things I liked as a child and teen or similar things: reading, crafts, Legos, models, puzzles. NO screens.
- Speaking of screen time, I’m going to try and lock down my computer and phone with Cold Turkey for Sunday through F, meaning no social media, blogs, Youtube, news. I also will do any self-improvement stuff in the morning. And shut down the computer and put away the phone when I come home from work (overlapping goal with Self-Improvement). I’ve done better the last few weeks because I’ve been more interested in reading Georgette Heyer novels on my Kindle, but I’m still pretty bad on weekends.
- End each season with a week off or 3 day weekend in a screen free cabin.
- Start exercise and stretch habits, including some fun sport like ice skating.
- Work on my diet. I have eaten a frightening amount of candy at work lately. I might have to detour and walking around the sugar bowl which is right near my desk. I’m starting off with a sugar fast. I’m on day 6th as of Jan 9th, I’ve not had candy but I think I do need to be more careful about any added sugar.
- Find a therapist.
- Try Parsley health, see if there is someone in my state.
Career
- Private plan #1.
- Private plan #2.
- Private plan #3.
Set up and start on my tech learning plan. I’ve got to get into better habits, but yes, I’ve started this.
Self-Improvement
- Break the lateness habit (I need to look up tips).
- Institute a no gossip, whining, dumping (and calling in ranting), and petty politics rule and when someone else brings it up, either don’t take the bait or state my resolution not to talk in this manner.
- Figure out how to ask questions to get people to think, rather than stating my own opinion (usually defensively).
- Work on Spanish.
- Work on habits and morning and evening routines.
- Work on my screen time (overlapping goal with Health).
- Work on blogging and Instagramming more consistently and better.
Finances
- Maybe get a weekend temp job to finance some large apartment expenses and pay off some debts. I’m working on the job situation right now, fingers crossed it turns out in my favor.
- Save for a big vacation.
- Keep saving in down and emergency. I did, but then I made an expensive purchase.
- Start a non retirement investment account.
- Have a 2nd source of income from my private career plans.
- Brainstorm a 3rd source of income, preferable passive?
Learn to Live
- Take set of exercise classes such as ice skating lessons (overlapping goal with Health)
Join an online book group, I’d like to join The Enchanted Book Club deluxe, maybe in March, depends on what they are reading (overlapping goal with Reading). I didn’t join this one yet, but I am participating in two readalongs.- Take one craft class.
- Attend one event.
- Do some wintery fun things.
- Work on a certain series of blog posts, maybe.
Beauty
- Start getting facials if possible
- Start getting laser (in my dreams)
Crafts
Make paper, crochet, and maybe tatted snowflakes. I did quill two snowflakes from which are super pretty.- Finish Mom’s gift by end of January (frame and all).
- Make valentine decorations.
- Finish Harper’s Frog, Toad, and Frances by end of February.
- Finish two more baby blankets by end of March.
Study Subjects. I think that I may have to shelve this one for now, I have too many things going, and perhaps one or two subjects at a time would be better and right now those are/ought to be tech and Spanish.
- Sunday: Rest
- Monday: Logic
- Tuesday: History
- Wednesday: Geography
-
Thursday: Christian Apologetics (even though I’m not a Christian, I still find this important)
- Friday: World Religion
- Saturday: Genealogy and Civics
-
What I Read: March 2021
My Goals
Start to transition to reading primarily on Kindle and return back all my library book.Yes, I’m enjoying it! I do love pretty book covers, I’m not sure I’m going to give all mine up or even stop buying them, although for the present I am. But this is SO convenient.- Update my reading Excel list. I’ve not kept up on this very well. Too much work, I’m not sure I will.
- Reevaluate Storygraph. I’ve not used either of these things. I need to look at Story Graph closer to see what stats it provides, I want something quick like Goodreads, but I want more reliable stats.
- March TBR
- Read The Pomeranian Handbook
- Finish Factfulness. This is a book borrowed from my Dad, probably should finish before I move out.
- Finish How to Raise a Perfect Puppy. No, and I’m not 100% sure I will, too much information I feel.
- Finish The Girl with the Louding Voice: A Novel
Continue to participate in the Sense and Sensibility Read Along, which is so much fun, and I need to participate in more read-alongs, I should seek out ones for books I have on my TBR.I love this, I’ve missed more structured book discussions. Once we are done I’m going to rewatch the movies and Elinor and Marianne Take Barton.Continue to participate in the Villette Read Along. I’m really enjoying this, definitely prefer the lesser known Brontë works. Definitely enjoying it, I’m getting to all of the M. Paul Emmanuel scenes that are gems of wit.- Get caught up on The Silent Bells serial
Other Reading
Thanks to my kindle I read 8 Georgette Heyer novels. 5 stars doesn’t give enough nuance. I have a lot of 3’s of these on Goodreads, but I think that they rank more like 4 to 6 or 4.5 to 7 which is quite a difference. I’ve put them here in order of liking as best I can remember or judge.
- Sylvester, Devil’s Cub
- The Reluctant Widow, Regency Buck
- The Foundling
- The Masqueraders
- Powder and Patch
- Cousin Kate
I finished the pomeranian book (different than above) that I’d started. And I also read Greensleeves by Eloise Jarvis McGraw which I greatly enjoyed until it (and the heroine) took a nosedive at the end attempting to be all deep, realistic, psychological or whatever and being instead completely flakey and fickle. Ugh. Ugh. UGH.
-
Interim Goals and Life Lately
I have tons and tons of random opinions in the form of blog drafts, word docs, and Evernote notes, not all of them need to be for public consumption, but I’d like to be posting a bit more than summaries as well as work on my writing and better analyze books and movies and such. However, that probably won’t be happening until I move and can get settled, especially since I’ve another huge thing for me up in the air.
I decided that since I feel like I’m in such a waiting period that I’m using it as an excuse not to do anything that I would make some interim goals. I made these with the idea that at most I’d get my apartment in 3.5 weeks and at least 2.5, but right now it’s looking like 3.5 from then I think or 2 weeks from now. I’ve modified these as I do.
My room, closet, and car are jam-packed with stuff, and I don’t really like working downstairs unless most people are gone as it’s distracting plus having to tote anything up and down stairs plus having my puppy upstairs.
Plan pantry stock list and put Mom’s recipes into Evernote notebook. I really need to work on this while I’m still here. I know I’ve written stuff on my recipe cards, but really, I prefer to read a recipe off my computer anyway.
Finish Mom’s and Georgette gifts. Well, maybe if I’d worked on them earlier, if I can work on them significantly, I will be doing good.
Get towels, security system, and printer.
Careful with money. I think I’ve done pretty well thus far.
See if I could get a job nearer tech related job. I’m actually a bit in flux in the job situation at the moment, I asked for a change that led to possibly an even better change.
Do 6 hours of Spanish.
15 exercise sessions. I’m talking about short and quick.
Do at least 25 hours of Codecademy/Treehouse. I’ve done about 3.5 hours thus far.This is the view of my room from the bed, I’ll spare you the closet. The car has a piece of furniture I want to sell, boxes, my shopping cart, my collapsible table, a duvet, and my insulated shopping bags.
-
How I Did on My March Goals 2021
Didn’t I just put up these goals? Oh, yeah, I did them late.
-
Bjorn Stuff
-
Get the rest of his health, grooming, and fun stuff. I have one more set of shots to schedule, and then everything is scheduled. I’ve given him a bath, it was hilarious and sad, but I’ve got to work on the teeth and brushing. -
Work on the feeding system and plan. I’ve got to work on the nighttime food, but I’ve got a plan. -
Really work on the potty training.Since I started taking him out for walks, he’s had fewer accidents, I think he’s gaining more control and prefers to go outside rather than his litterbox as well. -
Maybe start of the command training? It’s a little early, so research
-
-
Moving Prep
-
Try to sell stuff, especially large stuff, before I leave, clear out and list fridge a week or two before, computer, etc. Partial, I’ve listed stuff on FB marketplace. I’m thinking that eventually I’d like to do a yard sale or join a larger yard sale as those seem to have more success.
-
Go through Mom’s recipes and get some meal plans in place
-
Plan container garden
-
-
Health
-
Start doing simple exercise and stretching. Well, I’m walking a bit with Bjorn.
-
Work on getting to bed by 9:30. I think I’m just going to have to be satisfied with 10 to 7 sleep for now, it’s just a struggle to do otherwise, I kept thinking it was environment only, but I think it might be just biology as well, after all, a 9 o’clock bedtime is really early. Besides, it would rather hinder life trying to get home and wind down enough that early.
-
Work on my Staywell
-
Work on morning and evening routine, digital limits and controls
-
Website and app blockers during week and Sunday, only sat can I read blogs, social media, watch youtube
-
Night time needs to be puppy time, walk time, craft time, and reading and wind down
-
-
-
Career
-
Private goal
-
Really work on Codecademy. I’ve started working on Treehouse and Codedademy together, this works better for me. I’ve set some intermediate goals for the waiting period before I get my apartment.
-
-
Self-Improvement
-
Work on lateness. Haha, this is SO bad combined with not enough work to do, I’m hoping the later situation is going to change soon.
-
Work on no gossip, politics, complaining, cussing, exaggerating set up
-
Work on Spanish
-
Work on habits
-
Work on training and grooming and caring for Bjorn (see above)
- Start planning for 2nd quarter
- Work on blogging, using up drafts and planning to cover a lot of April since I will be swamped
-
-
Finances
-
Financial Goals Before I Move into New Apartment
-
-
Have all funds for Bjorn’s shots, meds, supplies, and neutering, buy rest of purchases. I think I’ve done pretty good on this, obviously, I have to budget a bit every few months for refills of things for him. Also, the vet bills have been significantly less than budgeted. -
Increase income streams?
-
Sell some more stuff, furniture, fridge, comforter, etc.
-
Pay off debt. I’ve made decent progress, I think.
-
Build up checking account balance
-
Buy exercises items
-
Work on saving enough for laser, dermatologist, orthodontist
-
Have all apartment fees ready in account by end of the month
-
Build back all savings
-
Buy printer
-
Buy security system
-
Have almost everything I need for my house and some money towards purchasing groceries, toiletries, paper goods, and cleaning supplies, particularly low waste items
-
-
-
-
Beauty
-
Research what is open in terms of facials
-
Get back on track with skincare
-
Work on body care and sunscreen reapplication
-
Work on pedicure habit
-
-
Crafts
-
finish Mom’s gift
-
Finish niece #2 blanket
-
Finish niece #1 gifts (Frog and Toad and maybe Francis)
-
Work on 3 more family baby blankets
-
-
-
March Inklings 2021: Mirror Scene in Friendly Persuasion
I’m once again joining Heidi’s Inklings linkup. This time it is a mirror scene, Harry Potter of course popped into my head, I used that for the first and also thought of it for the 2nd and will apparently continue to think of it first, but I’ve used my allotted amount. In reading Heidi’s for some reason that prompted me of the scene in Friendly Persuasion (I love this film).
It’s such a quick scene, but so perfect in detail. This movie is full of such scenes, of normal things with an undercurrent of humor and quaintness, it’s such a comfort film even with the war featuring a bit at the end.
Mattie is a Quaker girl in love with a handsome Union soldier who is obviously NOT Quaker. Her mother is a very strict Quaker, so Mattie doesn’t have much to do to get ready for church (on the way to which she just might happen to see and be seen), but when her little brother Jess comes to tell her to hurry up, she is pretending to be a fine lady in her “boudoir” finishing her “toilett-y.”
When Little Jess comes in, she is looking at herself critically in the mirror much to Little Jess’s amusement, and she asks him if he thinks she’s pretty. He considers this very carefully for a moment, and then delivers his assessment in perfect youthful dead seriousness, “Thee isn’t ugly.”
-
What I’ve Been Listening to Lately
What We Said. I’m all caught up (I skipped a lot of the earlier interviews, don’t care for those), I wish they had 2x a week with a Patreon or something, I’m missing binging. Life advice and girl from a pair of hilarious best friends. Hilarious secret spilling episodes (so much for avoiding gossip), and I just found this via Spotify lists.
What Next? I found this on my Spotify suggestions. It’s not a super favorite at least not yet, for one thing I prefer more humor and two hosts.
It’s funny, both Jaci Marie Smith and Michelle Reed are Youtubers, but I found their podcasts first.
I’m not a huge music person, a song has to catch me from someone, its hard for me to “try” music. And I’m so picky, one song that I love doesn’t mean that I will love the rest unfortunately. And really, I prefer quiet most often. Both of these I heard on Instagram, the first on an ice skating story from Vintage Facade, and the second on I thought a post from Foraging Pages, but I can’t find it.
Primavera by Ludovico Einaudi. Its still melancholy, which is another reason I shy from music, its always mostly melancholy or unhappy or mean (pop particularly).
Soldier, Poet, King by The Oh Hellos. This is just, oh perfect. I love folk, true folk, and this feels like the old real stuff with just a sparkle of modern.
-
What I Watched in February 2021
New to Me Movies
While You Were Sleeping. Eh.
Cheaper by the Dozen 1 and 2. Eh . . . except Tom Welling is so handsome (and I can say that, he was in his twenties), maybe I should watch Smallville . . .
Ramona and Beezus. Super cute, and I teared up. This is one of those movies that really gets kids, sees through their eyes and emotions rather than showing them as one dimensional little brats (although, honestly some of them are). Such a cute family story.
Rewatch
Miracle. 3rd watch, SUCH a good movie. The real story is fascinating (Mom and Dad remember this), the acting, the cinematographic, the dialogue, the emotions, the sport details. Oh, and lots of handsome guys. Let’s be real that is a huge reason I joined in the first time, and then got the real treat of the entire movie.
The Magic of Ordinary Days. Hallmark Hall of Fame (don’t confuse this with the fluff that is on nowadays). SO sweet, so interesting, touches on so many different details of the time period so compassionately. And her outfits, can I have them all?!!!
TV
WandaVision. I went into this blind which I highly recommend. I was a bit bewildered at the beginning, then fascinated, I loved the time period changes. Then with Agatha we took a turn into Wicked and then I guess the Blair Witch project. Okay, and I don’t like Wanda being in the wrong, but she wasn’t initially. I just wished that could be handled beter.
-
March 2021 Reading Goals
- Start to transition to reading primarily on Kindle and return back all my library book
- Update my reading Excel list
- Reevaluate Storygraph
- March TBR
- Read The Pomeranian Handbook
- Finish Factfulness. This is a book borrowed from my Dad, probably should finish before I move out.
- Finish How to Raise a Perfect Puppy
- Finish The Girl with the Louding Voice: A Novel
- Continue to participate in the Sense and Sensibility Read Along, which is so much fun, and I need to participate in more read-alongs, I should seek out ones for books I have on my TBR.
- Continue to participate in the Villette Read Along. I’m really enjoying this, definitely prefer the lesser known Brontë works.
- Get caught up on The Silent Bells serial
-
Psmith, Journalist
I discovered that you can scan words via your phone camera, so I can save quotes from physical books easily, of course, with my kindle I’ll be able to save even easier.
This Psmith is set in America, and so, I set forth for you these hilarious bits:
“There are several million inhabitants of New York. Not all of them eke out a precarious livelihood by murdering one another, but there is a definite section of the population which murders – not casually, on the spur of the moment, but on definitely commercial lines at so many dollars per murder.” Preface
” ‘It would ill beseem me, . . .’to run down the metropolis of a great and friendly nation, but candour compels me to state that New York is in some respects a singularly blighted town.’ . . . ‘I have been here a week, and I have not seen a single citizen clubbed by a policeman.’ “ Chapter 3, p. 17
“he had gone to a local paper of the type whose Society column consists of such items as ‘Pawnee Jim Williams was to town yesterday with a bunch of other cheap skates. We take this opportunity of once more informing Jim that he is a liar and a skunk,’ and whose editor works with a revolver on his desk and another in his hip-pocket. Graduating from this, he had proceeded to a reporter’s post on a daily paper in a Kentucky town, where there were blood feuds and other Southern devices for preventing life from becoming dull.” Chapter 2, p. 13
” ‘Secondly, as there appears to be no law of libel whatsoever in this great and free country, we shall be enabled to haul up our slacks with a considerable absence of restraint.’ “ Chapter 9, p. 50
“There was once an editor of a paper in the Far West who was sitting at his desk, musing pleasantly of life, when a bullet crashed through the window and embedded itself in the wall at the back of his head. A happy smile lit up the editor’s face. ‘Ah,’ he said complacently, ‘I knew that Personal column of ours was going to be a success!’ “ Chapter 10, p. 51
“Billy Windsor suddenly became militant. There was a feline smoothness about the visitor which had been jarring upon him ever since he first spoke. Billy was of the plains, the home of blunt speech, where you looked your man in the eye and said it quick. Mr. Parker was too bland for human consumption. He offended Billy’s honest soul.” Chapter 10, p. 55
-
March Goals 2021
Yeah, so I know it’s halfway through March. It’s kind of a holding month for me. I really feel that I can’t do anything big until I move out, so I really need to start working on habits. A lot of things are going to be the same for last month, just simplified.
-
Bjorn Stuff
-
Get the rest of his health, grooming, and fun stuff
-
Work on the feeding system and plan
-
Really work on the potty training
-
Maybe start of the command training? It’s a little early, so research
-
-
Moving Prep
-
Try to sell stuff, especially large stuff, before I leave, clear out and list fridge a week or two before, computer, etc.
-
Go through Mom’s recipes and get some meal plans in place
-
Plan container garden
-
-
Health
-
Start doing simple exercise and stretching
-
Work on getting to bed by 9:30
-
Work on my Staywell
-
Work on morning and evening routine, digital limits and controls
-
Website and app blockers during week and Sunday, only sat can I read blogs, social media, watch youtube
-
Night time needs to be puppy time, walk time, craft time, and reading and wind down
-
-
-
Career
-
Private goal
-
Really work on Codecademy
-
-
Self-Improvement
-
Work on lateness
-
Work on no gossip, politics, complaining, cussing, exaggerating set up
-
Work on Spanish
-
Work on habits
-
Work on training and grooming and caring for Bjorn (see above)
- Start planning for 2nd quarter
- Work on blogging, using up drafts and planning to cover a lot of April since I will be swamped
-
-
Finances
-
Financial Goals Before I Move into New Apartment
-
-
Have all funds for Bjorn’s shots, meds, supplies, and neutering, buy rest of purchases
-
Increase income streams?
-
Sell some more stuff, furniture, fridge, comforter, etc.
-
Pay off debt
-
Build up checking account balance
-
Buy exercises items
-
Work on Saving enough for laser, dermatologist, orthodontist
-
Have all apartment fees ready in account by end of the month
-
Build back all savings
-
Buy printer
-
Buy security system
-
Have almost everything I need for my house and some money towards purchasing groceries, toiletries, paper goods, and cleaning supplies, particularly low waste items
-
-
-
-
Beauty
-
Research what is open in terms of facials
-
Get back on track with skincare
-
Work on body care and sunscreen reapplication
-
Work on pedicure habit
-
-
Crafts
-
finish Mom’s gift
-
Finish niece #2 blanket
-
Finish niece #1 gifts (Frog and Toad and maybe Francis)
-
Work on 3 more family baby blankets
-
-
