So, it's the new year. Thank the goddess. While it hasn't been a terrible year, it certainly could have been better. I do believe that 2008 will be a good year.
I want to take just a moment and detail the things I've been able to cross of my Life List:
- I've visited 2 new states in the US. I spent almost a week in Oklahoma City for business (the best beef I've ever had). We also took a road trip to Chapel Hill, North Carolina to see a friend get married. I was surprised at how gorgeous the Duke campus is. (My state rule is that I have to have spent at least 1 night to be able to cross the state off the list.)
- Began taking singing lessons in August. While I won't be on American Idol any time soon, I have gained an appreciation for how much fun it is to sing and discovered that I'm not half bad. Scheduling conflicts stopped the lessons in November, but we'll be starting up again in January.
- Set foot on the Appalachian Trail (part of the road trip to NC). We hiked almost a mile and it seemed like it was all uphill. We're already planning a longer trip for next fall when Hub returns from Alaska. He wants to hike for 4 days - which means I have to sleep outside for 3 nights. Truly, this will be a test for me. It also means that I need to hit the elliptical machine so that I'll be able to keep up.
- Managed to read 54 books last year. Granted, I did a lot of reading while laid up with a broken leg, but I did read a ton after I healed. Some highlights: Laurie King's Sherlock mysteries, Jaqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs series, the last Harry Potter, Rosemary Mahoney's writings, graphic novels, and Tales from a Female Nomad, by Rita Golden Gelman.
What's up for this year? I'm not really sure. I know I'll be reading, knitting, and spinning. Here's the preliminary list:
- Reading: I'll begin reading Shakespeare's plays this year with a goal of one per month. There are 37 plays, so this Life List item will take a little over 2 years. I've just started the Elizabeth Peters Egypt mysteries (19 books), so those will continue.
- Knitting: I joined IndiAmy's Year of Lace. The kits begin arriving in March, so I'll be all set to knit me some serious lace. I joined a knit-a-long on Ravelry to knit Bombshell from Big Girl Knits starting this month. We have plans in the works to visit my friend Lynne in Tennessee and pick her brain for dying, spinning, and knitting projects.
- I'd like to become proficient in reading tarot cards this year.
- Find a yoga class and just get started already.
- I need to pick a state to visit. I'd like to be able to cross at least one state off the list each year. There's a chance I'll be going to San Diego on business next fall and we may start our AT excursion in Georgia. A couple of good possibilities there.
- I'd also like to find a beginning drawing class in the area.
Those are my preliminary thoughts, but I'm sure I'll be expanding on them in the coming months. I sat with a work friend at our holiday party and talked about having quarterly dinners to discuss our lists. Her idea was to create a group, rather like a book club, where everyone could compare lists and offer encouragement and a place to talk about what you're doing or planning on doing. I really like the idea of gathering a couple times a year to see what's in the works for everyone else. Way more fun than a book club.