Report for the First Quarter

The year 2012 is well into its second quarter. However, I did begin this post at the end of the first quarter and have decided to complete it before going on to reflect on our current travel. So here is a little report on my progress on what some suggested were completely unrealistic New Years resolutions:

1) continue to rediscover self - check! This is moving along slowly but surely. After year's of living as a tortoise in a rabbit-paced world, I am loving that I rarely have to rush anymore. As a tortoise in disguise, I have run and won many a race. My former chiropractor used to tell me that I was an adrenalin junkie, I so loved the race to the finish line. Now, at last, I can take my time to discover all the other aspects of myself. That bit has just begun.

2) continue to tick the bucket list - well, I am still considering what exactly belongs on the bucket list.

3) maintain family, friends, and professional contacts for us & Mom - ack! I discovered that all of my family and friends contact files have disappeared. They are nowhere to be found on any of our computers. So I have begun the arduous task of redoing them, beginning with my Mother's contacts. I am about one third through hers.

4) travel together, alone, and in groups to new places, for interests, for fun - check! I went to Orlando in January for a weekend to touch base with Arts Schools Network at Disney World. We are going to be in Australia from May 15 to June 6 and saw our friend David during a 12 hour layover in Vancouver. I will be joining the Jacksonville Women's European Escape to France from June 20-July 3 (including my trip to and from Jacksonville on the first and last day).

5) dance and play - tango & ukulele, classes & practice, plus French, purchase Rosetta Stone - check! I took ukulele and tango both in the fall and have not been able to do more this year as yet due to the injuries. But I will! I did start the Rosetta Stone French and I love it! So I hope to be able to converse at least a bit while in France. I also took (well, made a disgrace of myself) the first vocal workshop that I have done in years and years one Sunday afternoon not long ago, with Micah Barnes. It was fun, I loved it, and I will go back for more regardless.

6) repair body as well as possible through diet, exercise, & with medical help - check! Weight Watchers Points Plus has me down about 15 pounds so far. I rarely go to meetings but I do track on-line. Cortisone shots in my knees, patella stabilizer braces, and physio have made it easier for me to walk longer distances. This is to be tested during my trips and if all goes well I will get back to the tango come August. The other health issue this quarter was the insane allergy season. My winter allergies were unbelievable as the mild weather kept the leaf molds blowing around and then the spring tree pollens came early. My nose is still raw from all the sneezing, blowing, and rubbing. But at least my allergy season finished a month sooner than usual.

7) write one hour daily minimum: blog, tweets, fb, mail, email, stories, & songs - check, sort of. I have not been able to do the actual daily writing. But I did return to a couple of poetry and literary groups that hold open readings from time to time. The reception was so enthusiastic that it kind of threw me at first. But I have accepted an invitation to join a small writers group that meets every two weeks to critique each other's pieces. This is proving very encouraging. I have also discovered that I actually have a few dollars in royalties in my SOCAN account, further motivation to get on with registering my songs. I hope that new songs will come with the course I have signed up to take in July.

8) sort house one hour daily minimum: Sun playroom, Mon Office, Tues Gable Room, Wed Bedrooms, Thurs Bathrooms, Fri Kitchen, Sat Basement - check! This schedule really works. I am slowly plowing through it all but never feel as if it is too much. And only on those days when I have the hour to work, of course.

9) resume tracking WW Points Plus and weekly meetings - check! See above.

10) budget and plan for me, us, family, and future - check, sort of. I am just starting on this. I have a new Visa attached to my bank account to keep track of my personal expenses. Sitting on my desk is a box of Visa nd bank statements dating back to last June which I intend to use to dig out my expenses and to generate a family budget so we can figure out what each of us has to contribute and what each of us has as discretionary funds. I have a numbers of things I would like to spend on and once that is sorted I can open one of those tax-free savings accounts if I have anything left over.

All in all, I am happy with the way these resolutions have helped to guide my days. It is satisfying to be able to look back and see a little progress. I will revisit these in July.