Face it Friday

Today is the day we are to face up to how we are doing with our goals. You can check over at Jennee and Karen and see how they are doing. 


I have never been one to make goals--because I lack follow-through, but this year Jennee forced me encouraged me to make some goals. So, I reluctantly happily made a list of goals I thought I could attain.


Actually, I have surprised myself on what I have accomplished. I guess there is something to writing down goals and having to face them. So, thanks to Jennee and Karen for Face it Fridays.


One goal that I have failed miserably at is Goal #5 - Lose 10 pounds. I didn't really have a plan. Just thought I would "cut down" on portions. (I gave up pop and junk food years ago, but never experienced having weight just fall off because I was no longer eating bad stuff.) If I cut down enough, and lost only one pound a month, I would reach my goal by now. However, that did not happen. No, no, no. I have actually gained 10 pounds this year! CURSES!


I have alternately been in denial or blamed it on menopause. But, I was slapped into reality recently. I'm in a Community Choral Union, and we had our Christmas concert. Our standard costume is "black pants, white shirt, tucked in!"  An hour before the concert, I started getting ready. I put on my black pants. Whoa! What has happened? Did these pants shrink? It was all I could do to get them zipped up...without the added bulk of the white shirt! And, then I put on my white blouse. Yikes! Pull and stretch and pull some more. I could barely get it buttoned. The "girls" are growing as well. I fear that  my blouse looked as if it would explode open at any minute. I was afraid  "the girls" would "bust" out singing a duet at any moment. I did not have a  very comfortable concert.


And so, because I detest counting calories, I found a website that will count my calories for me.


The only thing more depressing than counting calories through the holiday season, is being squeezed like a sausage into your clothes for the holidays. YEESH!


The weight on my driver's license is 30 pounds less (how did that happen?) than reality. So, my new goal is to get down to that weight before I have to renew my license in 2012. (Which will be a month before the supposed end of the world. Hmmmm. Maybe I shouldn't be so concerned. Just kidding.)

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Face it Friday

Check out Jennee's and Karen's Face it Friday posts.


I have been a bit of a slacker on working on my goals. However, and surprisingly, I'm getting a little closer in the book reading department. One of my goals was to read...ummmm....(searching, searching, now where did I put that dad-gone goal list???) I thought for sure that I put it where I wouldn't lose it or forget where it was. OH, here it is! I might have a heart attack from the shock of actually finding it!! I need a moment to catch my breath.


So, here is the list of goals I made back in January.


Goal #1: Read 10 books, at least 1 classic. 


And, here is the list of books I have read so far this year:
1. Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. This is a bit of a disturbing book, and can really mess up your brain until you get it figured out. Screwtape is one of Satan's "Top Guys". Screwtape is writing letters to his nephew, giving him pointers on how to bring his "project" over to the right side, which is really the wrong side. "Our Father" is Satan, not God; and the Enemy is God and not Satan. So, you see, how it can get uncomfortable. It's written from Satan's perspective, how he and his demons work to turn their projects (us) away from God.
I'm counting this as my classic, unless I  get around to reading another classic.

2.  The Mysterious Life of Private Thompson: The Double Life of Sarah Emma Edmonds by Laura Leedy Gansler - Sarah enlisted in the Union army during the Civil War and served 18 months (I think) as Private Frank Thompson. A very good book!

3.  Butterfly effect - Your life, my life, may affect others in ways that we may never know.

4.  Miracle at Philadelphia - The Story of the Constitutional Convention, May to September 1787 by Catherine Drinker Bowen - This was a very interesting, and challenging read. She brought the Founding Fathers to life by quoting their words. Our Constitution really is a miracle. I could barely go a page without finding a word that I had to look up. (Yes, I actually look words up, in the dictionary, and write the definition down in the book. I have my nerdy moments.)  It took me awhile to get through the book, but I liked it, and plan on reading it again. After all, the definitions will already be in the book!

5. Garnet by Carolyn Brown - a historical romance,  a relaxing, fun read


6. Where the Spirit of the Lord is... by Jim McGuiggan - I haven't finished this one, yet, but I'm working on it.

Goal #2: Get my passport - Have not done this one, (yet)
Goal # 3: Mail birthday cards to friends - I'm workin' on it.
Goal #4: Host family get-together for July 4th - We took a vacation over the 4th, so, no party this year.
Goal #5: Lose 10 pounds--I don't wanna talk about it!
Goal #6: Read the Bible everyday--wellllll, haven't quite made it every day.
Goal #7: Travel somewhere new Wow, FINALLY, I get to cross one off! Hubby and I went out West this summer (over the 4th) We went through Missouri, Kansas, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Idaho, Montana and Minnesota.
Goal #8: Edit Jennee's book from last year's NanoWrimo. I've editted it not only once, but twice.
Goal #9: Do yoga It has taken me almost the entire year, but I have started yoga again. And, I have to say, that after only the third workout, the pain in my joints has almost disappeared. Why did it take me so long to get back to yoga? I don't know. (Yes, I do. I'm lazy.)
Goal #10: Learn the (Latin) words to TeDeum by Haydn - this was my first completed goal, but only because I had a deadline for a concert!


Well, that's how my list of goals has been shaping up. Nothing to brag about, but, considering tht I'm not a goal maker (or a keeper), it's a start.


Next year will be better.


How are you doing with your goals?

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Face it Friday Week 24

Time to see how I am doing with my goals for the year. Two of my goals can be crossed off the list. Yay!

My first goal that I was forced to completed, was editing Jennee's book.

(I am currently getting my nose taped by Sweetie Pie. And now, it's Mickey Mouse's turn! This is why I haven't blogged while she's here!!)

Anyway, where was I?  Oh yeah, Jennee's book.  I finished it, practically at gunpoint, but I did finish at the appointed time. She had a set time on when she wanted the first draft finished. She kept prodding me, and reminding me, and telling me she was almost caught up with me, until she successfully got me to the end. Whew! I enjoyed her story, and think she did a great job on her first attempt. Now, it's time for the second edit. She hasn't given me a deadline (yet), but I plan to start in a week or so.  

My second goal was to learn the words to Joseph Hayden's "TeDeum", a 33-page musical composition with the lyrics in Latin! Our concert was on May 7.  We started rehearsals in January, and I thought there was no way in the world I would ever, ev-er, be able to sing it. Several people dropped out of the chorus because of that song, but the rest of us persevered. We had several extra practices, and we did, indeed, sing the song fairly well at the concert. Our director was pleased, and, in reality, only he and we knew how hard we worked on it. Even Hubby did not fully appreciate how hard we worked. If a song is not sung in English, he has no use for it. Afterwards, I asked how it sounded. He said he didn't know what we were singing about, I said, "Neither did we!" He said he was so involved in reading the English translation, which was provided in the program, that he didn't pay attention to the song! Thanks, Sweetie!  Oh well. I know how hard I worked and feel like I accomplished something.   "non con fun dar..."

If you're interested, here is a group that sings it really well.

For the record, our group does not look as polished and refined. We're just a bunch of grey-haired, small-town folks, singin' our hearts out.

I'm in the back row. It looks like I'm alone, but I'm just surrounded by short people.

Now, I need to refresh my memory and see what else I'm supposed to accomplish for the year!

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I Only Have 46 More Weeks Left???

Wow, time is flying by.  Six weeks in and I still don't have an official list.  I am really not very good in making goals.  In fact, when I try to think of some, I just sit and stare blankly at the sheet of paper I have laid out in front of me. (I'm still Old School.)

After reading Jennee's and Karen's blogs, I have decided, unashamedly, to copy from them some goals that I think I may be able to accomplish.  So, here goes:

1. Read 12 books this year, at least one classic. 

2. Get my passport.  Hubby and I have talked about this for YEARS, and still have not done it. So, this should be the year we quit talking and start doing.  Plus, you never know when we may need to make a quick exit out of the country.

3. Mail birthday cards to friends and family.  I love making cards, but, I'm really bad about sending them out. That makes no sense whatsoever. 

4. Host a family get-together for July 4th. 

5. Lose ten pounds. (Or at least maintain.) Not sure how successful this one will be since I don't plan on starving myself. But, if I can eat what I like, but in smaller portions, surely that will work.

6. Read my Bible every day.

7. Travel somewhere new.

8. Edit Jennee's book. Jennee has informed me that this should be Number 1! I have made progress on this one.  I've done three chapters so far.  (Thirty-six to go!!)

9. Do yoga. 

10. Learn the words to "Te Deum" by Haydn. More on this in a future blog.

So, I want to encourage everyone taking part in Face it Friday to work on accomplishing your goals. And I will keep my list in front of me so I won't forget what I've written down!

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