I am lazy in my musical listening habits. Although I have a huge variety on my iTunes library, I generally only listen to a couple of different playlists regularly. Also, I stopped listening to the radio while I was in college - too busy and generally spending loads time in libraries as I finished getting my MLIS and started my career.
Last summer, I realized at the weddings that I attended that I only knew the songs being played if they were ones from the 1980s and before. And, that some of the new things I was hearing were interesting. I've noticed this lately with movie soundtracks as well. So, because I still don't have the time to listen to the radio much, I asked for assistance in finding something new. And, I quickly got responses (gotta say that I LOVE having my first goal completed for this round in a week)! Friends from Facebook, friends I see regularly, my sisters, and even a fellow PostCrosser all gave me ideas - about 30 new artists to listen to in a wide variety of styles. It was fascinating to see how the songs meshed with what I knew of personalities (especially from the people that I didn't know as well).
This afternoon, I added 17 new songs to my iTunes library. There is one more that I can't add to iTunes yet ... a new group that, ironically, started me on this goal ... because the album hasn't been released yet. When my nephew Dan married last summer, his new brother-in-law sang during the ceremony ... and I was astounded by his gorgeous voice. This isn't what he sang for the ceremony (obviously, if you listen to the words), but here's my recommendation to all of you ...
foxandcoyote.com
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Saturday, June 22, 2013
New goals, or 101 take 2!
I finally told myself 5 minutes ago that I need to stop adding goals to my new list (because I was starting to think about bending the rules around to make it 111 goals in 1111 days) and decide just what made the cut. So, here it goes ... I challenge myself to ...
101 Things in 1001 days –
Take 2
1.
Make a will and
get it notarized
2.
Lose 25 pounds
($5 for the fun jar for each 5 pounds I lose)
3.
Finish the online
Latin course I started
4.
Take a trip in
the US
5.
Visit Canada
(more than just past the border)
6.
Visit a country I
haven’t seen before
7.
Do something nice
without being asked for someone each day for a month
8.
Make and mail
care packages to each of my siblings
9.
Finish reading
the “essential” section of Proulx’s “Books for a Well Educated Adult” list
10.
Finish my Christmas
stocking that was supposed to be done
several years ago
11.
Visit each of my
siblings and invite them to visit me
12.
Host a wine
tasting party
13.
Finish my Dewey
classification reading goal
14.
Read 10 popular
authors (new to me) that I normally wouldn’t to keep up with trends
15.
Make myself three
new costumes for fun
16.
Cook an ethnic
meal from each continent (excluding Antarctica)
17.
Use each herb in
my garden in a different dish over the course of a summer
18.
Start writing
poetry again – at least 10 new poems
19.
Memorize 5 more
poems to add to my “library in my head”
20.
Attempt to become
better at drawing by completely filling the pages of a sketchbook with my own
efforts
21.
Finish the photo
course I’m taking
22.
Learn how to do
video editing
23.
Write to 3 people
who’ve changed my life to thank them
24.
Take Mom and Dad
on a vacation
25.
Take a First
Aid/CPR refresher course
26.
Geocache at least
25 finds
27.
Repaint the porch
trim and garage
28.
Go berry or fruit
picking at least 5 times
29.
Invite friends
over for 10 game nights
30.
Take 10 new frame
worthy photos to display in my home
31.
Visit 5 new
places in Minnesota
32.
See 10 live
theater productions
33.
Reduce my morning
walk time to 35 minutes without losing distance
34.
Don’t complain
about anything for one week ($5 for the fun jar for each time I have to restart
this goal!)
35.
Watch 10 movies
from my “someday” list
36.
Write a murder
mystery dinner party
37.
Convert 2 reels
of Mom & Dad’s slides to digital files
38.
Learn to identify
5 new constellations
39.
Go to 10
different museums
40.
Finish my
Kickstarter wheel by making a pledge in every category
41.
Play my harp at
least 40 times
42.
Play my keyboard
at least 20 times
43.
Play my flute at
least 10 times
44.
Make a life
soundtrack playlist
45.
Try 3 new
photography techniques / equipment items
46.
Make 10 new
recipes (not baked goods)
47.
Make family
traditions book
48.
Make a project
with one of the specialty yarns I have
49.
Finish the
Renaissance cross-stich project
50.
Spend a night
sleeping in my hammock (can be inside in front of the fire during the winter)
51.
Identify 100
things that make me happy
52.
Leave 10
operation beautiful notes
53.
Take a picture
for each letter of the alphabet
54.
Attend the
midnight premiere of a movie
55.
Go to a baseball
game
56.
Write a fan
letter
57.
Send someone
flowers anonymously
58.
Purge 25 items
from my wardrobe that I no longer wear
59.
Hike on five
trails that are new to me or I haven’t been on in over 20 years
60.
Get a henna
tattoo
61.
Spend a night
stargazing / watch a meteor shower / watch a lunar eclipse
62.
Have my palm read
/ tarot cards read
63.
Enter a
photography contest
64.
Make 5 microloans
on kiva.org
65.
Release 10 books
through bookcrossing.com
66.
Finish Eowyn’s
Challenge
67.
Work up to doing
100 consecutive sit-ups
68.
Host a Mardi Gras
party
69.
Make 5 recipes
that were sent to me through PostCrossing
70.
Choose 10
countries and watch a movie from each
71.
Go to a roller
derby match
72.
Answer the “50
Questions that Will Free Your Mind”
73.
Reread the first
books and complete reading the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan
74.
Read the Song of
Fire and Ice series by George R. Martin
75.
Learn to say
“hello”, “goodbye”, “yes”, “no”, and “where’s the bathroom” in 10 languages
76.
Write a letter to
myself to be opened in 10 years
77.
Buy a piece of
original art
78.
Compliment at
least five people in one week
79.
Go to a
Renaissance Fair ($5 extra for the fun jar if one or both of my sisters goes
with me)
80.
Learn how to
maintain my bike
81.
Listen to 10 new
musical artists ($5extra for the fun jar for each of these who is recommended
to me by a niece or nephew)
82.
Host a menu
mystery party
83.
Do the 30 Day
Photo Challenge on Facebook
84.
Color at least 5
pages from one of my upscale coloring books
85.
Go horseback
riding or ride in a horsedrawn carriage
86.
Do something from
my bucket list
87.
Make a pie on pi
day
88.
Taste 10 new
types of tea
89.
Take a 2 week
Facebook break
90.
Wear every piece
of jewelry I own at least once
91.
Drop my body fat
% by at least 5 points
92.
Have a face to
face visit with at least five friends that are no longer part of my daily life
93.
Redo my “why I do
this” photos in my office
94.
Do the 5K
training part of ZombiesRun! App while running or walking (not on the exercise
bike)
95.
Learn a new
method of braiding my hair
96.
Take a staycation
with at least 3 consecutive days of not doing any chores
97.
Buy a little
black dress
98.
Do The Pocket
Scavenger book
99.
Have a contest on
my blog with a prize of something that I’ve made
100.
Donate 1 million
grains of rice to freerice.com
101.
Save $10 in cash
for each goal I complete – use this money for something fun (aka “the fun jar”). Plus, donate $10 to charity for each item
that I don’t accomplish by the last day – March 19th, 2016
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Finishing up and starting anew ...
Today, I sent out the last of my charity donations for the items that I did not complete on my first round. Since I decided to split the money ($760 is a lot for me to donate in one chunk) between organizations, it took me a little longer to make choices on who was going to get how much. (And phasing it over multiple paychecks helped my budget too). Along the way, I made a cool discovery ... my old high school has a giving program where you can give a general gift to their foundation as a "gratitude" for a teacher/staff member; they will send that person a thank you (anonymously if preferred) for making a difference in your life. What a great way to make giving a little more special!
Now that I feel like I've fulfilled my obligations under the first list I made, I am working on another DayZero goal list! I am hoping to post it and start on my second 1,001 days this Saturday. I am having a hard time in cutting the list down to 101 items; there are so many things that I want to do! Plus, I want to either repeat some successful goals or take another shot at most of the uncompleted ones from the first list. And, I am trying to take into consideration some time commitments that I can potentially see on my horizon for work ... I really lost momentum last time when there were changes in this area of my life. But I also want to really have to work to achieve the goals; it's hard to find a balancing point of the easily achievable vs. the big stretch goals.
So, a new list in the next post ...
And, since the old side list will be replaced, here's the record of where I ended on the first list:
Now that I feel like I've fulfilled my obligations under the first list I made, I am working on another DayZero goal list! I am hoping to post it and start on my second 1,001 days this Saturday. I am having a hard time in cutting the list down to 101 items; there are so many things that I want to do! Plus, I want to either repeat some successful goals or take another shot at most of the uncompleted ones from the first list. And, I am trying to take into consideration some time commitments that I can potentially see on my horizon for work ... I really lost momentum last time when there were changes in this area of my life. But I also want to really have to work to achieve the goals; it's hard to find a balancing point of the easily achievable vs. the big stretch goals.
So, a new list in the next post ...
And, since the old side list will be replaced, here's the record of where I ended on the first list:
- Make a will and get it notarized
- Make a living will and get it notarized - completed 4/23/13
- Lose xx pounds (you don't need to know the actual number)
- Practice my harp at least once a week for a year - completed 7/29/12
- Finish the online Latin course that I started
- Solo trip to England - completed 10/13/10 (the day I got there)
- Solo trip in the US
- Visit Canada (more than just past the border)
- Visit Mexico (more than just past the border) - completed 2/14/12
- Visit a European country I haven't seen before
- Solo kayak - no one following, at least around one island from Nina & Peter's, no help getting in or out of the kayak - to help get over my fear of water (onshore cheering is allowed) - completed 8/19/10
- Visit all my grandparents' graves - completed 11/9/11
- Redecorate the bathroom - completed 8/17/11
- Put tile in under the woodstove - completed 11/12/10
- Do something nice - without being asked - for someone each day for a month - completed 12/12/10
- Revisit 23 things on a stick and finish the second round
- Make and mail care packages to each of my nephews and nieces - completed 3/20/13
- Try out for a community theater part (on stage, not behind the scenes) - completed 8/29/11
- Finish reading the "essential" section of Proulx's "Books for a Well Educated Adult" list
- Spend an afternoon writing "why you're fabulous" notes for 10 people that I'm close to and then give them out - completed 1/9/11
- Actually celebrate my 40th birthday rather than pretending it doesn't exist - 5/17/11
- Make a new recipe (not baked goods) each month for a year - completed 4/28/13
- Finish my Christmas stocking that was supposed to be done several years ago
- Visit each of my siblings and invite them to visit me
- Learn to make fortune cookies and have a party where they are part of the menu
- Host a wine tasting party
- Listen to ALL of the songs I own at least once - completed 1/15/12
- Beat all the levels on Zoo Tycoon - completed with an alternate game 7/12/12
- Finish my Dewey classification reading goal
- Read 10 popular authors (new to me) that I normally wouldn't to keep up with trends - completed 11/3/11
- Make myself three new costumes for fun
- Cook an ethnic meal from each continent (excluding Antartica)
- Use each herb in my garden in a different dish over the course of a summer
- Learn to make 15 different cocktails from memory - completed 4/13/11
- Go to a vineyard and taste - buy a bottle of my favorite - completed 9/7/11
- Start writing poetry again - at least 20 new poems
- Memorize 10 more poems to add to my "library in my head"
- Read a daily newspaper every day for 3 months (can be online subscription) - completed 8/19/12
- Make 1000 paper cranes and a wish - completed 2/27/11
- Attempt to become better at drawing by completely filling the pages of a sketchbook with my own efforts
- Take a community education or college continuing education course
- Learn how to do video editing
- Write to 3 people who've changed my life to thank them
- Break out the jingles and belly dance at least once a week for 4 months
- Host a "make music" night for all my talented friends
- Donate to a different charity each month for a year - completed 7/21/11
- Start a blueberry patch in the backyard - completed 5/31/11
- Take Mom and Dad on a vacation
- Spend an entire weekend in my pajamas - completed 1/2/11
- Try growing lettuce inside in the winter - completed 3/2/12
- Take a First Aid/CPR refresher course
- Actually write down a life bucket list of at least 10 items - completed (added item #10) 9/23/10
- Try geocaching - completed 9/19/10
- Include a vegetable side dish at supper every night for 2 months - to get back in the habit of eating more veggies - completed 2/24/11
- Donate blood - completed 2/15/11
- Take one of the Duluth train trips - completed 7/22/12
- Repaint the porch trim and garage
- Send at least 15 Operation Baking Gals boxes - completed 12/6/12
- Go berry picking at least 5 times
- Read at least 15 of my "reserve" books to get the stack size down - completed 7/15/11
- Invite friends over for 10 game nights - completed 3/10/12
- Try canning a new type of preserves - completed 9/4/10
- See Wicked - completed 10/15/10
- Meet savings goal #1 - completed 9/2/11
- Meet savings goal #2 - completed 3/18/11
- Meet savings goal #3
- Complete perennial bed along east fence in back yard - completed 6/20/11
- Read at least 200 books per calendar year (should be at or past #80 by ending date for 2013) - completed 4/28/13
- Restart blogging as a way to document doing this list (this goal can be considered complete after 20 posts) - completed 11/7/10
- Take 10 frame-worthy photos to display in my home - completed 3/18/12
- Pack a work lunch every day for a month - completed 1/14/12
- Visit 5 new places in Minnesota
- See 10 live theater productions - completed 3/13/11
- Reduce my morning walk time to 35 minutes without losing distance
- Plant a boulevard tree in front of my house - completed 5/13/12
- Find out my blood type - completed 3/31/11
- Don't complain about anything for a week - completed 11/6/10
- Send a secret to PostSecret - completed 7/20/11
- Watch 10 movies from my "someday" list - completed 12/8/12
- Ride in a taxi
- Learn how to make bagels - completed 5/5/13
- Finally do the Australia photo party
- Find a spot in a different room to put some of the kitchen stuff I rarely use (canning equipment, roaster, etc), so I have more room to work - completed 9/16/10
- Throw a murder mystery dinner party - completed 5/17/11
- Throw a menu mystery dinner party - completed 10/29/11
- Try absinthe - completed 10/18/10
- Get a slide to digital photo machine and use it on Mom & Dad's slides
- See an opera - completed 7/8/11
- Rewire my reading lamp that Dad made - completed 8/17/10
- Learn to identify 5 new constellations
- Say no to 5 requests that I really don't want to do - completed 5/6/11
- Make a list of 25 things that I do well - completed 10/10/10
- Go to 10 different museums
- Memorize what all the icons on my digital camera stand for - completed 3/16/13
- Make 5 new jewelry pieces - completed 3/30/13
- Play my keyboard at least 30 times
- Participate in PostCrossing.com - completed 8/4/11
- Send 3 people who aren't related to me a surprise ... just because - completed 9/19/12
- Take a lunch break at work every day for two weeks straight
- Attend 5 local performing arts events that I'm tempted to skip because I'm tired - dessert theater in the light booth is allowed - 10/15/12
- Donate $20 to charity for each item that I don't accomplish by the last day - May 13th, 2013
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