working dog

Beulah has been coming to work with me lately. Not every day, but about once a week (towards the end of the week) I've brought her into the office and let her "help me" work. Let me tell ya, she's a bit hit.


By the end of the day she's tuckered out. It's soooo hard to be this cute!

ice world

This morning I woke up, stepped out the door with the puppy and felt my jaw hit the floor. EVERYTHING was covered in ice. Every blade of grass, branch on the tree and pine needle was frozen into icicles.


It was so beautiful! One of those moments where you just have to gaze in awe at the beauty of our world.

12 months, 12 goals

As the last few goals I have for this new year are all sort of intertwined, I think I'll just list them here with a teensy bit of elaboration....

Stop to smell the roses - live in the moment, try to enjoy the now and not spend all my time planning the future

Learn to love my life - Sometimes I feel as thought I don't put enough energy into loving myself and the life that I lead. This year I want to be more aware of this negativity concerning myself and take decisive steps to stop it already!

Make my home my sanctuary - I'm looking for a new place right now, for a longer term lease. This next year I'm going to settle in a bit and maybe stay in one place for a year!

Stay more connected with friends and family - email, phone calls, facebook, whatever. I want to be better about keeping track of the important people.

12 months, 12 goals

(That's me in front; number 125. Right before the Ft. Bragg Army 10-miler...)

I bet you can guess these next two goals. They're the same ones we all make. Every year. But this time I'm serious! So, my health goals for this year:

Exercise every day (or, at least most days)
and
Eat less processed foods

That's easy enough, right?? I'm already making soups and have joined a new (and very cheap) gym and I'm tracking my progress with a little check-off chart ;)

12 months, 12 goals

Time for a combo post! Seeing as how several of my goals are knitting-based, I think I'll knock out two today.

First, I will knit a sweater! This is the year, I can feel it. I will not only knit a sweater, but I will knit one that fits. Specifically I will knit this sweater.


It's the Oatmeal Pullover, by Jane Richmond. The class starts this evening! I'm pretty durn excited.

Next up, fair isle. I want to learn to knit beautiful things like this:


I mean, how amazing are these? Sooo beautiful! It might kill me, but I will learn.

12 months, 12 goals

This next goal is one that has been brewing in my head and heart for a while now.

Goal 4 - contribute to a cause.

Forgive me for this, but I'm going to take a moment to share why this is important to me this year. During the year I spent in the Middle East I met a lot of Iraqis who were good people. I tried to make an effort to be the kind of American who left a good impression, rather than a negative one (I was in the position to do so) and so was lucky enough to get to know a few of these folks on a slightly more personal level. I shocked me to see first-hand the devastation of the country and the life of a people. Especially the women and children.

I feel that in many countries where large amounts of the population are suffering, it is the women and children who bear the brunt of the pain. I won't go into my personal thought on religion and patriarchy, but I feel an intense need to help others who are less fortunate than I and to focus my attentions especially on women and little girls. The other day my father sent me this story and it finally solidified the necessity of doing something to help.

So, this year I plan to find a way to help these sisters of mine. I plant to start with contributing handmade blankets to Afghans for Afghans. I'm just going to do small ones, as they have to be made of wool and let's face it... wool ain't cheap! But, my goal is to knit or crochet one each month for the year. Twelve total.

I'm starting with this pattern by Alicia Paulson, the Tiramisu Blanket. (photo from tamsi on Ravelry)


I've added a tab on the sidebar to Afghans for Afghans if anyone reading this would like to read about them. I will also start a flickr slideshow thingie to keep me honest on this. As I go through this year I have another organization planned to contribute to financially, but will speak more on that later; once I am able to actually start getting involved.

12 months, 12 goals

2011 goal number three: spend more time outdoors. There's something about spending time outside hiking, camping, or just sitting that is so relaxing and calming. I know for a fact that the more time I spend "communing with nature," if you will, the happier I am overall. And really, it's not like it's hard to do. Or expensive.


So, in 2011 (as soon as the weather gets a little warmer!!) I'm going to make it a point to take the dog and head out into Mother Nature. Resume the weekly hikes I was planning on last year. Really, truly go to all these nice parks around the area. Explore Virginia a bit more.


After all, if you know something makes you happier why the heck wouldn't you do it? I have no idea, but this year I'm changing my old patterns and consciously choosing the activities that I love.

12 months, 12 goals

You know, there was once a time when this next goal of mine wasn't even something I would think of. The Greene family are readers, and I am no exception. However, now-a-days life gets in the way and instead of reading for a few hours on the couch I find myself doing other things that are not as satisfying.


So, goal #2: read more. I'm aiming for at least one book a month (totally do-able right?) More is good, more is always good when it comes to reading, but one a month is the minimum.


As you can see, I have a smallish stack of books I'm browsing through. Out of this stack I'm going to start out the year right with "Three Cups of Tea," by Greg Mortenson. Maybe I'll even schedule in time, like Sunday mornings = reading time. Yeah, that's the ticket!

12 months, 12 goals

In the spirit of the New Year, and all it entails I think I'll spend the next few days sharing a few goals with you. 2011 is hereby the year of goals, not resolutions. Goals seem so much more do-able than resolutions, don't you think? This year I've decided to make (and meet) 12 goals, one for each month of the year.

Goal 1: knit pretty and practical things. I want to make things I can and will use, or can send to others to use. This is part-and-parcel of my overall life goal of building a life that is more meaningful.

So far so good. I present to you the first knitted object of 2011!! It's a small shawl for Oma, thanks to Mother's suggestion.

I had this gorgeous yarn laying around in my little stash and it was just enough to make this little shawlette. I'll be sending it off with love to Oma and maybe a little color will make her smile.