So I took several posts to share my plans for the New Year. My resolutions, if you will. Then I sort of fell off the virtual earth. Been awfully quiet around here, I know. So, after taking a peek back at what I said, I think it is only fair to share what I actually did. Here we go.
I’ll start right away with That Temperature Scarf. I’ll admit I did get a bit behind. I used my most recent road trip as an excuse. Who wants to haul 8 balls of yarn around? In any case, I found a great website, wunderground. It’s a weather site, and the fun part is that people who have home weather stations can post all kinds of weather-related activity. So, I found one right near my house, and, funny world that we live in, I actually know the folks who are sharing their data. She’s a talented (read: published) novelist and they have two super-smart sons. Daughter used to play tennis with the older one, back in the day. But I digress. I printed up a blank calendar, and, from their weather station, I jot down the high and low temperature for each day. Since each day is only two short rows of knitting (it is a scarf, after all), I sit down every week or two and get the needles going. Since it was so cold, I decided to make a daily low scarf. Perhaps later I’ll make another for high temps. I’m pleased to say not only is January complete, but based on one month’s worth of stitches, it looks like my scarf-of-lows will be a bit long, but not freakishly so.
Good for me!
Now, let’s talk about Taming the Paper. I’m proud to say my kitchen counter is clear, the shredder is busy and I fill my recycle bin each week. I do have a couple of paper projects to finish. I need to send that registration paperwork for Rosy the Therapy Dog (and AKC Canine Good Citizen!).
A bunch of bill-paying is set to automatic now, wish I’d done that ages ago. Taxes are nearly done, FAFSA will be finished right after Uncle’s stuff gets e-filed. What is FAFSA, you say? Lucky you! Someday when your offspring head off to college, you’ll know the pleasure and pain of FAFSA. Simply put, FAFSA is an annual online entry of a bunch of information you’ve already shared with the IRS. Your child(ren) don’t get any financial aid if FAFSA isn’t done. Magazine piles are gone – yay me! Why am I still getting magazines? Oh well, they’ll all expire eventually. I’m using all the time I’m saving to plan a big trip. Anyone have good hints on cheap car rentals in Europe?
So far, so good!
Those Genealogy Files. Well, I’d kind of vowed to go through and remove errors and get everything organized and beautiful. I made some progress, I really did! I’ve got an indexed list of everybody and another list of all the things that need rechecking. I’ve added a bunch of photos to dead people’s profiles. I made it through a major genealogical panic when it looked like my software was going kaput, and found a solution and rode out that storm with only a few chewed fingernails. I’ve backed up and got caught up on correspondence.
But the occasional search is just way too tempting. And how can you deny me the pleasure of finding treasures like this? I mean, honestly, this is just too fascinating to let go. 
I’m not exactly sure who she is, but I’m almost certain she’s related to my great-grandfather. This clipping is from 1948.
So, not only must I find some time to figure out exactly who she is, but I must, must do a little digging and see if they found out why she died after eating a hamburger. Did she choke? Was she poisoned? Did the counter clerk hit her over the head with a brick for non-payment? Seriously, this merits attention. Then I’ll get right back to organizing and cleaning my genealogy files, I promise.
Now, about that long list of Random Resolutions. There were twenty of them. I won’t bore you with every detail, but I have managed to keep on top of 18 of them. I even scheduled the damn mammogram. It is so very difficult to not yell at the tv, what with this being an election year, but I’m trying. I’d say 50% success on that one. I’ve blown it completely on baking cookies more often. In my defense, however, I’ve been getting my fanny to the gym and just snagged a treadmill. Why would I bake cookies when I’m working so hard to remove the sweets deposited on my hips? I will make a batch soon, and it will go straight in a box to be sent to Daughter at college. My plants are watered, I knit and write and read nearly every day, and I watch His shows without whining too much. And I’m giving that forgive thing a great effort. I’d say mostly a win on Resolutions 2016.
Granted, it is only February. I may have to revisit this in a couple of months.
