bye bye 2013

I shocked that 2013 is over, it flew by so fast that I wonder what it all meant.

Time to re-visit my resolutions from last year, time to do the last invoices for my business and see how our household finances compare to year's past…. I feel good about it actually.

2013 Resolutions Report Card: 

MORE; 
reading, C- (not as much as I was hoping)
writing, C+ (definitely MORE but not lots)
billable hours, B+ (very good effort!)
time teaching my kids, D (I didn't apply my energy!)
learning, C (learning software upgrades)
vegetables, B+ (yay!)
whole foods, B+ (good improvement)
housecleaning, C+ (some improvement, a ways to go)
walks, A (rain or shine and dragging anyone that will go)
yoga, F (I think I went once all year)
time for friends, B- (more phone calls, more lunches)
kindness, B (the kids are seeing a less judgmental me)
time outside, A (gardening, walking, chickens, dog!)
patience, B (it seems to go with the kinder me)

LESS; 
dairy, A+ (almost done with it except aged cheeses)
fructose, B+ (it sneaks in rarely)
excuses, B+ (good improvement!)
processed foods, A- (I read ingredients)
shopping, C+ (slightly better than last year)
criticism, B (more kindness)
procrastination, D (still prone to leaving unpleasant things to the last second)
TV, F (time-sucking box of doom)
food hoarding, C+ (good effort up to about a month ago)
chaos C+ (there is less, but still room to improve)

As far as resolutions go I think I made progress in a decent amount of areas! I'm so glad to have done this and I will certainly continue.

2014 Resolutions:

MORE: time outside, wholesome food, gardening, billable hours, kindness, learning, housecleaning, patience, quiet time, time for loved ones, creating art, respecting my health

LESS: chaos, processed foods, useless stuff, procrastinating, consumption, pushing my opinion, TV

What I want to accomplish for the year: A comfortable, safe environment to live and work for myself and my dear family through good nutrition, clean home, loving attitude, calm listening and healthy habits.

fun with cars

I love some car commercials.... this is one of them: (you need speakers)

http://video.luxology.com/article/113004_1/Citroen_C4.mov

Phew!

The mayhem is over for another year.

It was the duck in the movie "Babe" that exclaimed "Christmas is Carnage!" …. yes that's how it feels when there are 9 youths and 7 adults from a few generations milling around my kitchen waiting for the giant turkey with all the fixings.

It was messy, it was noisy and it was wonderful to see the family and sit down to a sumptuous meal together.

I like that part better than the present exchange.

For some reason the gift selection got me more frustrated than usual this year.  I want with all my heart to have Christmas be about family and caring for each other, and simple gestures (gifts that are a silly treat), not about buying "the PERFECT thing" that it has grown into. It actually worries me to my core, but I seem to be the only one that cares about it. Truly I would have been happy with a few pleasant tokens. There were points when I wanted to cry over how out-of-hand the whole present thing got this year… but don't worry… it all went well so I will have to get over it. Not that I don't think my family DESERVES the very best, its just that it all seems too much somehow.

That being said I really do like what I got for Christmas, I appreciate the thought and the effort too.

Just like every 29th I am itching to take down all the decorations RIGHT NOW. Why is that? I actually like my decorations, I like the sparkly lights and our photos with santa and special ornaments that hold all the fun memories of holidays past…. but I just can't WAIT to get them down! I wonder why.

Maybe it's just too overwhelming. Bling, money, stress, food, Christmas tunes to EXCESS for Nov/Dec it's everywhere - sooooo intense!!!!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas with loved ones. I did, truly I did, despite what this whiny post implies

food?

Food food food food

It's a politically charged subject for me. Farm factories and monoculture, and GMOs and additives and preservatives and the plight of the bee… its all so scary!

I want to eat well.
 I want to eat clean.
   I want to eat socially responsible.
     And I want to be able to eat that way on a budget!!!!

Really I need to grow more of my own if I want to be sure what I'm getting. (That sounds like work.)  I admire the pure 100 mile diet folks, I think they are brave and so much smarter than me. I bet they don't eat processed anything. (Sounds expensive). Around here 100 miles is mostly coniferous forest, mountains and sea. On the island there are few serious commercial vegetable farmers, and they have short seasons. There is beef and fish, but no bananas, grains, chocolate, vanilla, pepper, spices, teas or coffee -- it sounds bland.

Damn, now I want some coffee (free trade certified organic please)

The annual hunt

We love going to the "wild woods" of the tree farm. Hunting for the perfect tree... the one that speaks to us all. And in weather like we had last weekend it was a WONDERFUL experience! Crisp and bright, all the trees standing tall and sparkly... it was fun.

There it is on the right.... the tallest one in this field.

It filled the whole box of the truck!

Shocking, it looks very tall on the back patio

Good thing we have vaulted ceilings!

Ta-da! It's a good one for sure!

Santa is coming

December 1st

Only 24 days till Christmas!

I'm happy to say, my list is under control and I have even started with the cards. It is a huge chore with a close family (I am not complaining) so it will take a while.

Like last year, I am avoiding anything that needs batteries. I want to keep it simple as possible.