Spices Update

A few weeks back I posted about SPICES and some goals that I have for myself.  I figured its time for an update... and some accountability.

So these are my Goals:

• Social: I will participate in three social activities per month.

I have been doing very well with this.  In the past month I went to play cards with a new couple, had dinner with a good friend, and went to a church Christmas celebration with another couple.  Coming up I have an evening with my college roommate and her husband planned, caroling in the community, and lots of family stuff (which only half counts because it doesn't "push" me socially, but is also really important to me).  So Success and Keep Going!

• Physical: I will exercise at least 30 minutes a day, six days a week.

Umm... I have not done this even once.  Ok. I should say that right after I posted my SPICES I got really sick. For more than three weeks I had serious trouble breathing as I fought an upper respiratory infection.  In general I would have gone to the doctor but due to a recent job change I spent the month of November without insurance, and therefore without medical attention.  I have been healthy for about a week now so its time to start my progress toward this goal... but I hate exercising.  Really really hate it... so if you have any suggestions on how to make this torturous event a little more palatable I will gladly listen.

• Intellectual: I will read one new book every month.

I just finished the first hunger games book, I'm reading the second as well as the second Cain adventure from Rick Riordan.  I want to find a "work" book to read during my down time at the office. I have been meaning to read Interviewing for Solutions and No Such Thing As A Bad Kid.  Oh and I also read two of the Series of Unfortunate Events books while I was visiting the Costa Ricans at Thanksgiving.  So check... but I really should read a work related book in the next month in additional to the fun ones.

• Creative: I will spend at least one hour per week crafting, cooking for fun, or otherwise expressing my inner self.

I have not been entirely successful with this goal.  Its Christmas time so I have been creating but I have not really been "feeling" it.  I have so many ideas but only one has really come to fruition thus far.  I have at least two more people I need to get gifts made for and then I am hopeful that I will get to focus a bit more on "expressing my inner self." First project post holiday season.... Halloween scrapbook. 

• Emotional: I will blog at least twice per week (My very own secret public journal)

I would say that I have been partially successful thus far.  I have post once or twice a week until last week when I disappeared for a short time.  Partly because I was planning this post but couldn't find the time to get out written out... partly because its a busy time of the year, and partly because when I started my new job I had a shiny little laptop with Windows 7 which totally support blogspot but then when I switched departments I had to give the laptop back and now the computer I'm using doesn't support blogspot. So I will keep working in this!  Thanks for sticking with me. 

• Spiritual: I will attend one new church each month until I find one to belong to.

I sorta cheated on this one because I went to my mom's church (which was not new but I have only been there once) with my husband only because he promised to help with the Christmas play.  That said... I went and I'm going back next week.

So that's where I'm at.  If you made it to the end of this post... extra special congratulations! Thanks for sticking with my ramblings! :)

Thandi, Love

Seventeen years ago a friend of ours knew some people who had found a stray dog, they couldn't care for it and somehow it turned out that the little animal came to live with us.  She was a rat of a dog, mixed with so many things that the vet didn't even want to venture a guess at what all she was... we called her a dober-mouse.  We named her Thandi, it means LOVE in Zulu. (You may remember that my parents have a tie to Africa) And she was mine... my dog. I fell in love her and I became an advocate for her, see, she wasn't really the best dog.  She chewed up furniture, shoes, glasses, retainers, ant traps, toys, modeling clay, etc...  She also barked a lot, and she was really, really difficult to house train. But she had a lot of energy, and she loved to play Frisbee... she and my dad's cat became fast friends and they got into all sort of trouble together. 

On Thursday we had to put her down. In the last year she took some sharp turns downhill.  She had doggie dementia, she could remember to sleep at night and not during the day, she would bark non stop, she was blind and deaf and had so much arthritis...  It was definitely the correct choice, it was so hard on my parents to care for her, but it is so sad. Seventeen years that little life was a part of mine. She brought a lot of joy and I will truly miss her.