To Do's and To Don't for 2008.....

I make lists when I am stressed out, tired, lonely, bored, busy, frantic, drinking coffee, watching TV. My lists are: things I must remember, projects around the house to complete, things to buy if I won the lottery, people to call, places I want to visit, concepts and principles to incorporate into my daily life, quotes, book titles, things about myself I want to change, things about my life that are good, reasons it's good to be married, groceries, stuff to get at Target. Etcetera. Sometimes I make lists of things I have already completed just so I can draw a thick line through them and feel very accomplished.

My 2008 List of TO-DOs and TO-DON'Ts

Money Things:
• No more late fees at the library. I mean, really. That is just sad.
• Cut trips to grocery store down to 1-2 per week instead of the nightly "Nothing at home sounds good maybe a trip to Trader Joe’s will help..."
• Deposit money into savings account each paycheck.
• Stop buying stuff that I don't need, i.e. Ebay
• Stick to “The Budget”
• When faced with the opportunity to spend embarrassing $$ on CL/Ebay/Target OR put towards monster consumer debt, choose to enjoy current selection of vintage clothes I never wear.
• Make hubby lunch at least 3x per week

The Size Of My Tummy:
• Walk my dogs EVERYDAY. It's good for ALL of us!
• Go to the gym at least 4 times per week
• Go to Hula classes on Sundays
• Do at least 4 5k Benefit Runs (ok, well WALK) this year
• Stop trying to rationalize french fries/chocolate/sugary lattes
• Eat more vegetables
• Drink more tea and less high calorie coffee
• Drink more water.
•Start learning to surf when water warms up!
• Get the freak off myspace and sub it for SparkPeople--it's so motivating!

Mind, Body, Soul
• Every day, choose happy over sad, free over constrained, and laugh a lot.
Wake up the next day and repeat.
• Take hula lessons.
• Have a girls night IN or out at least once a month
• Go to La Paloma to see more movies off of my couch
• Plant my garden.
• Start volunteering here.
• Learn Spanish or Sign Language (still deciding)
• Be a better wife/sister/friend/granddaughter/niece/person in general
• Visit my Dad and Grandparents for Christmas.
• Stop procrastinating!!! Just stop it already.
• Moisturize.
• Floss more
• learn to surf—or at least attempt a ton this summer (Surf Diva!)
• Host a dinner party in which I actually cook dinner without dropping it or burning it or only making mini h'orderves ala Cher in Mermaids!


Practical:
• Send a little more money to IRS every month
• Send a little more money to Student Loans every month
• Put more money in our 401(k) plan
• Get portfolio together and start website
• Deal with Volvo problems!
• Get dogs into classes!
• Start my day at 8am--at the latest
• Work hard. Make deadlines early and start new projects I keep thinking about
• Look at all the options and weigh them out
• Get ____ taken care of(private)
• Call more –email less


Finally... The Not-To-Do List:

• Time is sparse, life if short. Don't waste it on useless things, people, memories, obligations.
• Don't worry about stuff I can't change anyway.
• Don't expect other people to live by my values.
• Don't compromise my values for anyone.
• Don't choose the known over the unknown just because it's comfortable.
• Don't waste time on stupid stuff or mean stuff. Frequently ask myself "Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?"
• Don't minimize my successes

This list is subject to change and modification of course.
To list is to live.

It's begining to look a lot like Christmas!

I just received my third Christmas card in the mail today. The count down has officially begun for me. I have almost all my gifts either ready or pretty close to being mailed out. Not too shabby.

Buck is the cutest dog ever......

He is so silly!

A Lifetime of Failures (and Successes)

A Lifetime of Failures (and Successes)
Increase Your Abe-ility Timeline

This is just a short history of the disappointments and setbacks Abraham Lincoln was faced with in his life. It’s important to know he bounced back after each of these hurdles to learn something and grow from the experience. It’s equally important to remember there’s an impressive list of success that more than matches up with this one. Click here to read what you can learn from the failures Lincoln persevered through during his entire life.

Age (some are estimated)
7 Family is forced out their home and Abe has to go to work.
9 Mother dies.
20 Loses job as a store clerk when business fails.
23 Runs for State Legislature. Finishes 8th of 13 candidates.
24 Gets job as postmaster of his township. Has worst
efficiency record in the county.
26 Business partner dies, leaving him huge debt and
another failing business.
26 Sweetheart dies of malaria.
27 Suffers a nervous breakdown.
28 Turned down in his first marriage proposal.
29 Runs for Illinois Speaker of the House. Loses.
34 Runs for Congress. Loses.
37 Elected to Congress – on third try.
39 Is not re-elected.
45 Runs for Senate. Loses.
47 Runs for Vice President. Loses.
49 Runs for Senate again. Loses again.
51 Elected President. War starts one month later and ends
five days before his death.
54 Delivers Gettysburg Address. Not received well, audience and organizers deeming it a failure. Chicago Times calls it “silly, flat and dishwatery.”


Wow--I had no idea....